More and more Americans have taken the time to investigate their family lineage ever since DNA test kits became accessible to the general public.
Whether driven by simple curiosity or a yearning for lost family members, people who engage the services of companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA can discover parts of their ancestry that would have otherwise remained a mystery.
This certainly holds true for Michael Bennett, 70, a Fort-Worth man who recently found out he has seven brothers and sisters living in Cincinnati, according to WFAA.
Born the son of a Japanese woman and American serviceman in the aftermath of World War II, Bennett’s mother gave him up for adoption in the 1950s after the Airforce transferred his father back to the United States.
An American couple adopted Bennett and raised him in the states. He grew up to become a decorated member of the Green Berets and raised a family of his own.
Bennett decided to take a 23andMe DNA test two years ago, curious about his heritage. The results indicated he was half Japanese and half Anglo European.
This was no surprise since his adoptive parents told him as much, but his entire world changed when he received a direct message on the 23andMe app.
The message came from a woman from Cincinnati, Ohio, Robin Reed. She reached out because Bennett shared so much DNA with her family.
It turned out that Bennett, Reed, and her six siblings all shared the same father, the late Dick Webster.
Reed told Bennett about their father, how the Airforce forced Webster to relocate to the United States, how heartbroken he was to learn Bennett was adopted, and how he could never find Bennett after.
Bennett hit the road just hours after learning who his father was.
Upon arriving in Cincinnati, he found his seven brothers and sisters together waiting to greet him.
In an interview with WFAA, Bennett and his siblings reflected on the experience of reuniting.
“I thank the Lord above that we got in touch before the end of our days,” said Samson Webster.
“He is a part of us. He is one of us. He is a part of us. He belongs to us. And we love him,” said Reed.
“I’ll tell you the one thing it has changed for me, from that family perspective, oddly enough is, I get to be a big brother,” Bennett told WFAA. “And I cherish that. I’m having a great time.”
