Veterans day is an occasion to remind everyone of the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform are making every day and to thank military veterans for their service to the country.
Serving overseas is tough on soldiers who don’t get to see their families for months, sometimes even years. It’s always a special moment when soldiers return home and reunite with their families.
Soldier dad who spent 6 months in Afghanistan decided to surprise his young son
Josh Caroll, an eighth-grader who attends Lead Academy in Greenville, has been separated from his dad, Paul, for the past six months. Josh was attending a school assembly and had no idea that he would be reunited with his father three weeks earlier than he expected!
The whole surprise was planned by Josh’s mom and the school staff and he had no idea that his dad was already home and waiting outside the cafeteria.
Josh could not hold back his emotions when he found out that his dad was home
For Josh, it was just another 1st nine weeks awards day and had no idea what was about to happen when he and his mom got called up in front of the whole school for the final award presentation for service to the country.
His mom and others who knew about the surprise could not hide their smile but Josh still didn’t suspect anything! As the presenter read: “Please make welcome back home first lieutenant Paul Caroll,” Josh could not believe his eyes but quickly rushed to embrace his dad as the whole school cheered and applauded.
“I love you, dad,” was all Josh could say as he hugged his dad, to which Paul replied: “I love you too.”
The emotional scene of dad and son embracing each other warmed everyone’s hearts
Reunited with his son, Paul was unable to hide his emotions and the scene got everyone clapping and taking pictures of Josh’s and Paul’s special moment. Josh could not have hoped for a better surprise.
The surprises continued when Paul’s two other sons came home from the citadel for the weekend and found their dad waiting for them!
Veterans Day – a short history
Josh and Paul were not the only son and dad who got reunited on Veterans Day. Thousands of other men and women in uniform across the country celebrated the holiday at home with their loved ones.
Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day and commemorated the end of World War I. The armistice was put into effect on exactly 11 am on the 11th of November 1918, but became an official holiday in the US only twenty years later in 1938.
Veterans Day has been celebrated in its present form since 1954 when the word ‘Armistice’ was changed to ‘Veterans’ by the act of Congress. The holiday honors American veterans of all wars, from World War I to World War II, the Korean War, and all later wars.
November 11th is celebrated in many other countries that fought on the same side in World War I, including Canada, Australia, and the UK.
