NEW ORLEANS — Troy Esteen hasn’t seen his daughter in more than a year.
“We’re really close. That’s like my heart,” said Esteen. “I miss her so much. Her family misses her.”
For this proud father, another Father’s Day without her comes with a sense of pride.
“Her big thing is, though, she wants to serve and she’s serving well,” said Esteen.
Growing up in New Orleans East Latroya Chapman-Esteen joined the military in her late 20s.
“I went down to the recruiting station and just walked in and I was like, I want to join,” said Chapman-Esteen.
Thanks to technology and some help form the U.S. Navy, WWL-TV connected with the aviation structural mechanic while on the USS Harry S. Truman in the Atlantic Ocean.
“When I did go away and I actually got on the ship and went on a deployment for the first time, I was like, ‘Wow, this is real. I’m gone,’” said Chapman-Esteen.
While physically gone, her thoughts are back home.
“I love my family, I miss my family. I talk about New Orleans all the time,” said Chapman-Esteen. “I miss the people, I miss the food, I miss the music, I miss the culture. I miss everything.”
With New Orleans hit hard by coronavirus, she says it’s tough to not be with family and watch her city struggle. However, she knows New Orleans will always be New Orleans.
“We have a deep history, a rich history back home and that history has had hardships. It has had good times, it has had bad times and we’ve always prevailed. People have always come back,” said Chapman-Esteen.
Back on land, her dad looks forward to the day his daughter comes back. In the meantime, it’s mostly emails to stay connected and a few surprises here and there.
“I get to send her care packages you know, she loves that,” said Esteen.
Those packages even come with requests.
“If anybody wants to send a care package with some praline candy please do. I love pecan candy. That’s my favorite thing in the world,’ said Chapman-Esteen.
Sweet connections between father and daughter when unable to hear each other’s voice.
“If she could hear it, I’d tell her I love her,” said Esteen.
More Stories:
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
