AHEAD
AHEAD OF
AHEAD OF HARKER HEIGHTS' HOME OPENER AGAINST
GEORGETOWN EAST
VIEW - THE KNIGHTS
WERE ABLE TO DO
SOMETHING
INCREDIBLE.
SOMETHING INCREDIBLE. INSIDE THE LOCKER
ROOM - FATHER AND
SON WERE RE-UNITED
AFTER 12 MONTHS
APART.
THE EMOTIONAL
REUNION LED TO
TRULY INSPIRING
PERFORMANCE.
PERFORMANCE.
THEY
THEY SAY
THEY SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE. "PEOPLE LOOK
OUT FOR YOU.
WE'RE A MILITARY
FAMILY AND THAT'S
A BIG DEAL FOR
ME. BECAUSE
WHEN HE'S GONE,
IT'S JUST US. WE
DON'T KNOW
ANYBODY HERE
AND WE DON'T
HAVE FAMILY HERE
IN KILLEEN."
CHIEF WARRANT
OFFICER TWO ERIC
MOORE IS STATIONED
ON FORT HOOD.
BUT HE'S SPENT
THE PAST 12 MONTHS
ON A HARDSHIP TOUR
IN KOREA.
"I THOUGHT I WAS
COMING HOME ON
SEPTEMBER 30TH.
THAT'S WHEN I
FIRST WENT TO
KOREA.
HOWEVER,
KOREA. HOWEVER, DURING COVID-19,
A LOT OF
MOVEMENT
STOPPED
MOVEMENT STOPPED THROUGHOUT THE
ENTIRE MILITARY.
SO, THE DECISION
FOR ME TO COME
HOME WAS
REALLY IN LIMBO
ALL THE WAY
UNTIL LATE
AUGUST OR EARLY
SEPTEMBER
BECAUSE I DIDN'T
HAVE A
REPLACEMENT."
A BRIEF TRIP HOME
SIX MONTHS IN WAS
WIPED OUT BECAUSE
OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO WHEN MOORE
BOARDED A PLANE
FROM KOREA TO
SEATTLE ON
SEPTEMBER 30TH - HE
HADN'T TOLD HIS
THREE KIDS --
INCLUDING ERIC THE
SECOND - A JUNIOR AT
HARKER HEIGHTS
HIGH SCHOOL.
DEUCE STARTED
GETTING SUSPICIOUS
THOUGH WHEN HE
ASKED TO GO TO HIS
FRIEND JUAN'S HOUSE
- SOMETHING HIS MOM
LETS HIM DO ALL THE
TIME.
"I HAD ASKED TO
GO TO HIS HOUSE
AND SHE SAID NO
WE HAVE
SOMETHING
PLANNED. I WAS
LIKE 'FOR THE
PAST 12 MONTHS,
WE'VE NEVER HAD
ANYTHING JUST
PLANNED.'"
WHEN MOORE LEFT
FOR KOREA - HE'D
ONLY BEEN HOME
FROM AFGHANISTAN
FOR SEVEN MONTHS.
TO SEE HIS KIDS
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
A YEAR -- THESE
MILITARY PARENTS
HAD TO
ORCHESTRATE A
SURPRISE.
MOORE'S FRIEND
PICKED HIM UP AT THE
AIRPORT TO TAKE HIM
HOME AFTER A
CONVERSATION WITH
HIS THREE-YEAR-OLD
DAUGHTER MIA OVER
THE SUMMER.
"ABOUT JUNE OR
JULY SHE SAYS
'DAD, I KNOW
YOU'RE MY DAD,
BUT I'VE NEVER
MET YOU.' AND
SHE WOULD GO
AROUND THE
HOUSE, SHE
WOULD SAY
THINGS LIKE
'YOU'RE NOT
HERE, SO YOU
MUST NOT LIVE
HERE. SO, WHEN
YOU COME, I
WANT YOU TO
RING THE
DOORBELL."
AND THAT'S
EXACTLY WHAT HE DID
BEFORE HEADING TO
DEUCE'S GAME.
"HEY, BEFORE WE
HIT THE FIELD, I'VE
GOT SOMEBODY
WHO WANTS TO
COME TALK TO
Y'ALL REAL
QUICK."
AND SURPRISING
HIS SON BEFORE
KICKOFF.
"I WAS
SPEECHLESS. I
COULDN'T SAY
ANYTHING,
NOTHING CAME
OUT. AFTER THE
EMBRACE, WE
TALKED ABOUT
THE GAME. LIKE
HE HAD NEVER
BEEN GONE. IT
WAS CRAZY."
"I WAS TRYING TO
HOLD BACK MY
EMOTIONS. I WAS
TRYING TO
CONTAIN MYSELF.
I REALLY WANTED
TO, I WANTED TO
LIVE IN THE
MOMENT."
AFTER A SUMMER
OF WORKING OUT
TOGEHTER --
FROM ACROSS THE
WORLD.
"HE'S ALWAYS
CHALLENGES ME
TO BE BETTER. SO
HE CHALLENGES
ME, BECAUSE I
ALWAYS MAKE
OLD JOKES, HE
GOES 'I'M OLD BUT
I CAN STILL DO
THIS BETTER
THAN YOU.' SO I
WAS LIKE, OK,
BET. SO I WENT
AND DID IT WITH
HIM. AND, UH, HE
BEAT ME."
AND A YEAR OF
TRYING TO HELP HIS
FAMILY IN TEXAS FROM
KOREA.
"HE WOULD FALL
ASLEEP AND MY
MOM WOULD
HANG UP
BECAUSE THAT
WASN'T REALLY
HELPING."
AND AFTER WHAT
HIS SON SAYS WAS
THE GREATEST
PREGAME SPEECH.
"EVER. LEAVE IT
ALL ON THE FIELD,
I'LL REMEMBER IT
FOR THE REST OF
MY LIFE."
C-W-TWO MOORE
AND HIS FAMILY ARE
FINALLY ABLE TO
SPEND MEANINGFUL
TIME TOGETHER.
"IT MEANS THE
WORLD. YOU JOIN
THE MILTARY TO
DO SOMETHING
BIGGER. YOU
WANT TO PROVIDE
FOR YOUR FAMILY.
AND IN DOING SO,
YOU END UP EING
AWAY TO TAKE
CARE OF THEM.
AND SOMETIMES
IT DON'T MAKE
SENSE."
SHARING AN
EMBRACE - THAT
MAKES IT ALL MAKE
SENSE.
SENSE.
FROM
FROM ALL
FROM ALL OF US AT SIX NEWS - WELCOME HOME, SIR.
AND THANK YOU TO
YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT
BACK.