Soldier surprises young boy at military-themed birthday party
Jonathan Brown of Windham is a sergeant with Maine's National Guard. He connected with Brittany online when she posted looking for help to make this party special.
By Jamie Azulay
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RAYMOND, Maine (WMTW) — For 5-year-old Jackson, a military birthday party was a dream come true.
“He’s obsessed with tanks, grenades, all the military, cool things that have to do with it,” his mother, Brittany Baizley, said.
She bought inflatable tanks and child-sized uniforms for the kids to play with, and she served military-themed snacks — rescue rope, rations, and Marine munchies. But Jackson never imagined a real soldier would show up.
Jonathan Brown of Windham is a sergeant with Maine’s National Guard. He connected with Brittany online when she posted looking for help to make this party special.
“How could I say no?” Sgt. Brown asked. “I had to say yes, so I took it upon myself without orders from the military to just don the uniform and make this kid’s day.”
Baizley told Maine’s Total Coverage that Brown surprised Jackson at the birthday party and even brought a gift. He showed off some of his gear, answered questions, and stuck around to sing “Happy Birthday.”
“He really made a choice to spend his weekend with my son and people he doesn’t even know,” Baizley said. “He made that choice out of the bottom of his heart and really just did amazing work for my family. He showed my son, most importantly, that being a good community service member is just as important as celebrating your 5th birthday.”
Brown would not accept payment for his time. He later commented, “Sometimes the only payment you need is just a smile.” When asked, Brown said he doesn’t think he’ll make party appearances a regular occurrence, but this experience was special.
“There was a time when you would ask people why they joined the military, and they’d say something like ‘Oh, I wanted to be part of something bigger. I want to be part of something bigger than me.’ That moment — going to that party and making a kid’s day — was just bigger than me,” he said.
Jackson’s mom said Brown made her son’s birthday.
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