A South Carolina Airman surprised his young daughter at school in an emotional reunion after being away from home for nearly a year.
U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Jonathan Pearsall has been station in Alaska for the past 10 months, half a world away from his family in Rock Hill. The last time he came home to see his family, including his daughter Ashleigh, was Christmas 2020, so he couldn't wait to see her in person.
That day finally came on Thursday (October 14) when he pulled off a surprise at Independence Elementary School, where Ashleigh attends third grade. After two days of traveling home from the Air Force base in Alaska, he drove straight to her school where he hid in plain sight inside her classroom. Prior to the big surprise, Ashleigh's teacher let her fellow students in on what was about to happen, WBTV reports.
"He is flying home and his is on his way to surprise Ashleigh," the teacher said. "I know; isn't that exciting?"
The teacher explained further about how they were going to pull off the big reveal when Ashleigh finally walks into the classroom. "So when she comes in, guess who is going to be sitting in her chair?" the teacher asked students. "Her dad."
When the moment finally came, their emotional reunion was met with cheers all around. As Ashleigh walked into the classroom, she saw her father in her seat, yelled. "Daddy!" and immediately ran into his open arms.
Watch the special moment below.