Lil Girl and soldier daddy pic

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-30-2002
Lil Girl and soldier daddy pic
6
Wed, 10-07-2009 - 1:51pm

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Little-Soldier-Girl-Didnt-Want-to-Let-Go-63629627.html?yhp=1


Little Soldier Girl "Didn't Want to Let Go"
Four-year old Paige didn't want to say goodbye to her daddy before he was shipped off to Iraq
By VINCE LATTANZIO
Updated 12:34 PM EDT, Wed, Oct 7, 2009









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Abby Bennethum

A family photo that shows a little girl beside her father and his fellow soldiers in uniform as they prepare to go to war has resonated well beyond the tight knit Bennethum clan.


Four-year-old Paige Bennethum really, really didn't want her daddy to go to Iraq.


So much so, that when Army Reservist Staff Sgt. Brett Bennethum lined up in formation at his deployment this July, she couldn't let go.


No one had the heart to pull her away.










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The commanding officer allowed Paige to say goodbye as her dad prepared to ship off from Fort Dix.

Paige's mom Abby captured the moment with her camera and her aunt passed the image along to a Berks County, Pa. newspaper.


"I’ve had strangers looking me up online, sending me messages that they are touched by it ... offering a lot of support," Abby Bennethum told NBCPhiladelphia.


The picture took on a life of its own online this week. Abby says that suddenly, people were knocking on her door. "Literally overnight, there's all these people that just want to do anything they can," she says. Though she says her husband hasn't seen any stories about his family yet, he expects to.


For her part, Paige still remembers how she felt that day in July. Looking at the picture of herself – her dad now overseas – Paige remembers, "I didn't want to let go of him."



She calls the work he does transporting supplies across the Iraqi border, "just nice."


But that doesn't change her feelings.


"I just miss my dad right now," she says.


Sgt. Bennethum, 30, is expected home next July. Until then, Paige plans to help her mom take care of her little sister and a new baby that's on the way.



First Published: Oct 6, 2009 4:30 PM EDT












Community Leader
Registered: 04-05-2002
Thu, 10-08-2009 - 8:43am
It's touching but any military family knows and has experienced this, even when we're not in a war situation. They get shipped on deployments, however long, maybe not to war zones but it's always happening. It's heart breaking every time. I don't know if kids that age understand the dangers of the situation but they do know they miss their mommies and daddies.










iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Thu, 10-08-2009 - 10:32am
Maybe it's because I'm a veteran, and these photos seem to always affect me very emotionally, but I wanted to thank you for sharing this with the board. My heart breaks for all the family members who have loved ones leave them to be deployed into a war zone, not ever knowing if he or she will return, and if so, will they return intact, physically and emotionally? Thank you again. Salute!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Thu, 10-08-2009 - 1:12pm

ITA!


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Fri, 10-09-2009 - 2:25pm
I agree it's heart wrenching saying goodbyes to loved ones being deployed in a war zone. Whenever I see service people leaving or coming home I shed a tear for them &

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2007
Fri, 10-09-2009 - 3:11pm

About 3 weeks ago we spent the night at my son & daughter in law's house and stopped for breakfast at a restaurant with them and my grand daughter before we headed back for home. Seated a couple of booths away were 2 Army soldiers in full uniform eating their breakfast. My son, who was also in the Navy, got up and went to the front of the eatery and I watched him talking to the manager who was running the register.....then I watched him pull out some money and gave it to him......knowing my son like I do, I knew what he was doing.....I never said anything to him, and as we were eating, the soldiers got up and went to pay for their meals.....I saw the manager talking to them, and it was evident those 2 young men were asking him who the kind soul was who paid for their meal. The manager never told them, and as

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Sat, 10-10-2009 - 9:13am

You must be truly proud of your son. Your tender story made me tear-up.

Photobucket

 


Photobucket&nbs