Patriot Awards 2020: Captain John J. Klein III receives 'Modern Warrior' award
Captain John J. Klein III is a United States Army Signal Company Commander for Charlie Company with 834th Aviation Support Battalion, 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade. He returned home from an 11-month deployment to the Middle East.
An Army captain had an emotional reunion with his family after a surprise return from a deployment to the Middle East.
Captain John J. Klein III, a U.S. Army Signal Company Commander for the 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, was nominated for Fox Nation's Patriot Award for the Modern Warrior at this year's second annual Patriot Awards, which honor everyday American heroes.
Klein's wife, Veronica, and three children -- including his four-month-old son who was born during Capt. Klein's deployment -- were set to accept the award on his behalf.
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With John away during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Veronica did all of the heavy lifting, including navigating her family through unfamiliar times, and giving birth to her third son alone.
"We aren't the only families dealing with this," she told Fox Nation host Rachel Campos-Duffy. "We love him, he's our hero, and we're just waiting for his return."
Moments later, John entered the room to surprise his family, bringing tears to Veronica's eyes.
"What's up, boys?" John asked, picking up his two older sons.
John then turned to his four-month-old and picked him up for the first time, saying, "Hi little man, you're so big now."
An emotional Veronica joined her husband in accepting the Modern Warrior award.
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"I know there's a lot of other families out there, a lot of other soldiers that serve as well," John said, " so I'm gonna accept this on behalf of every single soldier that serves on my team."
The Patriot Awards -- sponsored by SERVPRO – took place virtually on Friday, Nov. 20 and was streamed live on Fox Nation. An encore presentation aired on Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network on Sunday, Nov. 22.
CLICK HERE to watch The Fox Nation Patriot Awards, streaming on-demand at Fox Nation.
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