Tears flowed from the eyes of a 101-year-old World War II veteran who met his great-great-grandchild for the first time — a moment that was captured in a touching video that has received over 6 million views on TikTok.
“To me, he is the definition of a true American hero,” Lexie Fowler, 25, of Asher, Oklahoma, told Fox News Digital about her great-grandfather, Dewey Muirhead.
“Just to be able to watch your great-grandfather hold your own child is something I’ll never forget. A lot of people don’t get to have that opportunity and we are very fortunate for it.”
Fowler and her husband, Hunter, had scheduled a newborn photo session when their photographer suggested including Muirhead, a veteran of the Army Air Corps. He served during WWII and lives in nearby Wewoka, Oklahoma.
“Our photographer takes pictures of veterans free of charge and my great-grandfather is very near and dear to her,” Fowler said.
“When I told her that I was having a baby, she immediately jumped on it and said, ‘We have to get photos with your great-grandpa because this makes five generations.'”
They started off the photo session by blindfolding Muirhead.
“The reason we blindfolded him is so that we could kind of get next to him and get his full reaction,” Fowler said.
“So we sat down next to him and took his blindfold off and that’s when he looked over and got to meet Millie,” she added.
Muirhead’s reaction is palpable as he turns his head to see his great-great-granddaughter, Millie Fowler, for the first time.
“Sweetie,” Muirhead says as he reaches out and gives the baby girl a kiss.
“What in the world are you doing? … Oh, isn’t she pretty? Look at her.”
As Fowler places her baby in her great-grandfather’s arms, his voice cracks with emotion as he wipes away tears.
“It was honestly the coolest experience,” Fowler said.
“Watching my great-grandfather cradle her in his arms — and she was just soothed. It’s almost like that’s what he has long held on for, for so long.”
Muirhead served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1945, Fowler said.
He was stationed in Germany, France and Belgium.
He married his wife, Inez, before he left for the war.
They were married for 79 years; she passed away in 2021.
“He’s been through more than I can imagine,” Fowler said.
“I’m sure when he went to war, he didn’t even know if he would make it back home to his wife, let alone meet his great-great-grandchild. This is the first great-great-grandchild [in the family], so it was very, very special for him. There’s a photograph where he’s holding her and you can just see the look in his eyes, and he’s got tears.”
Fowler said her great-grandfather is surrounded by family and receives some assistance from the Veterans Administration, but is also very independent.
“My grandparents actually live about 10 minutes from him and then he has a son that also lives there as well, but he does live on his own,” Fowler said.
“He still gets up and makes his breakfast, eats his lunch, and he’s in bed before the sun goes down, I think.”
Fowler said her family was not expecting such worldwide attention when they made the video and shared it with their local news station.
“The reason we recorded it was so we can show it to Millie someday,” Fowler said.
“But if I could just spread one message to anyone, it would be to cherish those moments with your family and that God is very good for allowing us to give this opportunity to him and our family — and be able to spread it across the whole world.”
“This is something we will cherish forever,” Fowler added.