{"id":134294,"date":"2023-11-05T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=134294"},"modified":"2023-11-04T22:26:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T03:26:37","slug":"welcome-home-university-of-mississippi-reunites-military-family-for-unforgettable-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/welcome-home-university-of-mississippi-reunites-military-family-for-unforgettable-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome Home: University of Mississippi Reunites Military Family for Unforgettable Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Father, family reunited at Ole Miss football game as a part of Ole Miss Wish<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Four young boys ran into their father\u2019s arms Saturday, November 4, 2023, in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium<\/strong>, kneeling and crying as they met him on the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a moment, it didn\u2019t matter that 65,680 people were focused on the reunion in the roaring stadium. It didn\u2019t matter that the four boys had just led the Walk of Champions<\/strong> or sounded the Rebel Battalion Cannon<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only thing that mattered was \u2013 for the first time in 10 months \u2013 their father was home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyle <\/strong>and Elizabeth Rodgers<\/strong> and their sons \u2013 Ryan<\/strong>, 10; Will<\/strong>, 8; Josh<\/strong>, 6; and Adam<\/strong>, 4 \u2013 were the university\u2019s most recent recipients of\u00a0Ole Miss Wish<\/strong>,<\/a>\u00a0a philanthropic effort of the\u00a0University of Mississippi<\/a>\u00a0Office of Veteran and Military Services<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0that seeks to give military families unforgettable experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’ve been wanting to hold the boys for a while now,\u201d said Kyle Rodgers, chief warrant officer III in the Army National Guard<\/strong>. \u201cIt amazes me to this day how blessed I am by Jesus Christ, by these people who came together to put this event on.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Set-Up\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At a soccer game over the summer, Elizabeth Rodgers, of Batesville<\/strong>, met Andrew Newby<\/strong>, assistant director of veteran and military services, and the two began talking.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe said, \u2018I\u2019m a single parent right now because my husband is currently deployed in Egypt,\u2019\u201d Newby said, recounting the day he met the family. \u201cI asked her, \u2018When is he supposed to get home?\u2019 and she said, \u2018Sometime in November.\u2019 That got my wheels turning.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next months, Newby worked with Josh Edwards<\/strong>, assistant professor of military science; Matt Smith<\/strong>, assistant athletics director for marketing and fan experience; Kirk Purdom<\/strong>, executive director of alumni affairs; and a dozen others to make Kyle Rodgers\u2019 homecoming a once-in-a-lifetime event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a humble guy, and at first he thought it was too much,\u201d Newby said. \u201cI told him, \u2018You\u2019re not doing this for yourselves; you\u2019re doing this for your kids.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd he said, \u2018I\u2019ll do it.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newby and Edwards worked with Rodgers\u2019 command staff to ensure that he could come home in time for the game, but it almost didn\u2019t happen. As the conflict between Israel <\/strong>and Palestine <\/strong>in the Gaza<\/strong> region became violent, Newby said he thought they would have to cancel the homecoming entirely.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodgers was stationed in Egypt just 10 miles from the Gaza border, and said that the day of his departure was pushed back twice before Newby and Edwards stepped in.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor a second, we were going to cancel it all because we didn\u2019t believe that he could make it, but we didn\u2019t give up,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cWe kept calling and asking and calling. We called in a few favors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe got told \u2018no\u2019 a couple of times, but we got our yesses eventually.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While coordinating for Rodgers to come home \u2013 which was kept a secret from everyone except Elizabeth \u2013 Newby also arranged for the brothers to get their Ole Miss Wish.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlong the way, I asked the family, \u2018What do your boys love to do?\u2019\u201d Newby said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boys are avid sports players, Ole Miss fans and particularly big readers, he said. They have each been members of singer, songwriter and philanthropist\u00a0Dolly Parton\u2019s Imagination Library<\/strong>,<\/a>\u00a0a free book gifting program that delivers books to young children from birth until they are 5 years old, since they were born. Between the four boys, the family has been a member of the library for 10 years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, I wrote a request to Dolly,\u201d Newby said. \u201cAnd she agreed.