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05-20-05, 09:32 AM
May 20, 8:37 AM EDT
Soldier surprises brother on his birthday before baseball game
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) -- Robert Mills dedicates every baseball game he plays to Army Sgt. James Walters, his brother who has been serving in Iraq.
When the national anthem is played, Mills turns to the American flag hanging near the field and says a quick prayer for his brother's safety.
"I just think about him during the national anthem: what he's going through, what he's doing for me, my family, our country," Mills said.
Mills, a member of Cave Spring High School's baseball team, got to say a different kind of prayer Thursday when Walters surprised him by showing up at his baseball game. Not only were all the seniors, including Mills, being recognized at the game, but he was also celebrating his 18th birthday.
"I was just on a high, just so glad he was there," Mills said shortly after the team's 10-4 win over Christiansburg High School. "I was just thinking about him and how special today has been because he was there."
Mills' mother, Joanne Mills, couldn't hold back her tears as she and her husband, Barry, waited in line with him outside the baseball field just before the senior recognitions. Joanne Mills was proud of her son's baseball achievements but also was eager for him to find out that Walters was secretly at the game.
Announcer Butch Osborne read the list of senior baseball players and their biographies over the intercom but stopped when he got to Mills. That introduction was reserved for a special guest, he told the audience.
Mills looked baffled for a moment, but then he looked into the press box and saw Walters.
"Oh my God," Mills repeatedly said, his smile getting bigger by the second. He walked with his parents out to the field as Walters read the introduction.
"I got you," Joanne Mills said while patting her son on the back and kissing his cheek.
The minute the announcement was finished, Walters ran from the press box to the field. Mills, who hadn't seen his brother since Christmas, ran to meet him and they embraced for several seconds.
Before they left the field, all four family members grabbed one another in a group hug.
"Happy birthday, baby. Kick some butt," Joanne Mills told her son.
Walters tried to hold back tears as he watched Mills play first base. Thursday's game was the first one he'd seen since Mills joined Cave Spring High's baseball team as a ninth-grader.
"I know it's big for him," Walters said. "It's big for me, too."
Mills is usually a pitcher for the team, which is 9-0 in the River Ridge District. The team has won all 18 home games Mills has pitched since he joined the team.
The two brothers weren't as close while growing up, Mills said. But when Walters left at age 19 to enter the Army, they began to talk more. He said he was especially concerned when Walters was sent to Iraq.
"I started looking up to him a lot," Mills said. "Everything he does, I respect so much."
Now 22, Walters lives with his wife, Mandy, in Fort Riley, Kan. A member of Alpha Company, 2 / 34 Armor, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, he's been in Iraq since January, but came back to Kansas about two weeks ago for a short break.
Until Walters leaves Roanoke and heads back to Iraq on Sunday, Mills said he plans to catch up with his brother and "just enjoy every moment I can with him."
Barry Mills said the family will probably have a party to celebrate Robert's birthday and to send off Walters, whom they call Jamie.
On Thursday, several of Mills' family members watched the game and laughed about his reaction to the surprise.
"That was the most emotional thing I think I ever went through," said Joanne Mills, in between cheering for her son and his team. "His face was just priceless."
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Information from: The Roanoke Times
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
Soldier surprises brother on his birthday before baseball game
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) -- Robert Mills dedicates every baseball game he plays to Army Sgt. James Walters, his brother who has been serving in Iraq.
When the national anthem is played, Mills turns to the American flag hanging near the field and says a quick prayer for his brother's safety.
"I just think about him during the national anthem: what he's going through, what he's doing for me, my family, our country," Mills said.
Mills, a member of Cave Spring High School's baseball team, got to say a different kind of prayer Thursday when Walters surprised him by showing up at his baseball game. Not only were all the seniors, including Mills, being recognized at the game, but he was also celebrating his 18th birthday.
"I was just on a high, just so glad he was there," Mills said shortly after the team's 10-4 win over Christiansburg High School. "I was just thinking about him and how special today has been because he was there."
Mills' mother, Joanne Mills, couldn't hold back her tears as she and her husband, Barry, waited in line with him outside the baseball field just before the senior recognitions. Joanne Mills was proud of her son's baseball achievements but also was eager for him to find out that Walters was secretly at the game.
Announcer Butch Osborne read the list of senior baseball players and their biographies over the intercom but stopped when he got to Mills. That introduction was reserved for a special guest, he told the audience.
Mills looked baffled for a moment, but then he looked into the press box and saw Walters.
"Oh my God," Mills repeatedly said, his smile getting bigger by the second. He walked with his parents out to the field as Walters read the introduction.
"I got you," Joanne Mills said while patting her son on the back and kissing his cheek.
The minute the announcement was finished, Walters ran from the press box to the field. Mills, who hadn't seen his brother since Christmas, ran to meet him and they embraced for several seconds.
Before they left the field, all four family members grabbed one another in a group hug.
"Happy birthday, baby. Kick some butt," Joanne Mills told her son.
Walters tried to hold back tears as he watched Mills play first base. Thursday's game was the first one he'd seen since Mills joined Cave Spring High's baseball team as a ninth-grader.
"I know it's big for him," Walters said. "It's big for me, too."
Mills is usually a pitcher for the team, which is 9-0 in the River Ridge District. The team has won all 18 home games Mills has pitched since he joined the team.
The two brothers weren't as close while growing up, Mills said. But when Walters left at age 19 to enter the Army, they began to talk more. He said he was especially concerned when Walters was sent to Iraq.
"I started looking up to him a lot," Mills said. "Everything he does, I respect so much."
Now 22, Walters lives with his wife, Mandy, in Fort Riley, Kan. A member of Alpha Company, 2 / 34 Armor, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, he's been in Iraq since January, but came back to Kansas about two weeks ago for a short break.
Until Walters leaves Roanoke and heads back to Iraq on Sunday, Mills said he plans to catch up with his brother and "just enjoy every moment I can with him."
Barry Mills said the family will probably have a party to celebrate Robert's birthday and to send off Walters, whom they call Jamie.
On Thursday, several of Mills' family members watched the game and laughed about his reaction to the surprise.
"That was the most emotional thing I think I ever went through," said Joanne Mills, in between cheering for her son and his team. "His face was just priceless."
---
Information from: The Roanoke Times
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.