Emily Flora | Special to So Salem

Jenna, Charles, Lisa, and Lauren Graves at the airport as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Charles Graves comes home on a visit from Iraq.

When Charles Graves was only 18 years old he decided to join the Air Force and serve his country. At age 20 he transferred to the Army, where he became a Black Hawk pilot. He served one year in Korea and three years in Germany.

A turn of events in 1999 nearly changed his life forever, at least he thought.

While stationed in Germany, Charles was deployed to Kosovo and watched as some of his fellow soldiers and dear friends in the helicopter in front of him crashed and caught on fire.

"One of the pilots had five children. He had to try and rescue the pilots, but it was too late," Graves' wife, Lisa Graves, said. "It was that incident that caused him to reconsider his military career. From that point, every time he cranked his helicopter he wondered if he would return to his family."

In 2000, after much thought, he decided to put his family first and after 12 years of service moved from Germany to Irvine in his home state of California with his wife and daughter Jenna. Graves went back to college full time and began working for a software company, Principal Decisions Systems International. He still works there to this day as Senior Software Engineer.

"While living there I hated the lifestyle," Lisa said. "California's cost of living was extreme; it was overcrowded, very materialistic, not family focused and lacking in Christian values. We were seeking a great place to raise our kids."

Some of their friends came to California to visit and told Charles and Lisa about Roanoke. So, in 2002 Lisa packed up their daughter, Jenna, who was five at the time, and took off for Roanoke so she could find a job. Charles stayed behind until he was able to move as well. "We loaded up as much as we could in the back of the 4-Runner, picked up my other daughter in Georgia and drove to Roanoke. My friend was so excited."

"I took a wrong turn at one point and came up through Danville and Smith Mountain Lake and the sun was setting and it was an amazing sunset and I thought, 'God has sent me to this beautiful setting'. I felt peace."

Lisa was most surprised at how easy it was so get involved in church and make new friends. And as both Lauren and Jenna started school, they too became acclimated to Hidden Valley Middle and High School and got involved in athletics.

"That's what I love about this area. There are so many Christians and people with character," she said. "We will never go anywhere else, this is home."

But during Thanksgiving break in 2008 a surprise package was awaiting from FedEx.

"In very complicated wording the letter requested he report to active duty on February 15, 2009, my birthday, not to exceed 400 days. It was complete shock to us being that he was not in the reserves. He was on Inactive Ready Reserve, meaning he would be called up in emergency situations."

After reality set in, they became worried that they would have to sell their home and worried about keeping their insurance and where Charles would be sent.

The company Charles works for, Principal Decisions Systems International, decided to keep them on their insurance at no cost. Friends from their church, Fellowship Community Church in Salem, Avery and Tammy Blankenship, offered the family their beach house for a family get-a-way. Friends, family, neighbors, and church family even surprised him with a "Take-off Party" at New Century Community Church.

Lisa calls them her hometown heroes. Members of her church, Fellowship Community, joined together to help her get through the hard times. Leigh Ogle, Lisa's Bible study leader and friend, organized and scheduled men to move the lawn and Greg King from her Sunday School class came and fixed her back door and windows when they wouldn't work. Lisa was in a car accident on the way to one of Jenna's lacrosse games and $7,500 worth of damage was done the day before the family was to travel to Ft. Rucker, Ala., for spring break to visit Charles. Trees needed cutting and Damon Hall came to the rescue.

On May 1, Charles left for Kuwait, then was sent to Tallil, Iraq, and then to Basrah, Iraq.

Not long after, the weed eater locked up, then the lawn mower broke, the door lock broke for the second time, the ceiling fan switch broke, the garage door broke, her daughter's car failed inspection, two toilets broke and finally, the retaining wall in her back yard collapsed.

But once again, the men from her church come to the rescue. Help was provided by Satish Sinha, Paul Klockenbrink, Avery Blankenship, Damon Hall, Paul Marr, Brian Gallaher, Kyle Newkirk, Richard Durrett, Sam Lionberger, and Larry Ogle.

In July a "Block Party" was held to remove all the blocks, pressure wash them and get them ready to be put back up. Those who partipated in the party included, Larry Ogle, Patrick Wilkinson, Avery Blankenship, Jason Davis, Mike Ouelette and his son, Dale Bayless, Nick Cumby, Donnie Roberts, Dic Burbage, Dave Sisson, Brad Burkhamer, Bill Billbrough, and Rick Pate. The ladies at her church all brought dishes to feed the men after they worked. Those ladies included Susie Wilkenson, Cindy Sisson, Julie Davis, Chris Ouelette, Rhonda Foster, and Rhoda Burbage.

Also in July the ceiling began to leak, Jenna broke her arm for the third time in 14 months and underwent surgery. But amid all the complications friends and neighbors stepped up to help out the family. Kirstin Klockenbrink, Scott Harrison, Satish and Smerti Sinha all pitched in. And because Charles left, Patrick Wilkenson offered to take Jenna along with his daughter Katie on daddy-daughter dates once a month.

"People have been so awesome and supportive," Lisa said. "I hope people read this and realize how good people are in Roanoke. I want people to know that through such hard times like these, there are still good people out there."

"We don't have family here and we just couldn't have made it through all this without all the helping hands of these people."

Charles came home Monday, Aug. 3, fo 15 days.