Some of the most heartwarming stories on the internet are about kids being reunited with a deployed parent. We’ve seen fathers who dress up in costumes and mothers who sneak into their children’s classrooms. One video has gone viral…not only for the sweet reunion but also for the sneaky way the father revealed himself.
Excited for a trip
The video starts off with a mother and four children flying in from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to visit an aunt and uncle in Columbus, Ohio. Everyone, except the mom, thought the trip was solely to spend time with extended family members. That alone was exciting enough. But there was a much bigger surprise waiting for them.
Coming home from Army deployment
The Minnich family includes the wife, sons Michael age 15, Ashton 13, Xavier 10, and daughter Jolie 9. Having their dad gone was tough on the entire bunch. As expected, they missed him a lot. But Captain Patrick Minnich was in Afghanistan serving his country, or so everyone thought.
Even the aunt and uncle were none the wiser
No one’s sure how Mrs. Minnich was able to keep such a good secret but she did. Their trip to Columbus would’ve been better if their dad could’ve gone with them. But he had been away from home for seven months.
Oh, so sneaky
The kids were thrilled to be around family, especially since it was right around Thanksgiving. In the meantime, Captain Minnich had flown from Kabul to Virginia to participate in a four-week training course at Fort Lee. Thanks to his superiors, he was given time to see his family.
The first surprise
The Captain first hooked up with the kids’ aunt and uncle, Marcia and Jeff Kish. Since they had no idea he was in the US, the reunion was amazing. Then, they all packed into the Kish’s vehicle to go meet Mrs. Minnich and the four kids. I can only imagine how exciting everyone in the car must’ve been…knowing that very soon, they’d be a complete family again.
A beautiful reunion
As you know, a lot of people hold up banners at the airport when meeting loved ones. That was the plan. The father would stand behind one so his children wouldn’t see him when they went to collect their luggage. But then as they walked closer, he moved from around the banner. That’s when the real celebration began.
Seven months is a long time
The kids couldn’t run fast enough to reach their father. People in the baggage claim joined in with sweet comments and a lot of applause. One of the sons looked lovingly at his dad and said, “You’re home? What took you so long?” Although the family only had a week together, it was one they’ll never forget.
Captain Minnich has since returned to Afghanistan to continue working with his deployment team. But the good news, that’ll be finished in May of this year. At that time, he’ll come home. While he’ll still be in the Army, he’ll be with his family. Thank you, Captain Patrick Minnich, for your service. It’s selfless men like this that keep the rest of us safe in a free country.
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Source: YouTube
