This little girl knows sacrifice. Her Daddy deployed to Iraq for a year. Through Patriot Guard we do many mission to send off troops and welcome home troops. The send offs are always sad and bittersweet for the families. The welcome homes are great joy and celebration.

Little Girl Can’t Let go as Sergeant Daddy Leaves For Iraq
Some things are just not allowed when soldiers are standing in formation. One of them is 4-year-old girls.

However, there was no soldier stern enough to pry Paige Bennethum of Laureldale, Pa. from her father as he prepared to leave last July for a year-long deployment in Iraq.

Abby Bennethum captured her daughter’s emotions in a photograph that she passed along to the Reading Eagle, the newspaper in Berks County, Pa. The image immediately captured many other people’s emotions.

Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Brett Bennethum was preparing to depart from Fort Dix, N.J., for Iraq, leaving behind his pregnant wife and two little girls. His family was there to see him off. His commanding officer didn’t have the heart to tell Paige she had to let go of her daddy.

Tomorrow the Patriot Guard of Tennessee will be welcoming home Tennessee National Guard, 168th Military Police Battalion.

Time for Great Joy and Celebration!

Thank you to Mailloux at Redstate for the heads up on this story.

Staff Sgt Brett Bennethum, Paige Bennethum, Luareldale PA, Patriot Guard Tennessee, TNG 168th MP BTN