An emotional reunion.
By on Apr 2nd, 2007 at 7:58 pm
An emotional reunion.
A Navy sailor deployed in Iraq returns home to surprise his six-year-old son.
More than 145,000 U.S. soldiers remain in Iraq.
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I saw this the other night in the hotel room. It had me crying like mad. That little boy is just too sweet.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:03 pmCNN had this on a perpetual loop two days ago.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:05 pmWe need to bring them all home to their families, NOW
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:06 pmWe need to bring them all home to their families, NOW
Comment by Wayne
Agreed — 100%
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:11 pmyea, that’s a great story, huh… … but not for too many…
poor little kid… how pent up has he been, eh?
good god ya’ll…
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:15 pmCried the other night – crying now.
agreed 100% too
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:17 pmSeriously. THat’s One. how bout the other 160,000 dads and moms “Stuck in Iraq”
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:19 pm…in a hotel room?????
Do tell, Mistress Zooey.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:22 pmI agree. You cannot watch this without asking yourself why this family has been sufferring. WMD? Freedom? Democracy in Iraq? Hell no.
It’s because of the lies and failures on a massive scale from Bush and Co.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:26 pm…in a hotel room?????
Do tell, Mistress Zooey.
Comment by trueblue
I was visiting my son! Potty brain! :D
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:27 pmThis is an emotional—and realistic event, by children and their families whose loved one are stuck in that big fat lie known as the Iraq war. This video shot brings out the crimes that are inflected on children who are at lost to understand why their fathers or mothers are away from them. Will this video shot convince the pro-war liars and jerks who support the war in Iraq to discontinue? To bad it won’t; for all the cost to our national treasury and the lives of our troops twho died for this expensive lie so that Bush and his oil buddies can grow even richer the pro-war yahoos can easily shrug that emotional scene and then say “full steam ahead for this war!â€
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:30 pmMy take is “Why did this story ever have to happen?”. A single individual affected so many lives and killed so many others. All on an ego trip. He will roast in Hell aeons after Hitler assends to Heaven.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:33 pmGive all the kids their Moms and Dads back and give us all health care.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:38 pmI want to see 145,000 more of those family reunions. Bring them all home. Vote for Governor Bill Richardson for president. He is the ONLY candidate that plans on bringing all of our troops out of Iraq.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:38 pmThe more I see it, the more I cry.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:46 pmShouldn’t we be hearing some obligatory callous remarks from our resident trolls about now?
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:51 pmWHY?
No earthly reason but GREED and EGO!
WHY CONTINUE?
IMPEACH NOW!
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:53 pmTroll:
“It is just the small sacrifice you people have to pay. It is better for your kids to fight and die over there than for me to miss a Sunday Brunch at the Country Club here.”
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:57 pmI saw it three times throughout the day, and each time I sobbed. The mixture of relief, sorrow, happiness and disgust was overwhelming.
My disgust was directed at the Bush folly in Iraq. The relief and happiness was directed toward the little boy and his family. And my sorrow was aimed at all those families who won’t have that reunion, and all the little boys and girls here and in Iraq, who are growing up with this awful war.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:03 pm#18 Update
Add: Mothers, Daddies, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins.
Add: All that shit that bushco revels in and laughs at us commoners because we ain’t there.
Don’t impeach: castrate, stuff, dry, hang, grind and feed the Neocons with their Bushco Brunch: Braised Bushie Balls.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:06 pmThere has to be another 200,000 kids just like this kid…. Let’s not forget the hundreds of thousands in Iraq also suffering and all for what!?!!??? Our moron Bastard dictator sitting in the oval office had to have his “war” _ why???
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:08 pmSo he could go down as a war president, terrorize and manipulate the public for political gain and feed the cash war machine.
This whole thing is just so hideous and now we are hearing the war drums for Iran and for what???
exploitative pap. i am mortified that a father would let his family be filmed at that moment.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:12 pmexploitative pap. i am mortified that a father would let his family be filmed at that moment.
Comment by mike
The launch of the trolls…
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:15 pmexploitative pap. i am mortified that a father would let his family be filmed at that moment.
Comment by mike on April 2, 2007 @ 9:12 pm
There’s low-life. Mike is reaching for new lows.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:27 pm#21 Goehl
“…for what?”
Your question portrays the bushco perfectly: FOR WHAT?”
The answer: GREED!
