Fallen Soldier’s ‘Brothers’ Take Touching Photos With His Baby

FAYETTEVILLE, NC — U.S. Army Specialist Chris Harris had much to look forward to when he and another soldier were killed in a suicide bomber attack on their convoy in Afghanistan last August. Two days earlier, his wife, Britt, had called him from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to tell him he was going to be a dad.

For the soldier, it was the best possible news. Bigger than any of the other goals in his life was being a father, Harris said. He teared up at the news and immediately shared it with his “brothers” — the soldiers in the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, known as the “Devil Brigade.”

Christian Michelle, named in her father’s honor, was born March 17. She will never meet her dad, but will have a special collection of photographs to remember him. The soldiers he served with, his family away from home, are back on American soil now, and several of them got together Tuesday for a special photo shoot by photographer Kendra Lee of Pinehurst Photography.

About 20 men showed up in their in full military dress uniforms, CBS News reported. Christian had a special onesie for the occasion. “My Daddy, my hero,” it read.

The photos are stunning. One particularly stirring image shows little Christian swaddled in the soldiers’ hands. She’s holding an American flag in another. Her daddy’s buddies tickle her feet, hold her close and show so much love that your heart will burst.

The photos provided to Patch also includes images of the soldier's funeral, Harris' pregnancy and Christian shortly after birth (see the gallery at the top of the page).

Lee told television station WIS that she wanted to capture for the baby “a visual representation of the support she has from the family he made with his unit.”

“[Chris]was so excited to be a dad,” Lee said. “They were going to be the most beautiful parents.”

The men had looked forward to meeting Christian since Harris sent them confetti poppers to reveal the gender of the baby. The soldiers didn’t know until pink streamers filled the room that the baby would be a girl.

"The gender reveal was my idea to keep the guys involved with the pregnancy since they were still deployed and so disconnected from everything happening back home,'' Harris told NBC’s “Today” show.

"This photoshoot was a chance for them to all come together and see Christian,” she said. “It’s comforting. They all mention Chris, tell stories about him, and seeing them go from big macho Army men to baby-talking and waiting in line to be the next one to snuggle Christian truly warms my heart. It’s so wonderful to see how much she is loved."

Christian’s March 17 birth came on the same day the unit return to the States. The synchronicity of that isn’t lost on Chris Harris’ buddies.

“Knowing that we could come home to a baby girl, that was awesome,” Sgt. Nathan Arthur Bagley told television station WTVD. “When everyone came home, that was the day she was born, so that made it 10 times better.”

Sue Kolean, the fallen soldier’s mother, told the television station that when Christian was born, “it was like looking at my own son.”

“It’s refreshing to see those blue eyes again,” Britt Harris agreed.

The soldier’s widow told WIS-TV she’s happy to be able to share the photos with the world.

“There are so many kind people that message me with condolences and ask to keep up with me,” she said. “They thank me for sharing my story and the least I can do in return is make my photos public for them.”

See Also: Newborn Poses With Late Father's Military Gear In Touching Photo

All photos courtesy of Pinehurst Photography, used with permission