Yenier Diaz, US Air Force Technical Sergeant, was deployed recently in the Middle East.
While he was away from home, he missed his family very much, and his wife and kids also couldn’t wait for the day that he would return home.
Julian, Skye, and Jason Diaz, his three children, called him almost every day when it was possible.
The children and their mom also used to send the deployed dad gifts every now and then, and the family even shared the Thanksgiving dinner online.
Diaz told Militarykind:
“They’re sending me packages, you know, with things in there, they write me letters, they make it a point to talk to me, to celebrate things with me.”
The kids missed their dad very much, just like any other child whose parent is in the military.
Studies show that military children can possibly have behavioral problems and attachment difficulties both when their military parent is deployed and when they return home.
And, while these three kids have definitely been through a lot of ups and downs while their dad was away from home, they finally got super happy when he returned.
Actually, they got an amazing surprise that they will never forget.
The Air Force Technical Sergeant shared that all he had been thinking about since he had been deployed was the day that he would finally go back to his family.
And rightfully so, he had a loving one who’d been dreaming of having him home too.
So, seven months after the deployment, it was time for Diaz to return home.
But he wanted to make that day even more special for his beloved children.
So, he, his wife, and the kids’ baseball coach organized a surprise for the three siblings.
The children had been invited to the local ballpark to talk about their experience as children in a military family.
“These kids in front of us represent over one million children of active duty members worldwide,” a man said when he presented the children to the audience.
He then gave them souvenir game balls and he finally passed to them another one, which would actually be sent to Dad.
Skye took the last ball in her hands, and she was asked to read what was written on it.
“Miss you guys. -Papi” the ball read, but then she realized there was also an arrow, asking her to move the ball, and then it read “Turn around”.
Indeed, the children turned around extremely confused having no idea what was about to happen.
That’s when they saw their father right behind them!
All of them ran towards him, and the four of them kept sharing a big hug for a long time.
Skye shared:
“I honestly didn’t know he was coming. And I was super excited because I absolutely love him.”
The kids didn’t expect that because they had tried to call him earlier that day, but he texted them that his Facetime didn’t work.
What an emotional moment!
A perfect surprise for these children whose military dad considers them to be his motivation.
Watch the family’s heartwarming reunion in the video below!
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Source: YouTube – Militarykind, USA Today
