A picture of a young girl clutching her father's hand as he prepares to deploy has gained national attention.

Now, 4-year-old Paige Bennethum is speaking about the heartfelt moment.

Paige's mother, Abby Bennethum, took the photo back in July as her husband reported for his third tour of duty.

The Pennsylvania family drove to Fort Dix, New Jersey to see him before he left.

Paige says she clung to her father because she just wasn't ready to let her dad leave.

Paige and her mom appeared on N-B-C's Today Show Saturday morning after the picture began making rounds on the Internet.

Cameras were rolling later that afternoon when her father, U-S Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Brett Bennethum, called home.