opinion
A touching video went viral this week showing a 101-year-old World War II veteran meeting his great-granddaughter for the first time.
A World War II vet meets his great-granddaughter
“To me, he is the definition of a true American hero,” Lexi Fowler, 25, of Usher, Oklahoma, told Fox News of her great-grandfather, Dewey Muirhead.
“Just being able to watch your great-grandfather hold your baby is something I will never forget,” she added. “A lot of people don't get this opportunity and we're so lucky to have it.”
Muirhead is an Army Air Corps veteran who served his country during World War II and lives in Wewaka, Oklahoma. Fowler and her husband, Hunter, had scheduled a newborn photo shoot when their professional photographer suggested including Muirhead.
“When I told her I was having a baby, she immediately jumped up and said, 'We have to take pictures with your great-grandfather because this has been happening five generations,'” Fowler said, adding that they initially blindfolded Muirhead. .
“The reason we blindfolded him was so we could get up close to him and get his full reaction,” she explained. “So we sat next to him and took the blindfold off and that's when he looked up and was able to meet Millie.”
The video, which went viral, shows Muirhead breaking down in tears when he meets his great-granddaughter for the first time.
“Baby,” he can be seen saying as he reaches out to kiss the baby. “What in the world is she doing? …Oh, isn't she beautiful? Look at her.”
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“He's been through more than I can imagine.”
“It was the most amazing experience, honestly,” Fowler recalled afterward. “I watched my great-grandfather hold her in his arms – and she felt so calm. It's as if this is what I've stuck with for a long time, for a long time.
Fowler went on to say that her great-grandfather served in the Army from 1942 to 1945, and that he was stationed in Germany, France and Belgium. He married his wife, Inez, before leaving the United States during World War II, and they remained together for 79 years before her death in 2021.
“He's been through more than I can imagine,” Fowler admitted. “I'm sure when he went to war, he didn't even know if he would come home to his wife, let alone meet his great-great-grandson. This is his first grandchild.” [in the family]So it was very special for him. “There is a picture of him hugging her and you can see the look in his eyes as he sheds tears.”
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“This is something we will cherish forever.”
Despite being 101 years old, Muirhead is still very independent, according to his great-granddaughter.
“My grandparents actually live about 10 minutes away from him, and then he has a son who lives there as well, but he lives on his own,” Fowler said. “He still gets up and makes his breakfast and eats his lunch, and he's in bed before the sun goes down, I think.”
Fowler concluded her speech by expressing her shock that this video resonated with so many people online.
“The reason we recorded it was so we could show it to Millie one day,” she said. “But if I could spread one message to anyone, it would be to cherish those moments with your family and that God is so good that He allowed us to give this opportunity to Him and our family — and to be able to spread it around the world.” world.”
“This is something we will cherish forever,” Fowler concluded.
What do you think of this video? Let us know in the comments section.
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