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They came in all shapes and sizes: Some older and taller, others shorter and younger. But they had one thing in common: In the eyes of their date — their prince charming — they were princesses. And most had the tiara to prove it.
They were the daughters — the guests of honor — at the Fort Polk Spouses’ Club Father/Daughter Dance at the Warrior Community Center Oct. 28 and 29.
The annual event — expanded to two days this year because of overwhelming interest — drew nearly 600 participants, including a host of dads recently returned from a year-long deployment to Afghanistan.
The Disney-themed dance included dignitaries such as Prince Charming, Cinderella, Snow White, Tinker Bell, Belle and Rapunzel. But the true stars were the fathers and daughters who danced the night away on the WCC dance floor.
Spc. Jason Davis was one such dad. Not content with one date, Davis spent the evening with three of his four princesses: Jordan, 14, Harley, 5, and Hayden, 3. Older daughter Shelby, 19, was unable to attend.
Davis said he also has a son, Diesel, who is 1. Asked if there might be any more youngsters on the horizon, Davis replied, emphatically, “No. That’s been taken care of. I’m not moving too well tonight, but there are no concerns about that anymore.”
Some daughters were unable to be escorted by their dads due to deployments or illness. Sgt. Brandon Thornsberry chaperoned Delaney Brown, 5, for his friend, Jordan Brown, who had a broken arm and was scheduled for surgery.
“I wish my daddy was here, but I’m glad he (Thornsberry) took me,” Brown said.
Another fill-in date was Spc. Robin Williams. Williams had two dates — Kyara, 9, and Sierra, 8, whose dad was deployed.
“I couldn’t let my friend’s daughters miss this,” Williams said. “Friends have each others’ back.”
There was a raffle during the evening with prizes ranging from Disney make-up supplies to a golf club. Carriage rides were also available, as well as food fit for young princesses — macaroni and cheese, chicken strips and pizza.
As the night’s festivities drew to a close, Maj. Dave Campbell reflected on his date with Georgia, 6. Campbell recently came home from a deployment to Afghanistan with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
“It’s good to be home and back with my family,” Campbell said. “I’m glad I was able to be back in time to take Georgia to the dance. I know this is a night I’ll always remember.”
Campbell is already looking ahead to next year’s dance.
“I’ll have two dates next year,” Campbell said. “My daughter Chloe is six weeks old; next year I can take them both.”
They came in all shapes and sizes: Some older and taller, others shorter and younger. But they had one thing in common: In the eyes of their date — their prince charming — they were princesses. And most had the tiara to prove it.
They were the daughters — the guests of honor — at the Fort Polk Spouses’ Club Father/Daughter Dance at the Warrior Community Center Oct. 28 and 29.
The annual event — expanded to two days this year because of overwhelming interest — drew nearly 600 participants, including a host of dads recently returned from a year-long deployment to Afghanistan.
The Disney-themed dance included dignitaries such as Prince Charming, Cinderella, Snow White, Tinker Bell, Belle and Rapunzel. But the true stars were the fathers and daughters who danced the night away on the WCC dance floor.
Spc. Jason Davis was one such dad. Not content with one date, Davis spent the evening with three of his four princesses: Jordan, 14, Harley, 5, and Hayden, 3. Older daughter Shelby, 19, was unable to attend.
Davis said he also has a son, Diesel, who is 1. Asked if there might be any more youngsters on the horizon, Davis replied, emphatically, “No. That’s been taken care of. I’m not moving too well tonight, but there are no concerns about that anymore.”
Some daughters were unable to be escorted by their dads due to deployments or illness. Sgt. Brandon Thornsberry chaperoned Delaney Brown, 5, for his friend, Jordan Brown, who had a broken arm and was scheduled for surgery.
“I wish my daddy was here, but I’m glad he (Thornsberry) took me,” Brown said.
Another fill-in date was Spc. Robin Williams. Williams had two dates — Kyara, 9, and Sierra, 8, whose dad was deployed.
“I couldn’t let my friend’s daughters miss this,” Williams said. “Friends have each others’ back.”
There was a raffle during the evening with prizes ranging from Disney make-up supplies to a golf club. Carriage rides were also available, as well as food fit for young princesses — macaroni and cheese, chicken strips and pizza.
As the night’s festivities drew to a close, Maj. Dave Campbell reflected on his date with Georgia, 6. Campbell recently came home from a deployment to Afghanistan with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
“It’s good to be home and back with my family,” Campbell said. “I’m glad I was able to be back in time to take Georgia to the dance. I know this is a night I’ll always remember.”
Campbell is already looking ahead to next year’s dance.
“I’ll have two dates next year,” Campbell said. “My daughter Chloe is six weeks old; next year I can take them both.”
