Air Force Master Sgt. Joseph Myers surprises his 10-year-old daughter in her 4th grade classroom after coming home from Iraq. A very touching scene.
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I love the one comment by the one male announcer.
Well Mr. Roker we actually do get tired of seeing our military families separated and watching their lives being torn apart by wars which never seem to affect those that start them. No comment about how horrible it was for that poor child that they saw fit to film to get some cheap bit of sensationalism out of.
The point is we never get tired of seeing military personnel coming home ALIVE and reunited with loved ones--as opposed to staying forever in Iraq or coming home in a box. Get a life!
Your point is to ignore the reality of the situation in it's entirety? Pathetic. No one, not even myself is refuting the fact that it was a joyous event for that young girl to be reunited with her father. The issue which you CHOOSE to ignore is that there are many children who will never be able to have that same happy moment as that girl because their father or mother lost their life. Maybe you should get a life and start seeing the reality of this horrible situation for what it really is and what it really costs our military families.
last year me and my family were the focus a story...my son was coming home from iraq and he told us there was the usual stop over in bangor maine..liv
Wow, thanks for sharing. How did/do you feel about your family moment being on national news outlets? Would love to hear your point of view on this.
i was ok with it..my wife and daughter got a kick out of it...my son did'nt care for it too much..lol
Very touching. You can't watch that and not be moved to tears. Nor can you not think too bad so many little girls and boys will not have the joy of their father's or mother's return. And for what, absolutely nothing. NOTHING. So many lives lost and ruined on both sides.
WE know it was for something.
Care to enlighten us? It was for what?
To satisfy the narcissistic urges of Bush and his cabal?
To ensure Halliburton and other friends of Bush/Cheney were profitable?
To distract from the real enemy? That is now embedded in Pakistan?
To put the country and taxpayers into deeper debt?
My cousin was blown up while helping out at a police recruiting event in Iraq. He was smart, funny, a great friend and his family is devestated, but NEVER considered that he died for NOTHING. My brother has been to Iraq twice, and is coming home in two weeks. He has worked with a team that has constructed a girls school, a fish hatchery, and a bee-keeping school, and reports to us that the Iraqis he works with have been through a lot but are VERY grateful. His hard work did not amount to NOTHING.
Your disgraceful comment is offensive to me and probably a lot of other people.
Sorry for your loss and prayers to your brother. I know the last 2 weeks can be the most anxious for everyone. I know, as well as your brother and cousin know, the amazing transformation that has happened there, particularly in the last year, is a result of the hard work and sacrifice of everyone since day one. If one could witness Iraq in '05 then again in '09, you wouldn't beleive its the same place. Don't let these people drag you down, this is the home of disgracefu
Just curious. What exactly did you find disgraceful and disgusting about BadgerinNJ's comment. Seriously.
I live on an Army post and most of my neighbors are young Moms dealing with their spouse being gone for 15 months. They handle everything from money issues to kids on their own. These Moms are the backbone of the Army.
Beautiful propaganga.
Heartless!
Manipulative drivel, so disrespectful of military families using a highly charged family moment as fodder for the local news.
Unlike taking pics of coffins, right?
Exactly. And judging from the responses here, it hit it's mark.
It's a lovely moment. A reminder to appreciate our loved ones when they are near.
OMG, how touching. Bring our troops home O.
Thank God I'm not as angry as those injecting politics in such a moment. It was just a touching scene showing the love of a daughter and father. Having to be so negative says more about these people.
I totally agree with you.
You are also not as astute as the others to see it for what it really was. That child was without her father for a year because some id.iot decided he wanted to invade a country based on lies. The TV station reported that segment to exploit that child's situation. It was not a touching moment, but rather a reminder as to how much this war cost our mlitary's families.
(A) The family did not have to allow the reunion to be filmed if they felt they were being exploited;
(B) Why deprive the child of this moment of joy by saying it was not touching--
(C) Take your poltiics elsewhere--some on this blog can appreciate the human emotions involved in terrible situations.
Well...My father told me that when I was 21/2, he came home after a two day absence, and I reacted just as that 4Th grade child did. Many of us are profoundly touched by the depth of her emotion because we are human and share the pain of loss and separation, and know what she is going through.
But still, she is too young to understand her right to privacy, or to assert that right. Even a criminal has the right to remain silent. A 10 year old child has a profound sense of self-awareness. It is wrong to put her on public display during one of the most emotional moments her life will know. We should wait until she is of an age to give informed consent; and then read to her her rights.
oh chill the hell out
I agree, that was a very private moment and should have not been made into some ratings bit for TV.
Why was it a private moment? it looks to me to be a happy moment. One that should be shared. The parents gave consent to have this recorded, so...
The very interesting thing about this story is that little girl happens to be wearing a top that day that has a peace sign on the front of it as she is joyous in her father's surprise return home from war. Upon seeing her father, she instinctively places her hand over her heart. Peace is love. God bless them all.
This is sooo sad. Sad, and unnecessary, that this girl has been w/o a father for so long.
grieve for the children that will never see their parents.
I guess your glass is half empty...
No... it's just that some young lives will be half-empty. Due to a menta lly arth ritic former president.
Look, I'm happy for this family, that their father and husband are home safe. But I have to ask myself, if this were my family, would I handle it this way? I can't imagine that I would. What is the value of such a huge surprise? If this were my kid, I think he might feel a bit traumatized, manipulated, lied to. Not to mention that the whole shocking experience is then recorded and broadcast to millions.
