For every parent whose child is in the military, the fear of the unknown is overwhelming. Parents worry how long their child will be away, whether they’ll be safe and when they’re coming home. These are all things often made worse by their location being too remote to keep in regular touch.
U.S. Marine Dave Woodruff knows all about being apart from his family; he has been away from home for the past two years and has missed out on many special family occasions.
But there was one family event that he wasn’t going to be absent from — to the complete shock of his parents.
Dave had spent the last eight months overseas in Spain and missed his family terribly. When he learned that his deployment in Spain would be ending a bit earlier, he decided he wanted to surprise his parents in a big way. So he teamed up with a group of friends back home to pull off a special surprise.
His parents were attending service at Christ the King Church in Deville, New Jersey, and right before the service ended the pastor announced: “We have a little treat before I dismiss everyone.”
He pulled up a screen and played a touching clip of Dave wishing his dad a happy early birthday. The marine said he had missed his dad’s birthday over the previous two years while on active duty, so wanted to do something a little special for his parents.
His mom could be seen removing her glasses to wipe a few tears after witnessing the emotional scene. Little did they know, though, just how close their precious son was.
Dave told his parents how much he loved and missed them and then told everyone: “One more thing, turn around.”
Watch the video below to see the wonderful surprise his folks got. There isn’t a dry eye in the house.
[arve url=”https://youtu.be/JGzK_fZRwlw” /]
What a thoughtful and wonderful way to surprise his parents. Seeing a family reunited again after so long is such a heartwarming scene. Please share this uplifting video with your friends and family if it put a smile on your face.