“My Daddy and “The Dick” put me here and I am going to see that Halliburton and Daddy’s Oil Companies f**k you commoner a**holes out of every penny we can manage before you dumb bastards try to impeach me. Then I will pardon me and declare myself King. So there! And I am going to eat my pet goat too!”
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:28 pmexploitative pap. i am mortified that a father would let his family be filmed at that moment.
Comment by mike
I am mortified that some wish to keep this illegal invasion Bush did sanitized.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:29 pmhey mike,
there’s a good chance that little piece of film is all that family may have left when all is said and done. the guy’s going right back and still has to make it out alive. think about that.
April 2nd, 2007 at 9:35 pmThis is also a new/very effective way. Uploading old high school or college essays will earn you about $100 each/month through Adsense:
EssayBuzz – the NEW way to Sell Essays
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:01 pmMy sweet god, what does the US government is doing to these kids?
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:09 pm#28 Julia Collins
You can earn more (possibly) by uploading your a** on the street corner. Go away!
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:16 pmTP,
You obviously monitor the comments. Please explain the redemming social value of comment number 28 by Collyns.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:18 pm#31 – CTR,
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:33 pmThat gets me as well. My post are monitored and any about J@ke go into the byte bucket.
I hope his dad stays home.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:38 pmClyde & Walt,
No kidding. This Collyns creep can spam TP, no problem — we’re the ones getting deleted, or never even making the cut.
Wankers.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:40 pmWow…I am not going to kid you. I got a little misty-eyed.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:43 pmBring the troops home from Iraq to their families now. Iraq Fiasco War must end this year > PERIOD.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:47 pmHey TP,
Don’t leave us preaching to the choir! It is your turn for a sermon.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:50 pmThank God for our brave men and women who volunteer for such a difficult task. We live in a great country.
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:50 pmbruce – define “task”, please…
April 2nd, 2007 at 10:57 pmWow…I am not going to kid you. I got a little misty-eyed.
Comment by Exley
I began crying when the boy just run to his father´s arms.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:01 pmp.s. – i don’t mean to antagonize… i’m really interested in your answer…
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:02 pmi was in a hurry to post that because the daily show just started…
it’s a repeat… this is passover week…
#38 Bruce
I agree with you completely but I would like to take two exceptions to your comment. Our troops serving in Iraq did not, repeat did not, volunteer to serve in an illegal occupation of a foreign government for the benefit of a few corrupt corporations and their puppet government. Our Country is great. However, the current government administration is akin to Hitler’s Nazi Germany in many ways but different in that Hitler thought he had the best interests of the German people at heart. The Bush administration has the interests of CORPORAYE GREED at heart.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:04 pmI began crying when the boy just run to his father´s arms.
Comment by Juan C
Me too, Juan. It reminded me of waiting on the pier to meet my dad’s aircraft carrier after the Viet Nam War. :}
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 pmJuan C,
Agreed. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman said, “War is Hell.” Sadly, it is also Hell for the children caught up in the madness of so-called ‘adults.’
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:10 pmIt reminded me of waiting on the pier to meet my dad’s aircraft carrier after the Viet Nam War. :}
Comment by Zooey
I cant even imagine what you, this kid or millions of kids worldwide must have felt when their parents left home and didnt know if they were going to come back. I am so ashamed of this world.
Ex. :)
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:22 pmA little off-topic. but still a reminder of the horror of war and the heroism of those who serve freedom’s cause. God bless, Mr. Brown.
Sun Apr 1, 5:22 PM ET
Last WWI Navy vet dies in Md. at age 105
Lloyd Brown, the last known surviving World War I Navy veteran, has died. He was 105.
Brown died Thursday at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in St. Mary’s County, according to family and the U.S. Naval District in Washington.
His death comes days after the death of the last known surviving American female World War I veteran, Charlotte L. Winters, 109.
The deaths leave three known survivors who served in the Army, and a fourth who lives in Washington state but served in the Canadian army, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070401/ap_on_re_us/obit_brown&printer=1;_ylt=Ao.kh8azx5naH6uC1BNEEZ9H2ocA
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:23 pmI am so ashamed of this world.
Comment by Juan C
It would be so nice if we would actually learn something from these mistakes.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:24 pm#46 – Exley
That’s an interesting article, thanks.
