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America’s Dad
Separated by service, families share moments of togetherness made
Military dads too often
are away when
special events occur
first baby steps,
birthday parties and
high school graduations. The rituals
that so many take for granted, these men
learn to live without including this
weekend’s celebration of Father’s Day.
But regardless of where they serve, dads
strive to “be there” for their families. In
the past, servicemen wrote long letters
detailing everything from the minutiae
of military life to their longing to be
reunited. Today, with webcams, e-mail
and other tech tools, it’s easier to stay in
FOR MORE STORIES, GO TO
militarytimes.com
touch. A father stationed far away can
provide help on math homework, a bully
problem or his daughter’s first crush.
Sometimes the involvement is more
emotionally powerful. USA WEEKEND
Magazine and Military Times have
gathered hundreds of stories about
great dads from their loved ones. For a
special “Father’s Day card,” read on.
By Dennis McCafferty& Olivia Branco
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USA WEEKEND ■ June 13-15.2008
A SPECIAL FATHER’S DAY TRIBUTE
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Hilliard with
Adalynn Dawn
A bridge to precious memories
Lt. Col. Michael Price, Army
Michael Price is my dad. When
he served in Afghanistan, I
had to engineer the rebuilding of
a 20-foot-long bridge, my Eagle
Scout project. The bridge allows
people to get to a local campsite.
But it was in bad shape, unsafe to
walk on. We also had to lengthen it
by more than 3 feet My dad’s an
engineer, so he was constantly help
ing me with it from over there
through e-mails and phone calls.
He instructed me on replacing parts
with pressure-treated lumber and
new handrails and securing it with
8-inch metal bolts. When he had
two weeks of R&E, he came home
and helped me finish. Everything
First-time dad
Spc. Spencer Hilliard, Army
My husband, Spencer, left for Iraq
last year, after he learned he was
going to be a daddy for the first time.
Many asked him how he would deal with
the fact that our daughter, Adalynn Dawn,
would not recognize his voice after she
was born. So he recorded a message for
her saying, “Baby, I love you. I love you,
baby.” I tried to play it to my belly every
day. Using a microphone in his computer,
he spoke to her through the Internet
every time I talked with him. During the
pregnancy, he would catch up with my
weekly blogs. I mailed him an ultrasound
on DVD. He counted her toes and fell in
love with her over and over again. He had
the ultrasound pictures posted up all over
his walls.
Spencer was able to come back home
for just over two weeks when Adalynn
was born in May, but then he soon had to
return to Iraq. Once he comes home for
good in January 2009, his daughter will
know him well, as if he were by her side
every day and night.
Rebekah Hilliard
Lancaster, Calif.
fit together like Lego pieces.
Building this with him was the
greatest time ever. I’m an Eagle
Scout now, thanks to my dad. The
entire time I was working on this,
he taught me that the experience
was about the journey, not the des
tination. When I get old enough,
I’m going to join the Army like
Dad, to continue the journey.
Christopher Price
Colorado Springs
Cover photograph by Drew Endicott for USA WEEKEND