Sue and Dave Catherman did not take Christmas for granted this year.

Not only were they celebrating Dave's return from the Persian Gulf, but they were also awaiting the birth of their first child, a baby girl, born Jan. 6.

"The holidays this year were really joyful. Being over in the gulfup or down?

A soldier's return home from war can sometimes mean a period of stressful readjustment or strained family relationships, but Dave Catherman said this has not been the case for members of the 442nd.

"Our transition was very easy," he said. "I've talked to most of the troops in my platoon, and overall there haven't been too many problems -- no separations or divorces or anything like that."

Capt. Todd Warner, commander of the 442nd, agreed that the return home has been easy for the company.

"Everyone seems to have acclimated," Warner said. "The adjustment was really minimal for me."

Warner said his employer, Murata-Erie, a State College electronics component manufacturer, was eager to make use of his military experiences. Warner wrote an article for the company's newsletter comparing quality control in the military, which is part of the 442nd's mission, to quality control in private industry.

The 442nd was activated Sept. 10, 1990, and most of the unit left within a few days for Fort Drum, N.Y., and then Saudi Arabia. The company returned home April 13, 1991.

A few weeks later, the Cathermans found that Sue was pregnant with their first child. Sue Catherman said the pregnancy created an extra bond between her and her husband when they were getting to know each other again.

"We have been married for two years and (having a baby) was what we were looking forward to," she said.

Giving up some of the responsibilities she had gotten used to while her husband was away was hard at first, Catherman said. But now she enjoys sharing household chores again.

Warner's wife, Elaine, who is also expecting a child later this year, described the first few weeks after her husband's return as unreal.

"It was kind of a shock at first to have them all home," she said. "But we all adjusted quite well because of the family support group and the talking we had done with each other."

Warner said one change for her and many of the other wives is that they do not take their husbands for granted any more.