jody brooks in denver reports. >> reporter: everyone has a wish this holiday season. and this christmas, the marzo family wants exactly the same thing as little zoe writes, dear santa, please bring home my dad and with just days to go, their gift arrived. >> hi! oh! >> reporter: after serving five months in iraq, army physician captain mitchell marzo is home hugging his wife and holding his two girls zoe and lucy. this is christmas. >> yes. very good to be back. black and blue a lot of traveling. >> reporter: but what this army captain doesn't know. ♪ >> reporter: his extended family is here too to greet him at the airport's main terminal. captain marzo was expected to return from iraq in march 2012, but the end of the war meant an early return home. as much as this hero's welcome is about him, he thinks of the other servicemen and women. >> i think the important thing for everybody to remember is that there's still a whole bunch of people in afghanistan who are risking their lives every day. >> reporter: this christmas, it's a special delivery. >> over the past four