Surely you don’t think we’re fighting for freedom in Iraq.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:28 pmThere are so many sweet things in the video. It is easy to miss the very moment when the little boy is passing out cupcakes to his classmates. So adorable.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:28 pmOh, please, give me a break. This story was touted as a soldier went directly from Iraq to his son’s school, arriving home earlier than scheduled. See for yourself. He (or someone on his behalf) had time to contact the media, to the point that there was a camera already set up in the classroom prior to his entry. His wife was with him. Did they meet per chance on his direct route to the school? Along with the video camera, several photographers “happened” to be there, also? Where did her cake come from? Prior knowledge of this “direct to the classroom trip?”
This poor kid. He steadily cried and cried and cried and cried. His dad said it was nice to see him. (Much like it’s nice to run into an old friend.) Couldn’t anyone, including his parents, give the child some dignity in seeing his dad for the first time in seven months? Does this child have to be remembered by his classmates as the kid who couldn’t stop crying? Notice how the other kids were looking at him? How does he feel?
By the way, are 6 year olds all supposed to know the travesty of this war? That’s a good thing to know at their age? How come bush couldn’t pick his ass up out of the seat when told, “Mr. President, the country is under attack?” Oh, that’s right, because he didn’t want to upset the children.
Most of the above comments by others are exactly on target, but missed the disgusting photo op and exploitation of this child.
The mom could have called the child out of the classroom and he could have reunited with his dad in private in the hallway, let out his emotions, and then the child could have introduced his dad to the class and celebrated his dad’s return with the class triumphantly. Instead, they made him vulnerable on national Teevee. Why humiliate this child? Why didn’t we see the wife “greet” the husband upon his return? Too private a moment? Yup. Let the kid do it — makes for great Teevee.
This was a sick photo op. Sorry I didn’t get caught up in the emotion I was supposed to. I just felt very bad for the child being exploited. (And happy his dad was back, physically unharmed. Emotionally unharmed is still unknown to me.) Although, if we’re supposed to “get caught up in the moment,” then I say it was a lot more one-sided on the child’s part being happy than it was the dad’s. I grant you, maybe the dad was overwhelmed, and that being the case, it makes my point: The initial greeting should be in private. Come to think of it, where’s the footage of the emotional good-byes when he was deployed? Oh, that’s right; not a good photo op.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:30 pmZooey,
Actually, I do, but let’s not fight this time. I just thought it was an interesting story about a good man and an illustration about how little humankind has grown over the last 100 years. War in 1917. War in 2007. Madness.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:33 pmExley,
I’m not going to fight with you. I’m just going to tell you that you’re wrong, and you’re not going to fight with me.
You say it’s madness that we were at war in 1917, and again in 2007, and that we’ve grown so little — but this war is just fine with you.
That’s madness.
Goodnight.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:38 pmexploitative pap. i am mortified that a father would let his family be filmed at that moment.
Comment by mike — April 2, 2007 @ 9:12 pm
Hey mikey you’re a real class guy. Have you met valiant venus? You sound like the perfect pair.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:39 pmZooey,
As I said, let’s not argue. Given the topic of this thread, I just don’t think it is the right venue. Good night.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:47 pm#51
So, showing emotion is embarrassing and degrading? Especially for a 6 year old? News to me. That child is not humiliated, he is releived to have his father back. I seriously doubt the 6 year old boy can handle more than one emotion at a time. Claiming that this boy is humiliated is ludicrous. His classmates wrote letters with him and were emotionally involved as well. Unless they grow up around someone like you and think somethink like this reunion has to be hidden, they are probably glad to share this important moment.
YOU are the only one exploiting anything here. YOU are the only one that should be ashamed.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:49 pmI SINCERELY HOPE THAT SAILOR IS NOT REDEPLOYED ONLY AFTER A BRIEF REST, A RESPITE NOT LONG ENOUGH TO SPEND TIME WITH HIS FAMILY LIKE THE RECENT REDEPLOYMENT OF MILITARY ON TODAY’S NEWS—CRIMINAL AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIOUR ON THE PART OF CHIMPya, Bushland Uber Allies AND THE “BRILLIANT”(sarcasm) generals RUNNING THIS FIASCO!!!!!
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:50 pmComment by gooderservice — April 2, 2007 @ 11:30 pm
I don’t think a six year old child needs to hide his emotions in private. I don’t think other kindergartners are going to judge him harshly for crying.
How macho did you require your sons to be at that age. And the father appeared to be trying to hold up so as not to exacerbate the problem not because he didn’t care. It seems you would be better served worrying about the welfare of your own children.
