BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Sunday is Veterans Day, and the Baltimore Ravens are honoring it by putting Maryland soldiers stationed in Afghanistan front and center.

But Alex DeMetrick reports, Friday they also brought family members a little closer.

They were dressed in Ravens colors, but for the soldiers’ families it wasn’t football they came to see.

“I want to see daddy,” one soldier’s kid said.

And in the stadium’s control room, they did just that. Families were granted the opportunity to see and speak to their loved one who are stationed in Afghanistan.

“Happy anniversary. I love you Mark,” said Melanie Zinderman to her husband.

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he replied.

“First anniversary. So it’s a wonderful present, I have to admit,” Melanie Zinderman said.

The glimpse Friday was by satellite hookup to Maryland National Guardsmen serving in Afghanistan.

“I love you very much and I’ll speak to you soon,” said Megan Barnickel.

“Miss you too. Hi mom,” said one soldier.

Nine months is a long time away.

“It’s been a struggle, but we’ve been making it work. Now we’re just counting down the days until we get to see each other again,” said Emma Rychwalski.

Friday is basically a dress rehearsal for Sunday’s game. The soldiers will go up on the stadium’s jumbo-trons for the national anthem at the Veterans Day game. But Friday’s look was strictly for family.

DeMetrick: “How’s he look?”
Barnickel: “Wonderful. All grown up.

The Maryland Guardsmen are part of a deployment of a helicopter medivac unit from the Edgewood area.