Two children got a chance to say one last goodbye to their father in a special way as his Navy ship pulled away from the San Diego shoreline.
Photos shared by the San Diego Police Department show Rileigh, 4, and her brother Austin, 2, using police Officer James Weaver's PA system to shout goodbye to the USS Carl Vinson as it headed west. On board was their father, Josh Buetow, who was deployed for the first time.
"As I was sitting there, I saw the family over here and the two little kids were by the rocks over here screaming to Dad yelling 'Bye,' and I figured that he couldn't hear them because I could barely hear them from across the parking lot," Weaver told KNSD. "So I just pulled my car over and asked if they wanted to use the PA system."
"Bye daddy, we love you!" the children shouted, according to their mother, Brettany Buetow.
Buetow said she was touched by the officer's simple gesture.
"I did not expect it at all," she said.
The San Diego Police Department shared photos of the moment on its Facebook page, where they quickly went viral.
Beutow said she's thankful that Weaver gave her children the chance to say goodbye in a memorable way.
"It meant a lot to us," said Beutow. "I was holding it together pretty well until he asked them if they wanted to do that, and I just slowly broke down and started crying."
Read more at KNSD.
About the Author
