Midshipmen receive warm welcome home

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) - At least six Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland returned to western New York Wednesday night to spend Thanksgiving with their families.

Most of them are graduates of Canisius High School who have been gone since July and will go back in four days.

"Five months away from home, longest I've ever been, but it's great to see the whole family and all of western New York coming out to support us," Daniel Ecker said.

Even with things heating up in the Gaza Strip, these Midshipmen have no regrets about joining the academy.

Kirk Kostrzewski said, "I think there's no point in time where we won't defending our country but I'm prepared to take that up."

His mother, Laurie, added, "We're Patriots, and I think he has had a desire to join the Marines since he's been 8-years-old."

Andrew Karas noted, "I ultimately knew that there were decisions that people would have to make and looking at my family and friends and the lives of other people would choose, I know it would be better for me to make those decisions than put my friends and family through that."

Krystyna Nowakowski was one of the first two American Midshipmen to ever be invited on a Chinese Navy ship.

"We actually flew to Cadis, Spain and went across the Atlantic to Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was actually a really cool experience. I learned a little more Chinese, it's actually my major, and their English was phenomenal," Nowakowski said.