Three kids at Saturday night’s Iowa Cubs game were part of a welcoming surprise.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special treat for some of our fans this Memorial Weekend,” the team’s announcer said during pregame festivities. “The Iowa Cubs have arranged for a live satellite video link with one of our soldiers stationed in the Middle East. With us tonight are Stephanie Beargeon and her children Evan, Isabel and Alexis of West Des Moines.”
Their father, Ryan Beargeon, has been serving in the Army overseas for the past year. The announcer told the family and the crowd that Beargeon would be appearing on the ballfield’s video screen. He did, briefly.
“Sorry I couldn’t be there. I’ll be home very soon,” Beargeon said.
His daughter, speaking on a microphone everyone in the ballpark could hear, said: “Hi, dad.”
Beargeon said he couldn’t hear anything. The video screen went blank, then the ballpark announcer told the crowd they’d try to reconnect. That’s when Beargeon walked out of the Iowa Cub’s dug out and onto the field where his kids and wife were standing.
“Fans, welcome US Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ryan Beargeon!,” he said and the crowd stood to cheer.
Beargeon knelt down, hugged his three kids and told them he was “home forever now.”
The Iowa Cubs posted the video on YouTube.