E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSA simple photo snapped of a 4-year-old girl holding her father's hand as he prepares to deploy to Iraq has touched hearts around the world.
"I didn't want to let go of him," Paige Bennethum told Amy Robach this morning. "I feel sad sometimes when he's gone."
Paige got a chance to see her father, Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Brett Bennethum, via video phone during the interview. After sending his love to his daughter from Mosul, Iraq, Bennethum told Robach the positive attention the photo has received has been a huge morale boost for his fellow soldiers.
"Everyone here is very excited and very happy that this kind of support is getting thrown out there," Bennethum said. "I'm certainly not the only father with a little girl here. A lot of our unit has left their children at home and we all really appreciate how this has spread and how we're all being recognized right now."
"Like" TODAY Moms on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms
Leave a Comment:
As a "Marine brat", I know all too well what this little girl must feel like. Praying for her, her dad, & for all our troops and their families. Kudos to the media for sharing this story!
This is a beautiful picture! This family, as well as all the other ones that make this sacrifice for our country, are in my prayers!
This is a very touching pic that puts it all in perspective for our troops who put themselves in harms way, I was an Army brat myself with my father being a Special Forces Green Beret, he was deployed everywhere!!! God Bless those brave men and women whose families make sacrifices like this for our nation!!!!! You are all valiant heros!!! Godspeed!!!!
abby and paige are very good friends of my brother and his wife. paige is just the sweetest little girl. i am so happy that she and abby got to talk to brett. their story is the kind of good news that needs to be out in public now a days.
My husband (army) and myself (navy) know this all too well. Our hearts and prayers are with our bothers and sisters across the world. The ugly side of this picture is that most people would not have been allowed to have the little girl stand there. The pictures that they don't show are the ones that show the soldier getting in trouble because of his family. I know through all of our deployments and military duties, none of our superiors would of allowed that to happen.
Above respond. I applaud your duties, everyone who is in the army and navy ect. As a parent, I would take the heat, if it meant my daughter/son, had one more second to hang on to my hand.
though there are rules and regulations, this may have been the last time if it was any soldier, they held onto thier child's hand. Ofcourse people are going to know, they got in trouble. But this pictures speaks volumes of empthy and compassion, worldwide, that the war should end.
It's so hard for kids, especially little ones, when their parent deploys. My husband is overseas right now, and my kids (6yrs, 4yrs, and 7months) miss him terribly. Luckily, we're able to use Skype to talk to him, so they see him and he sees them, making it easier for everyone to withstand the separation. It's also been great because the baby recognizes his Daddy from seeing him/hearing his voice. I also want to say how glad I am that we continue to see stories like this on the news. With the military representing only 1% of the American population, it's vital that we not forget the sacrifices that military members and their families make.
i know how that paige fells im an army brat my dad was in the army so i know how it is to see there dad off to war or even wehn they go out to the field
hugs
babygurl