XVIII Airborne Corps Soldier surprises his family at Panthers game
November 15, 2011
A Soldier from the XVIII Airborne Corps, surprised his wife and their five children at the Carolina Panthers versus Tennessee Titans game at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., Nov. 13.
To honor Veterans Day, his wife Andrea and their five children were on field watching a video message from Capt. Joe Jorgensen, an attorney from the Corps' Staff Judge Advocate's Office, recorded while he was in Al Asad, Iraq, saying he missed them, loved them and wished he could be with them at the game. Thinking he was still serving as part of Operation New Dawn, Andrea and Luke, 8, Jozlyn, 6, Kate, 4, Todd, 2, and Izabel, 2 months, watched intently to his every word on the Jumbotron screen at the stadium.
After the video ended, Jorgensen, who is from Elk Ridge, Utah, came running out onto the field from behind, surprising his family and the thousands of NFL fans in attendance. Kisses, hugs and lots of tears were shared as the family embraced each other tightly. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of NFL fans who attended the game and witnessed the emotional moment also wiped away tears of joy.
In addition to the heartfelt reunion of Jorgensen and his family, several paratroopers from 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division joined a Joint Services Color Guard Team to honor the Nation's Colors at the game. The color guard team was also made up of members of the Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.
The 82nd Airborne Division's famed "All American" Chorus also performed at the game. The chorus sang the National Anthem before the start of the game, and they performed a medley of airborne songs and Army cadences during the game's halftime show.