Illinois Army National Guard 1SG Joseph Bierbrodt escorted kindergarten student Cayleigh Hinton to her first father-daughter dance on Feb. 7 at Our Lady of Humility School in Beach Park, Illinois. Cayleigh’s dad, U.S. Army SGT Terrence Hinton, who served with 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based in Oahu, Hawaii, died in a military training accident last year.
Cayleigh, 5, is described by her mother, Jillian Hinton of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, as “daddy’s little girl.” Jillian said SGT Hinton would have been thrilled to see Cayleigh in her dress.
“He loved doing school activities with Cayleigh,” Jillian said. “He would have loved to take her to a father-daughter dance. We wish he could be here today, but we know that he is looking down on us and loves us.”
Cayleigh said she misses her dad and practiced dancing a lot to get ready for the night. 1SG Bierbrodt formally asked Cayleigh to the dance upon his arrival at the family’s home, presented her with a 6-foot-long stuffed dog in an Army jacket and then escorted her to the dance in a limousine.
1SG Bierbrodt of Sheridan, Illinois, said he wanted to do his best to make this a memorable evening for Cayleigh. “When I received the request to do this, it touched me,” he said. “This is something I felt needed to be done. Military is family to me, and as a family we need to be there for each other.”
1SG Bierbrodt said he was so touched by Cayleigh’s story because he is a father of four. He said he has taken his daughters to father-daughter dances and knew this would be a special night for Cayleigh.
“Cayleigh looks absolutely beautiful tonight, and she is priceless,” 1SG Bierbrodt said.
Cayleigh said the day was very special to her because everyone was celebrating her dad.
“When you’re 5 years old, everything happens in moments,” Jillian Hinton said. “I have seen her get excited over and over again tonight, and that’s what makes me so happy. I’m so thankful for all of this.”
SGT Hinton was killed when a military truck he was riding in spun out of control, hit a guardrail and overturned into a culvert. SGT Hinton enlisted in 2009 and served at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, before moving to Hawaii in 2016. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and Kuwait in 2014 for a total of 21 months.
By SSG Robert R. Adams, Illinois National Guard
