San Diego police officer helps kids give their Navy dad a special sendoff

As they watched their dad sail off on the U.S.S. Carl Vinson last week, Rileigh Buetow, 4, and her little brother Austin, 2, yelled their final goodbyes, but because they're so young, it was hard to hear what they were saying.

James Weaver, a San Diego Police Department officer watching from nearby, wanted their words to reach Josh Buetow on the ship, and asked the children if they'd like to use his PA system to boost their message. "I did not expect it at all," their mother, Brettany, told NBC San Diego. "It really meant a lot to our family and to the kids."

Josh Buetow has been in the Navy for six years, and this is his first deployment; he is expected to come home in the summer. Weaver has kids about Rileigh and Austin's ages, and he told NBC San Diego he wanted to make sure their father could hear their voices one last time before his return. "[It was] definitely a memorable moment," he added.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up