Maj. Karl Knight flew 16 hours from Kuwait to Maine to be with his son.
By Terry Karkos
Staff Writer

DIXFIELD – A broad smile beamed across Dirigo High School senior Kevin Knight’s face at a pre-graduation ceremony in the gym Wednesday night.

Knight, dressed in blue cap and gown, smiled and joked with a classmate as they walked down center court during candlelight services, because he knew someone special was watching. Someone whom Knight didn’t think was coming. At least not until the last minute.

That’s because Knight’s father, Karl, who’s been serving his country in Kuwait since February during the war with Iraq, had to get permission from the Army to attend his son’s graduation. He had to find and arrange what would become a 16-hour flight to travel more than 6,000 miles to Portland.

“I hoped I could make it but it was up to the Army to let me come,” Major Karl Knight said. “I put my request in six weeks ago, then about two to three weeks ago, I found out I got approval to come here for a week.”

That was the easy part for Karl, an environmental science officer in a U.S. Army medical brigade. Working out the details of getting a flight from Kuwait to Maine was the hard part.

But the bond of love that he shares with Kevin, his oldest son, wife Kathy, and children Holly, Thomas, Hannah and Rachel helped him overcome the difficulties.

Kathy met him Sunday when he finally arrived at Portland International Jetport and took him home to Dixfield.

“I wasn’t sure I was coming until the day before I left. I got my (flight) ticket the day before but on the day of my flight, I got my boarding pass and called home,” Karl said.

The next day, on Monday, when he saw Kevin, a cross-country runner, the first thing they did together was take off on a five-mile run through town.

“I was pleased he was able to come over,” Kevin Knight said. “It makes graduation a lot more meaningful. It’s nice to have your father around during the graduation (week).”

In an early April interview, Kevin worried about the safety of his 6-foot 6-inch tall father in a war zone. He also expressed disappointment that, because of the war, his dad probably wouldn’t make it to his graduation.

Later that month, though, Kevin learned that his dad was trying his best to be there in June.

“It was swaying back and forth, whether he was coming back or not. We didn’t find out for sure until Sunday morning,” Kevin said.

During the ceremony Wednesday night, Karl, camera in hand, snapped a photo each time his son stood up to be recognized. Kevin was cited for maintaining an 85 or above average grade through high school and for being in the National Honor Society.

Father and son also shared a special eyes-to-eyes contact moment when Kevin – his face revealed in the darkened gym by the glow of the lit candle he was holding – marched past the family during the exit procession.

“Kevin is a great kid, a kid that every parent could be proud of. He’s an all-American kid. He had a real good high school career and I really wanted to support him,” Karl said.

At Monday night’s Dirigo High School sports awards banquet, those present gave Karl Knight a standing ovation when he walked in.

“It was a show of support for the service people and kind of embarrassing, but very touching,” he said.

At Wednesday night’s Candlelight service, several community members also took time to thank Karl for coming and voiced support for America’s troops.

He believes his son will also share similar feelings on graduation night Friday, June 6, when Kevin delivers a presentation.

On Sunday, the elder Knight, an engineer of 20 years at MeadWestvaco in Rumford, flies back to Kuwait and duty to his country.

“It’s been a good week to be home, but it’s going by pretty fast,” Karl said.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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