Wow. I've watched this 3 times & cried each time. Enjoy your family time, Petty Officer Hawes, and thank you for your service.

This little boy represents all the children of military families some who's tears are not of joy but of loss.

Please bring the joy back to our children and bring home their parents.

I will never forget this story the love of a little boy for his father. This is one of the stories that NO American should miss.

This story should receive every award avaiable in the TV industry this little boy shows us what we all feel but it took him to open are minds and hearts.

Thank You for being one of America's finest Son's. God Blessed this family with a very special little boy with so much love in his heart.

Dear KING:

Just wanted to pass along how touched I was when I viewed the Elisa Hahn news story and video regarding the "Tears of Joy" reunion of the father (sailor) and his 6-year-old little boy. I have now watched this on television at least 7 times and I must say, it is one of the most heartwarming segments I have ever witnessed as the emotions that little boy is feeling speak volumes about the difficulties of war and family separation. It is amazing how many of my family and friends in different states have seen this same footage and we all were struck at how genuine and emotional the reunion was for this family! The entire news segment was so beautifully organized and written that it should win some type of media award. It was so nice to see something real and positive transpire before my own eyes and what joyous tears I shed for that terrific family. I wanted to thank Elisa and the KING staff for sharing this footage with the country. My heart will be forever touched by this story. Excellent job!!

Thanks for doing this story.
I hope you make it available for everyone to see because you rarely get to see how important a boys father is in todays world.

That was a very emotional video. I first saw it on cnn.com, which actually surprised me, but the biggest thing that I noticed was that the sailor was being referred as "ensign", when his collar insignia said he was a petty officer. I'm glad that it is correct on the blog here. It was an honest mistake I believe.

This was great, nice to see a family together like this. It should be on national news. thanks for the great story

This video clip says it all. Great story. Great job, KING-TV!

Amazing video. Unusual to see such complex emotions in such a young boy - joy, pain...wow. Thank you to the family for sharing, and to Bill Hawes for his service.

What a beautiful thing Bill Hawes did for his son.

I have cried every time!

Welcome home Bill!

Thank you, Elisa Hahn, and King 5 for airing the wonderful story of the reunion of Hawes family. I watched the video on my local station (Chicago suburbs), then found it on CNN, then tracked back to your raw footage. Keep replaying it, because it is such a powerful story. Blessings on the Hawes family and your station!

Thank you for allowing us to share in this most "Beautiful Moment". With all of the heart-rending things we hear it is so wonderful to have this moment. It shows all our men and women who are keeping our country safe that it is worth
the effort they give. May they all receive the same welcome home that we and their families can give them.

I cry everytime I watch this video. What a great story. In a time when we are getting used to seeing the children standing next the the flag drapped coffin of their father or mother this was a wonderful switch.

God Bless the open and honest emotion of a child. It's really to bad we grow out of it. Agree with the war or not I thank all the service men and woman of our coutry and the courage of all loved ones left to wait at home. This little man made me cry and I think a country very proud.

I wanted you to know that this video touched everyone across the country. Your station deserves a Pulitzer for capturing so well the emotional upheavals caused by this war.

I am so happy for that little boy, very proud of his father and happy that they're reunited.

Thank you to the Hawes family for sharing this with us. Bill Hawes, thank you so much for defending the rights and beliefs of the United States of America. John, that was way awesome of your Dad to give you such a great surprise and to share it with the classmates that helped bring home closer.

Being a dad, it is hard for me just to goto work sometimes and leave my son. I can't believe having to go off and fight a war. God bless the Hawes family and all the service men and women who are apart from their families. I have cried each time that I have watched this video. Thank you for this story!

That video brought tears to my eyes. Not quite three years ago, I had to take an employment contract across the country - not the same thing as deploying to war, but it necessitated a separation from my wife and three-year-old son. I was only able to return home every other weekend. I'll never forget the first time I returned home and my wife and son came to the airport to pick me up. I came down the escalator to the baggage claim area at Los Angeles International, and my son ran and launched himself into my arms exactly as Mr. Hawes's son did. You never forget a moment like that.

I saw the original showing of the reunion between the sailor and his six year old son. It was very touching and continued to be VERY TOUCHING each time I have seen it. I caugh it on line for a couple times and it really replesents the imotions that are just too real. It is so good to see tears that are for joy and hope that more can express this joy when their loved ones get to come home to them. Thank you for showing this wonderful reunion and for the family also that allowed us to see the love. Thank you KING 5 for having this on your news cast.

