Family of deployed soldier gets special visit

BANGOR, Maine (WHDH) -- It’s a story that would make George Lucas proud: a Maine soldier, who's deployed overseas, recently sent a message to his family courtesy of one very unique dinner guest.

Owen, Ford, and Lindell Smiley are huge Star Wars fans, and the guest at this week’s dinner with the Smileys was a robot replica of the film’s R2D2.

It's a pretty cool guest to invite to the table, but even R2D2 can't fill the empty seat left by Lt. Commander Smiley.

"I would love Dustin to be one of our guests," his wife said.

So the creator of the R2D2 replica, Paul Bussiere, pulled a few strings and was able to surprise the family and bring Lt. Commander Smiley to life in his own living room.

"I had seen the other things that her other guests had done, and I wanted to do something a little special, unusual,” he said.

Paul took a video clip that Lt. Commander Smiley sent him, fashioned it into a hologram design, and projected it though R2D2 -- almost like a scene from Star Wars.

"At first, when it was all still shaping into dad, I was like, 'what is going on?' Ford Smiley said. “Then, I realized, 'Oh, my gosh. That's dad.'"

Next week's dinner guest is still a surprise, but it looks like R2D2 will be a tough act to follow.