Dad Watches Sons Graduate Live From Iraq

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. -- Kyle, Corey and Sean Cooke, brothers and triplets, graduated from Whitewater High School in Fayette County Friday night, and like the other graduates there, their parents were watching with beaming pride.

The big difference is that their father was watching from nearly 7,000 miles away at Camp Victory in Baghdad.

Air Force Captain William Cooke is stationed in Iraq, and asked the faculty at Whitewater High if there was any way he could see the ceremonies so that he could watch his boys graduate. Staff at Whitewater contacted 11Alive.

Staffers from 11Alive News huddled with NBC News and came up with a unique way for Capt. Cooke to be able to watch the graduation ceremony. 11Alive streamed the ceremony live on 11Alive.com, and carried a live stream of Capt. Cooke watching from Baghdad.

The logistical challenges were not only a matter of technology, but also of time.

"It's 7:00 for you, it's 3:00 in the morning for them; so this is a bit of an all-nighter for them," said NBC Southern Regional Director Danny Noa.

Noa, based in Atlanta, worked with the NBC News bureau in Baghdad to arrange for live images of Capt. Cooke watching the ceremony live to be sent back to the United States.

"They're going to where he is, and then you guys have the task of making sure the video is getting streamed back to him," Noa said.

11Alive.com was the staging area for the entire production. One side of the front page of 11Alive.com carried the ceremony live from Fayette County, while the other side carried live images of Capt. Cooke at Camp Victory.

"I grew up watching WXIA. They're simply fantastic," Capt. Cooke said while watching the video feed on 11Alive.com.

Capt. Cooke stood up when the National Anthem was played at the outdoor ceremony on the Whitewater football field, with the stands packed with family and friends. Cooke simply beamed when the Anthem was concluded with an Air Force flyover of the football field.

Hundreds of 11Alive viewers watched on 11Alive.com as the boys walked across the stage to get their diplomas, and as a beaming Capt. Cooke watched from Iraq.

Corey, Kyle and Sean knew their dad was watching from Camp Victory, but the big surprise for the boys was that once they walked across the stage to get their diplomas, they were able to come over to 11Alive's camera position and along with 11Alive's Chris Sweigart and Matt Pearl, actually talk with Capt. Cooke in Baghdad.

"I'm so proud of you boys," Capt. Cooke said, while wiping his eyes, a huge smile of pride on his face.

"We love you, Dad," the boys said, while watching their father on the screen.

"How bout these 11Alive guys putting this together? They're great," Capt. Cooke said to the boys.

After all of the Whitewater graduates passed across the stage, an image of Capt. Cooke watching the ceremony via satellite was displayed on the large screen facing the assembled masses. The appreciative crowd responded with a standing ovation.

As the graduation ceremony came to a close, the new graduates tossed their caps high into the air as fireworks boomed across the football field overhead.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, not only for Kyle, Corey and Sean, but for their father, who despite being away in service to the nation, was able to be there for his boys.