Soldier returns home to see son for first time
Son born at GCMC while father in South Korea
By SHANNON CRABTREE news@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Shannon Crabtree On leave from Korea, Army Private First Class Kyle Henke got to meet his son for the first time Wednesday. Steven David Henke was born March 1 at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Wharton. Mom is Amanda Martin Henke.

Seven-week-old Steven David Henke doesn't understand it yet, but he and his daddy just met.

Private First Class Kyle Henke was still in Korea when his son was born and will soon have to return to overseas duty.

Little Steven and mom Amanda Martin Henke will remain in El Campo during the remaining five months of his tour of duty with the 35th Brigade.

Kyle Henke, 20, is from Wisconsin while 18-year-old Amanda is an El Campo native.

"We met on the computer," she said. "And then he got stationed in El Paso. Since he was in Texas, we decided to get married."

The couple exchanged vows on Feb. 16, 2007 and moved to Fort Bliss in El Paso.

Henke had been in the service about 14 months at the time, working in food services.

A few months later, Amanda was pregnant and Henke received orders to go to Camp Carroll in southern South Korea.

"I was a little disappointed," Kyle Henke said.

"I was going to have to miss our first Christmas, our first wedding anniversary and my son's birth, but I decided to roll with the punches."

So he shipped out and she shipped home.

"Because I was pregnant, I didn't want to be in El Paso by myself," she said, adding moving back to El Campo seemed to be the most viable choice.

Communication in the area wasn't much of a problem, they said, adding he was able to be on the phone while she was in labor.

Their son was born March 1, 2008 at Gulf Coast Medical Center in Wharton.

"We were on a field problem," Kyle Henke said, adding he talked to his wife on the bus ride there.

His commanding officer allow him to call as much as possible, he said, adding his unit was very supportive.

The first pictures came a couple of days later.

But Henke didn't actually get to meet his son until Wednesday.

"I didn't think he'd look a lot like myself. It almost made me cry," he said. "Hopefully, he'll grow up to be a smart guy."

After a leave of 24 total days, Henke will be back in Korea.

Five months after that, he will return to Fort Bliss in El Paso where the family will be reunited.

Henke doesn't know whether he will stay in the Army.

"It's scary out here (in the civilian community)," he said. "I'm weighing my options. This is a guaranteed paycheck."