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that, the stage was set for an unforgettable weekend.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was magic,\u201d Newby said. \u201cWe did everything that we could with God and an act of Congress to make this happen.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Family\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elizabeth and Kyle Rodgers first met as undergraduates at Delta State University<\/strong> in 2006, where Kyle said he knew within a year of dating that he would ask her to marry him. He proposed just before leaving for military training on a private picnic in his hometown of Rockwall, Texas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple married while Rodgers was in flight school in 2011 at Fort Novosel<\/strong>, formerly known as Fort Rucker<\/strong>, in Enterprise, Alabama<\/strong>, and had their first son, Ryan, in 2013. The family moved to several duty stations over the next years and, in 2019, Kyle Rodgers left the Army active duty and joined the Army National Guard in Jackson<\/strong>, where he flies EMS helicopters and trains pilots.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always felt the call to join the military,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I really love flying. To take that passion and give it back to the community is one of the most rewarding things.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Kyle grew up in Texas<\/strong>, his family was originally from Mississippi, as was Elizabeth\u2019s. The two decided to make their home in Oxford<\/strong>, where they could be close to family and friends. At home, Elizabeth said the boys stick to their father\u2019s sides, always wanting to do what he is doing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe and the boys like to play sports outside, like to go fishing,\u201d Kyle Rodgers said. \u201cI bring them along for any home projects. They\u2019re my little helpers. They just like to be where Dad is.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyle Rodgers learned in the summer of 2022 that he\u2019d be going to Egypt for an extended time and said he took time to explain what deployment means.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy oldest one, Ryan, he understood,\u201d Rodgers said. \u201cSome of the younger boys, I don\u2019t think they really understood, but it set in midway through. I sat them down and told them they had to help Mom out while Dad was gone, and I think they\u2019ve done a great job.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the next 10 months, while Kyle was flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters near the Gaza border, Elizabeth home-schooled their sons and took the boys to every soccer practice, every doctor\u2019s appointment, every church service.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s the real champion of this journey we\u2019ve had,\u201d Rodgers said. \u201cI don\u2019t think people realize on a detail level what that entails; she carried everything. It amazes me every day.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reality \u2013 military families being separated for months at a time \u2013 is often forgotten, Edwards said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou forget that people are gone for so long away from their families,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a hard thing \u2013 it’s probably the hardest thing. And families are going through that every day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kid Presidents go to DollyWood  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elizabeth and her children arrived on campus early Friday, November 3 to meet with members of the university leadership. As a part of their Ole Miss Wish, each of the boys signed a proclamation declaring them kid presidents for the weekend.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are so proud of our military at this university,\u201d Chancellor Glenn Boyce<\/strong> said at the signing ceremony. \u201cWe absolutely want to do whatever we can whenever we can to support those who serve.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd boys, if you want to extend it longer than a weekend, you just let me know.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being named to the first four-way presidency in Ole Miss history, the brothers took a tour of the Oxford campus and athletics buildings and met many members of the Ole Miss football team and athletics staff.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the day came to a close, 6-year-old Josh had only one question: \u201cCan we shoot the cannon now?\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday morning, Elizabeth and her sons led the football team down Walk of Champions, high-fiving the thousands of fans crowded around the brick walkway. Will fired the\u00a0Ole Miss Army ROTC Rebel Battalion Cannon<\/strong><\/a>, and the family sat back to watch the game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between the first and second quarter, Newby lead the family out onto the 25-yard line, while Ole Miss Rebel and Texas A&M<\/strong> fans fell quiet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease welcome to the field the Rodgers family, who are the recipients of Ole Miss wish,\u201d announcer Glen Waddle<\/strong> said. \u201cTheir dada, Kyle Rodgers, is serving a 10-month deployment in Egypt.