ALBERTVILLE, Ala. – Duty wouldn’t allow James Drain to attend prom when he was 18. He had a country to serve. While other students were enjoying the traditional rite of passage as high school seniors, he was far away from his Alabama home fighting in the Korean War.
But this past weekend, over 60 years later, Drain’s granddaughter, Joy Webb, decided to give him the chance he never had.
Webb invited her “Poppa,” who’s now 80-years-old, to attend prom with her at Albertville High School.
“My family is everything to me, and I love him so much, and it’s just really special to me because I know not many people get to do that,” Webb explained. “And I know he loves me and I love him, and it’s just really neat and special.”
In an interview with WHNT, Mr. Drain recalled how it all went down:
“She said, ‘Hey, will you come to the prom with me and be my beau?’ And I said ‘I sure will!’… She said, ‘Poppa, oh, Poppa, you’re the one I wanted to start with. I would love that. You’re the one I wanted.”
Oh, and in addition to checking “Prom” off his bucket list, Mr. Drain also experienced another first over the weekend.
“This is my first appearance in a tuxedo!” He exclaimed. “First tuxedo I’ve ever had!”
And to top it all off, Mr. Drain and his granddaughter rode to prom in a horse drawn carriage straight out of a fairy tale.
“And this is my prince for the night!” said Webb.
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— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) December 3, 2014
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