To me, this is weird. My family is my family, and moments like these are private matters. And everything that goes on is done up front, honestly. I just think that, for me, this crosses the line. Surprise birthday party, sure. Surprise appearance of a parent you think is in a war zone? Come on. This may work in a schmaltzy commercial. In the real world, it's just bizarre.
As for NBC... well, let's just put this story into context. How about some meaningful war coverage? This is like covering the economic crisis by filming a family being told that they have just won the lottery. It's a sentimental piece that doesn't inform the viewer; it doesn't accurately reflect the real war for real families all over America: economic struggles, stop loss, divorce, loss of a loved one, health care struggles, brain injury, PTSD, etc. If the mainstream media did a more thorough job of covering the difficult realities of war, I might have more patience with this piece.
Okay, end of sermon.
spot on
I totally agree-----it still totally made me watch it and cry and forward it---which is excatly why the stations do it.......
Exploitation at it's best or actually worst. Maybe if they asked the young girl what it was like to be without her father for a year they may have gotten a real view of what that brief moment of joy cost that child.
I agree QScott: . "But I have to ask myself, if this were my family, would I handle it this way? I can't imagine that I would. What is the value of such a huge surprise? If this were my kid, I think he might feel a bit traumatized, manipulated, lied to. Not to mention that the whole shocking experience is then recorded and broadcast to millions."
Your comments have me thinking about the future concerns. How will it impact the family in the long run, will she feel like she can trust her parents to tell her the truth about her fathers job, where he is in the world, knowing in the back of her mind he can "pop" up at a moment's notice and what about when he doesn't? I do wish the family the best.
My thoughts exactly. Alas, I don't see a possibility for change in the near future - this is where we are as a society, and our collective emotional and intellectual inertia is too great to overcome. The lowest common denominator has been dragging us down for decades and the bar keeps going lower and lower.
I think this is exploitative and a little sadistic. I won't watch any more sneak attacks like this one.
OK, I'm never quite sure just how we are supposed to feel about these types of moments, or the purpose behind them showing them.
Is it to make us feel good about a father or mother coming home to their child? Well, then let's bring ALL of them home, and make a LOT of children speechless, and many "touching moments".
Of COURSE it's touching, the poor girl is seeing her father who has been away for what, a year, and that whole time she was probably going to bed each night, scared that she would never see him again. So, we are touched, but WE, THIS COUNTRY, sent him there. And we now know, for none of the reasons that they gave us. So, yes, it is touching, how can you not be moved. But why Are they showing it? WHY do we want to be touched? To make us feel good about this war? What?
Is it just because it makes for "good morning tv", so people can call and say, "Awww, did you see that girl run to her father?"
And think of another child, whose parent is STILL over there. How do they feel seeing this?
When is MY father or mother coming home? When is my sister or brother coming home? My son or daughter?
Yeah, get out the Kleenex...
END THIS WAR, BRING THE TROOPS HOME, THEN TELEVISE THESE MOMENTS!!!!!
I completely agree with you. Plus, there are news media behind him so the whole thing was staged for the press. Nice he's home. And hopefully if President Obama has his was, based on yesterday's speech, soon every one will be home with better things to do.
why Are they showing it? WHY do we want to be touched?
We want to be touched to remind us that we must reduce the number of times this has to happen. We can not completely stop fighting wars, but when we use words instead of weapons, we stand a better chance of not separating families like this
exactly and fanned.
Showing the caskets of our fallen soldiers will accomplish that much more swiftly and effectivel
Showing a happy reunion is NOT a way to discourage war! Reporting the truth and showing the true consequences of war, both here and in the countries we have invaded, instead of feeding fear and lies to the public or running PR pieces (including this one) 24 hours a day, are far better ways of discouraging warmongering.
RIGHT ON.
oops. double negative. should be: "when it was their failure to uncover the truth..." etc.
[sips more coffee...]
Agree.
First, I'm so glad and thankful that this father is home reunited with his family. I want, wish, and pray that ALL people in uniform return safely and quickly to be reunited with THEIR families.
But.
This sort of warm moment is very odd-- rather exploitative. Wouldn't it be better for a 10 year old girl to see her dad for the first time in PRIVATE??? What is it about this culture that formerly private, intimate moments are now VOLUNTEERED for public display & consumption. What a depraved culture.
Second, I find it nauseating that representatives of the MSM are fawning all over this precious moment when it was their failure of journalistic integrity and b.alls to not uncover the truth about the C.heney/B.
Awful all around.
(except the actual reunion of a family-- which I still maintain should be kept private).
Peace.
I agree. I also wonder about the effects something like videos like this can have on kids of other service members. Do they go to school thinking, is this the day dad/mom will surprise me, then come home disappointed each day? I don't know.
Excellent points...
What a sweet little girl. What beautiful moment.
I believe there's nothing better for a girl's emotional and psychological growth and stability than having a good relationship with her father. That image of them together says it all.
I think she is going to have issues for a while because her father was out of her life for so long, and she was constantly worried about him dying.
We need to bring all the troops home now so they can be with their families.
Most likely not. She will be thrilled to have her father home, and will want to spend every waking minute with him. My dad is military, and has been deployed several times, and my reaction was nothing but joy and wanting to make every minute count with him. This started when I was 4, and I'm now 23 and he still continues to be sent places. Don't be so cynical.
While I agree to bring all the troops home, I don't think this girl will have these issues at all.
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First Posted: 06- 5-09 09:50 AM | Updated: 06- 5-09 09:59 AM