With the amount of compassion you show along with your acerbic assessment of the situation you must be qualified for a high position in the Bush administration.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:51 pmSorry, thread number change. That was meant for gooderservice, not Exley.
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:53 pmAn emotional clip. So what do you think Iraqis feel when their children are blown to bits because of Bush’s dead-wrong intelligence.
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:32 amAw. The American journalists get a nice photo-op. Nice how they picked a sailor too. Not some guy who was in Fallujah or one that had limbs missing. Nice fluff piece about a war where death is king. Glad their family is together but how can this erase the thousands of kids that are left in Iraq without fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters.
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:43 amgoodservice is scum.
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:22 am#60 What the hell, dlet? Americans are suffering (some of them, not most). Being away from my son for years would kill me. Don’t piss on these people.
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:24 am#56/Raymond: I agree with your sentiment, but your use of {mostly} all CAPS is bad form regardless. I tend to pass over posts that scream like that.
April 3rd, 2007 at 2:37 amJPark,
April 3rd, 2007 at 4:08 amI ain’t pissin’ on anyone other than the “news” sharks that glorify this emotional moment. Sure any kid is happy to see a parent come home after a long time. I went away for months and my kid reacted the same way but I wasn’t part of an organization that invaded and occupied a foreign country. Even if you choose toignore it they have a choice. Agree with it and do as a this wanna-be dictator says or spend five years+(?) in a prison. They do have a choice and I know what mine would be. And the pissin’ on seems to be happening to the people we were supposed to bring democracy to. And if you can answer what that means please do.
@50 – The humiliation rests not on the child, but squarely on the administration for making such a “scene” necessary. This was a happy moment, probably the happiest moment of this 6 year old’s life. It SHOULD be shown. Of course the child cried, that’s a natural response to letting go of 7 months of anxiety. Remember that 7 months to a 6 year old is a LONG time. My sincere hope is that the child doesn’t have to go through the horror of having his father shipped off again.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:02 amHas Bush seen this? Doubtful!
This video explains why wars should never be started over forged documents.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 amThe emotional impact of this clip is gut wrenching.
Did you ask yourself why?
In my opinion, this child was not feeling joy but was traumatized by the sudden appearance of his father, whom he believed was still in Iraq facing immenent death. Why was he not told his father was safe and on his way home? This is cruelty.
It is obvious that this was a carefully staged event, planned for maximum possible emotional impact on the audience. Face it, the child was a prop.
Why was this video shot? Who gains?
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:23 am#67
I am sure his mother told him constantly that his father was safe. This was a very surreal moment so let not ruin it by suggesting it was a staged event to envoke even more opposition to our presence in Iraq. I have two kids of my own, 3 and 5 and I was very much choked up by that video, but didn’t think for once that CNN did it for some political purpose. My brother is in the US Airforce AWACS and was deployed to the Persian Gulf area just this past Friday. He has a son will be 5 in April and hid daughter will be 1. His son knows what is going on and has had to deal with this before. It gets easier for him to deal with each time and his mother does a great job at putting his mind at ease.
April 3rd, 2007 at 11:19 amExcellent piece, thanks for posting.
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:24 pmI think the surprise had more to do with the class’ support than anything else. No parent would agree to delaying a reunion with their child at the request of a news station.
April 3rd, 2007 at 12:28 pmThe KING-TV video without the voiceover is even better. It’s worth watching all the way to the end.
gooderservice: Your opinion is of course hypocritical and demeaning to national sacrifice. Every single returning service member deserves hometown press coverage, airport celebrations, parades and school assemblies. All of it should be on TV.
In fact, patriots should demand that those who come back in flag covered boxes be on TV first. In fact, many of us do.
The argument about exploitation is dishonest. If it weren’t for the administration mixing Iraq, al Qaeda, and mushroom clouds in the same breath, that little boy would never have earned the right to tug at Americas emotions.
Forget exploitation, it would be fully honest to see flag-draped 21 gun salutes, widows and children, split screen whenever Bush has a propaganda appearance. It might partially atone for the lies he told service families in the first place.
April 3rd, 2007 at 6:28 pmOf course what this child doesn’t know is that he and his age peers will be paying for this war for the rest of their lives — and their own children and grandchildren will also suffer for it.
We’re crying with you, little dude.
April 3rd, 2007 at 11:27 pm