I saw the original showing of the reunion between the sailor and his six year old son. It was very touching and continued to be VERY TOUCHING each time I have seen it. I caugh it on line for a couple times and it really replesents the imotions that are just too real. It is so good to see tears that are for joy and hope that more can express this joy when their loved ones get to come home to them. Thank you for showing this wonderful reunion and for the family also that allowed us to see the love. Thank you KING 5 for having this on your news cast.

As was the case with everyone else, I was touched by the emotions of this family reunion, but I wonder how many OTHER children will be denied a similar reunion with their own Dads due to this senseless war?

When will this insanity END?

This video should be shown to the people who decided to go to the war, see if they have heart to see their mistake.

This country has many other ways to give joy to the boys, why the US administration chose to create this sadness.

This is so touching. The image is so powerful, it’s impossible not being moved by it. The expression of joy for the reunion of a kid with his father, is shown with such innocence and simplicity that no-one should ignore the deep message provide by the tears and hug that this little boy gave his father. This kid deserves to be with his father and this father deserves to be with his family, as do all the brave American soldiers deployed in Iraq. Personally, I think it’s time to bring the troops back home to reunite them with their beloved families.

I am a military wife with children. I loved this story. To see that little boy so happy to see his Daddy made me cry because I understand it so much. Thank you for giving us this story so this country can see what we go through so they all can have freedom.

What an incredibly emotional video clip. I can't stop watching it over & over again. Just the look on that face of little John upon seeing his father will bring tears to a grown man. I'm so happy for that little boy.

I feel unspeakable outrage for the perpetrators of this heinous war. The pain in this child and his family is so raw and pure, it represents all those this war is inflicted upon. How dare the administration rationalize its unconscionable behavior.

Please tell me that Petty Officer Hawes does not have to go back to Iraq and break the little boy's heart. A follow up story on this family would be nice. So many families are sacrificing so much for this war. Hy heart goes out to all of them. This story really laid the war at our doorsteps and made it personal. My prayers are with the families of all our soldiers. Bring them home!

WOW, just..........wow. I bawled.

Simply heartbreaking. It brings it all home. Thank you, Elisa.

I saw this the day the story aired. I was deeply moved. This story definitely put me back in my place with compassion, and moved to utter a prayer everyday for this young man and his family. I have a son that age, and I do not live with him because of a divorce. Any moment of time away is like an eternity to a small child. Bless you for this heartbreaking story.

This has to be the best video. It is the most heart warming & at the same time saddest story. This is only one of thousands of children who are missing their mom or dad who are serving in the military overseas.(Not just in Iraq) I am so happy for this family's reunion. I pray he does not have to leave them again & those still overseas come home safe & SOON!!

As one of many who saw this story it really shows what the troops give up when they are away from home and loved ones. As a old Marine and vet of Nam I can truly understand.Was 7 months his full tour in country or does he have to go back?

Jim

I am touched too but we have seen far too much of this reunion lately and not enough coverage of the soldiers going off to the support the war who are going for a lot longer than 7 months. My husband left yesterday and there was no coverage on any news channel about it. Sad very sad.

this was a real heart warming storie thank you for sharing it with us.

Yes heartbreaking. but please remember all the other little 6year olds whose dads are not coming to school today to have a surprise visit from dad.. How sad it is for them and the rest of their families. I can hear them saying " but why did his daddy come home and why hasnt mine.

Falling asleep at night must be the hardest for them Its a hard way for these children to learn such a hard life lesson They are so innocent and yet are victims. DO it for one and you better well do it for all of them. someone needs to answer these poor childrens question because its just so wrong to gloritiece this surprise visit and have so many children missing their dads for years now we all better be ashamed

What a wonderful story. Thank you so much for sharing this with the country. I cried through the whole video - simply stunning.

I ave read some of the negative comments on this blog. Why do you have to make this political or take it so personally?!? This was in honor of ALL those who go off to war. Why can't you just take it that way and quit being jealous and hurt by it?
It was also honoring those children who are left behind by one or sometimes even both parents. It was a heartwarming video and I believe it brought many people back down to the reality of it all.

Quit making this wonderful video a grandstand for your political agenda!

"This country has many other ways to give joy to the boys, why the US administration chose to create this sadness."

Excuse me mental idiot. What the Democrats through 25 years of treason chose to create was sadness. For Harry Reid to say this war is lost, is the height of treason. He assures us that there will be more sad moments like this as there were sad moments in 1980 when 18 Americans were killed trying to save the hostages in Iran. When 246 U.S. Marines were killed in lebanon in 1983.

Harry Reid and his fellow idiots have ensured future acts by pumped up Islamic radicals and the assurance that Islamic madness will continue with more death and more blood until mushroom clouds appear over the Middle East. So goes the "care and concern" of the radical fascist, racist, anti-semite left wing agenda in America