A Northwest Missouri man became a father and got to support his wife while on duty in Iraq.

Being deployed to Iraq didn’t mean that Airman 1st Class Roger Prokes, 25, would have to miss the birth of his daughter. Modern technology, the American Red Cross and some supportive nurses and doctors helped bridge the gap between Iraq and California earlier this month for Mr. Prokes and his wife, Janelle Prokes.

“Just in case my husband wasn’t back,” said Mrs. Prokes, “ I had spoken with the director of labor and delivery at my hospital about using a Web cam during delivery.”

Mrs. Prokes entered the San Antonio Community Hospital in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., for a Caesarean section Sept. 11. The hospital staff had never used a Web cam to broadcast a live birth. Nevertheless, a Web cam broadcast the entire procedure to Mr. Prokes thousands of miles away in Iraq. The staff even distributed and wore patriotic surgical hats during the procedure.

“I went in for surgery around 7:30 a.m. and I was very scared,” Mrs. Prokes said. “The staff had the computer and Web cam already set up when I got in there. All the nurses and doctors talked to me and calmed me down and the nurses ensured they were typing what I wanted to my husband through MSN Messenger.”

Everything went well and Emma Prokes was born at 8:25 a.m. Sept. 11, weighing in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces.

“My husband was able to watch Emma’s birth with the help of the Red Cross,” Mrs. Prokes said.

Mr. Prokes is a patrolman with the 95th Security Forces Squadron stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Military orders transferred him to Iraq for a tour of duty.

The Red Cross set the equipment up in a room in Iraq and for four hours Mr. Prokes watched the entire surgical procedure. He is the son of Nodaway County Circuit Judge Roger Prokes and his wife, Julie W. Prokes.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.