Surviving duty in Iraq is tough enough, but often overlooked is that soldiers miss what otherwise would be life’s most sublime and great moments. One soldier was lucky enough to be witness to a very special moment live from Bryan Whitfield Memorial Hospital.

Charles Eaves was able to witness the birth of his son, Ta’Marcus Ja’ton Eaves, through the use of Bryan Whitfield’s new webcam system.

Eaves in a different time zone half way across the world heard his son’s first cry. He was able to encourage and talk to Nikita Rogers, Ta’Marcus’s mother, during the delivery and birth.

“As long as I can see his face and talk to him, I’m fine,” said Rogers prior to the birth. “It has been horrible without him here to lean on during the pregnancy but my family has been very supportive.”

Usually a long-distance phone line would have to suffice to communicate the good news, but thanks to modern thinking maternity staff at the hospital a webcast was arranged. Donna Pope, nurse manager, and Stacey Wilson, Health Start Supervisor, thought of the internet telecast after Roger’s request for a conference call phone line. Pope and Wilson then worked with the hospital’s Information and Technology Department to make it happen.

“We were discussing it and asked Tom (Tom Uhl) and Roger (Roger Hoggle) in the IT department about it and they purchased a web cam system and set it all up,” said Pope.

The military handled the web connections in Iraq. The hospital also taped the birth for the family to cherish in the future.

“Imagine how important it is to see this and be a part of the birth from so far away,” said Pope.

Pope noted that in other circumstances like this the hospital could now provide such a service as webcasting.

Eaves who has been serving in Iraq since January 2005 is now the proud father of Ta’Marcus Ja’ton Eaves who was born at 10:42 a.m Demopolis time and 6:42 p.m. Iraq time. He weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 19 inches long. Through thinking and modern technology Eaves was a witness to important family history and life making a great memory for a soldier serving overseas.