SAN ANTONIO -- Staff Sgt. Joshua Hermann will certainly remember the Alamo for a long time to come, as two major events in his life occurred there Dec. 10.
He chose that day not only to re-enlist in the U.S. Army, but also to propose to his girlfriend - all in front of the Shrine of Texas Liberty.
Assigned to the U.S. Army Emergency Medical Services Division at Fort Sam Houston, Hermman said he picked the Alamo because of its historic nature, as well as wanting to surprise his girlfriend of 19 months, Kimberly A. Campeggio of Royersford, Pa., at the same time.
So after raising his right hand to re-enlist, Hermann took a knee and asked for Kimberly's hand in marriage ... and she said yes.
"I wanted to really surprise Kim and sweep her off her feet by doing something like this at such a historic place like the Alamo," said Hermann, who had also flown in his mother, Susan Hermann, from Fort Wayne, Ind., for the occasion. "My special day was made historically memorable by proposing to Kim and asking her if she would be willing to share her life with me and stand by my side as I serve our great country."
After applause and tears by military and civilian bystanders alike, Campeggio was formally introduced as the future Mrs. Kimberly A. Hermann.
Lt. Col. John McManus, director, U.S. Army EMS, was the re-enlisting officer for the ceremony. The U.S. Army EMS Division is responsible for the accreditation and sustainment of 39,000 U.S. Army 68W combat medics throughout the Army and each one is certified as a nationally registered emergency medical technician.
Also in attendance was Gregg Stevens, deputy to the commanding general, Army Medical Department Center & School; Command Sgt. Maj. Harry L. Tharp, 32nd Medical Brigade CSM; Maj. Eliasib Lozano, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company 32nd Med. Bde. James Aplin, chief, USA EMS and a number of staff from the division.
(Steve Elliott contributed to this article.)
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