MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, BEAUFORT, S.C. -- In the month of June, many fathers get their presents delivered by the postman, however one Fightertown Marine had to deliver his own - a 5-pound, 12-ounce baby girl!
Captain Bill Schweitzer, assistant detachment commander Marine Air Control Squadron 2, and his wife Pam, weren?t expecting their baby until the 22nd of June, but baby Bethany planned on seeing her father on Father?s Day.
?Pamela had some mild indications that the baby would be coming that day, but we didn?t take it too serious,? said Bill. ?Then, when she woke me up around 2:10 am that night, telling me her water had broken, things started to get crazy!?
Bill piled his wife and two-year-old son, Mark, into their car and set out for the hospital with one quick pit-stop to drop Mark off at their friends? house.
?We still thought we had plenty of time,? said Bill. ?But her contractions kept getting worse.
?We just about threw Mark out of the car at our friends? house and took off for the hospital with our flashers on,? Bill added.
The Schweitzers had to travel from Laurel Bay all the way to the Beaufort Memorial Birthing Center.
?We pulled up to the Birthing Center and raced to the door,? Bill explained. ?Pam could hardly make it! To top it all off, we had forgotten that the Birthing Center doors were locked after hours.?
Pam was unable to make it back to the car, forcing Bill to sprint to the emergency room for help.
As the ER staff dispatched a team to assist Pam, the father-to-be sprinted back to his wife.
?I don?t know what would?ve happened, had Bill not shown up in time,? said Pam.
?I got there just in time, as the baby?s head was coming out, Bill explained. ?I caught the baby and made sure she was breathing, and by that time, security and medics arrived to unlock the doors.?
?The hospital staff was amazed at how calm we were,? said Pam.
The staff assisted Pam into the Birthing Center with baby in arms and the umbilical chord still attached.
?It was then, we found out we were having a girl,? said Bill. ?Then someone reminded me it was Father?s Day. We thank God for such a great Father?s Day present.?
Both the mother and baby are doing great, as the Schweitzers welcome the newest addition to their family.