Couple Separated by Gulf Still Tie the Knot

A judge marrying a couple separated by the Persian Gulf War wished the newlyweds a “long and happy lifetime”--as soon as they get together.

Kandy Green, 19, said Monday that she and Army Reserve Spc. John Lee, 25, wanted to be married before he shipped out last month to Saudi Arabia, but time ran out.

“I was dealing with the stress, and he was busy packing,” she said. “I figured if it was that important, we could do it over the telephone.”

Officiating in the long-distance wedding Monday was Judge Richard Dailey, who tied the wedding knot from his chambers in Delaware County Superior Court.

After pronouncing the couple husband and wife, Dailey told the bride, “Kandy, you may now talk to your husband.”

Through a microphone and speaker, the judge told the groom: “John, are you still on the line? All right, we hope you and Kandy have a long and happy lifetime together as soon as you get together.”

Then the judge ushered the witnesses from his chambers so the couple could speak privately for 20 minutes.

The bride said later that she discussed with her husband “what we plan to do when he gets home. He’s not sure how long he will be there, but he wants to go to Disney World,” she said.