Army Specialists' Surprise Homecoming

Christina Chapman - Knight Ridder/Tribune

Army Specialist Kyle Dite and Sgt. Aaron Seabert, brothers who are Morris, IL natives, come from a long line of military men, but they are the first in the family to return home on national television.

Dite and Seabert -- along with their mother, Kathy Kerins -- will appear on the premiere episode of "Surprise Homecoming" on TLC Monday, July 11. The show, hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus, reunites military men and women with their families.

In April, TLC arranged for the brothers to surprise their mother while she was at work in Indiana. "It was awesome, very awesome," said Seabert, who graduated from Morris Community High School in 2001. He and Dite are the nephews of Morris Chief of Police Brent Dite.

While Kyle Dite was deployed in Iraq, his brigade said TLC was looking for service people with special stories. Since he and his brother were both deployed (Seabert was on his third deployment, this time in Afghanistan) he thought their story qualified.

To apply, the brothers had to send in video clips of themselves telling their story and get one of their mother without her knowing why, said Seabert. But Seabert was in a very remote, desolate location in Afghanistan, so he had a trouble sending his video via email. It eventually got there, but it was very short in order to get it downloaded.

Seabert's girlfriend was able to record his mother, making her think she was making the video to send to her boyfriend for Valentine's Day.

"At first, I didn't think (they would get chosen), but then I started thinking there are a lot of people on their third or fourth deployment, but this was my third and his first and we're brothers, so they might pick us. It puts a strain on families when it's one, but we have two," Seabert said.

The brothers were accepted for the "Surprise Homecoming" show and set it up for April. Seabert's mother was aware he was back in the states and stationed in New York, but she did not know Dite was back or that either of her sons was in Indiana.

Kerins' boss told her she was going to be in a corporate safety video when the surprise took place. Her boss announced Seabert and he entered the room with flowers.

"She was crying and she usually only cries because she's mad at us for something," Seabert said. "Then I introduced my brother and he came out and she was lost for words."

Although Kerins had seen Seabert in March, she had not seen him before that in a year, and she had not seen Dite in the year prior to the surprise visit.

"I was speechless. With my boys, I was surprised they could hold a secret," Kerins said. "I couldn't believe it was happening. It's something you read about other people, but not your own family."

"I literally froze in my spot," she continued.

Kerins will see the show for the first time on Monday and said her corporation will be showing it at all its locations worldwide.

Kyle Dite was unavailable for comment before press time.

On Friday, Seabert and Dite's grandparents, Ray and Lila Dite of Morris, were looking forward to watching their grandsons and daughter on television Monday.

"We're proud of all our grandchildren. They choose their own route in life and we support them. We're proud of them all," said Ray Dite.

The brothers followed in the footsteps of their grandfather, who served from 1945 to 1946; three great uncles; and one uncle. They also have a cousin currently surviving along with them.

"My grandparents were all from the old country. It was something they stressed -- 'You're American, be proud of it and protect that flag,'" said Ray Dite.

"When they're over there, it's just another thing for us to worry about at night. But when they get back to the states, we're tickled," he added.

----

More televsion news

More Entertainment

Copyright 2011 by Knight Ridder/Tribune