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dolly Parton appeared on the big screen, welcoming the family to an all-expenses-paid vacation at DollyWorld, which the Office of Veterans and Military Services sponsored.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow boys, pay close attention: there\u2019s another special guest I want you to say hello to right now,\u201d Parton said.  \u201cAnd remember, I will always love you.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome Home\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Newby, hands on Ryan’s shoulders, turned the boys around, where they saw their father for the first time in nearly a year. They met with a clash of tears as Kyle knelt on the turf and circled the boys in his arms.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following moments after the brothers were Elizabeth and Kyle\u2019s parents, Ted <\/strong>and Linda Rodgers<\/strong> and Tim <\/strong>and Mary Cain<\/strong>, who only recently had learned Kyle was coming home. For a long moment the family knelt and held one another.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodgers sported his combat uniform and a trim mustache that he\u2019d grown out as a bet for his eldest son, Ryan, while he was deployed. Throughout deployment, Rodgers promised Ryan he would not shave it, despite Elizabeth’s protests.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, she hates it,\u201d Rodgers said, smiling widely. \u201cBut Ryan, he kept saying, \u2018You\u2019ve got to keep it, and you\u2018ve got to kiss Mama on the mouth with it when you get home.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, in front of a crowd of Ole Miss Rebels welcoming him home, that\u2019s exactly what he did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Clara Turnage<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce (left) helps Will Rodgers sign a proclamation declaring him and his three brothers as kid presidents of the university for a weekend in the Lyceum. Andrew Newby (right), assistant director of the UM Office of Veteran and Military Services, helped set up the weekend as a surprise for Will and his brothers. Photo by Thomas Graning\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Adam Rodgers (left) pretends to drive the chancellor\u2019s golf cart during the Rodgers family\u2019s guided tour of the Ole Miss campus. Adam and his three brothers were declared kid presidents of the University of Mississippi for the weekend. Photo by Thomas Graning\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Daneel Konnar (right), a University of Mississippi senior from Meridian who was elected as Mr. Ole Miss, points out Egypt on the Bryant Hall globe to Adam Rodgers, who, along with his three brothers, was named kid president of the university for the weekend. Kyle Rodgers, the brothers\u2019 father, has been stationed in Egypt for the last 10 months before surprising the family Saturday (Nov. 4) at the Ole Miss-Texas A&M football game. Photo by Thomas Graning\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Rodgers brothers (from left), Adam, Will, Ryan and Josh, stop for a photo at the Walk of Champions arch Friday morning (Nov. 3) during a tour of the University of Mississippi campus. The brothers were named kid presidents of the university for the weekend, which also included a surprise reunion with their dad, Kyle Rodgers, who has been deployed with his Army National Guard unit in Egypt for 10 months. Photo by Thomas Graning\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Rodgers brothers (from left), Adam, 4; Josh, 6; Ryan, 10; and Will, 8, pose before the Lyceum on Friday (Nov. 3) during a tour of the University of Mississippi campus. The brothers were named kid presidents of the university for the weekend, which also included a surprise reunion with their dad, Kyle Rodgers, who has been deployed with his Army National Guard unit in Egypt for 10 months. Photo by Thomas Graning\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Rodgers family poses with Juice, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin\u2019s dog, ahead of the Ole Miss-Texas A&M football game on Saturday (Nov. 4). Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Elizabeth Rodgers (front) runs into the arms of her husband, Kyle Rodgers, at a surprise reunion during the first half of the Ole Miss-Texas A&M football game Saturday (Nov. 4). Kyle Rodgers returned from a 10-month deployment with the Army National Guard to reunite with his family as a part of Ole Miss Wish, a philanthropic effort of the University of Mississippi Office of Veteran and Military Services that seeks to give military families memorable experiences. Photo by Thomas Graning\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Kyle Rodgers (center) holds his four sons during a reunion at the Ole Miss-Texas A&M football game on Saturday (Nov. 4). Rodgers, who had been deployed for the last 10 months in Egypt, surprised his family during the granting of their Ole Miss Wish. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Ole Miss Football vs. Texas A&M at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay\/ Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Kyle Rodgers (left) kisses his wife, Elizabeth, at a surprise reunion at the Ole Miss-Texas A&M football game on Saturday (Nov. 4). Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay\/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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