For decades, the Conrad family has been keeping up their tradition of attending the local 4th of July parade. It means a lot to them as a military family, particularly when the Color Guard passes by, honoring all branches of the military.
“Every year, we stand and place our right hand over our heart to show respect,” Shannon Conrad said.
Conrad’s brothers are officers – one in the Army and the other in the Navy. But at the time, John and Tom were both away from home on their respective bases.
Or so their parents thought.
As Shannon and her family stood by her parents, she watched with glee as they got a very pleasant surprise. And since her mother also happened to be filming the parade, there are videos of the sweet moment from two perspectives.
We can see the Color Guard approach from down the street, solemnly bearing their flags.
But it appears they’re a little too far away to get a good look at.
Typically, citizens will place their hands over their hearts as it passes by and Shannon’s dad does just that (veterans will salute during this time).
His mind must be somewhere else (likely on his sons) because he doesn’t notice what’s right in front of him at first.
Then, something very non-traditional happens. Two officers break formation.
“Oh my Gosh!” Shannon’s mother exclaims.
The Color Guard is directly in front of the family when mom sees that the officers in question are her sons, John and Tom. They must have received permission to break formation to say a surprise hello to their mother.
She is beyond thrilled.
“Oh my Gosh!” she yells again, as Jon and Tom holster their weapons and share a heartwarming homecoming moment with their family.
As you might expect, the crowd erupted in cheers upon seeing the sweet reunion.
“Anyone else was crying and smiling with joy at the same time???? Beautiful,” remarked one viewer.
Only Shannon was in on the surprise, so she knew precisely what to film.
There are so many sweet moments in the video – it becomes obvious just how relieved parents are to see that their military children are safe, even when they’re just away on base.
Shannon gets a great shot of the huge hugs between her parents and brothers.
The heartwarming video has been viewed over 6 million times since it was uploaded.
Many commenters thanked the men AND their family for their sacrifices:
“So beautiful! Being a Mom of boys.. this brought tears of joy to my eyes! What a proud moment! What a nice surprise! Thank you for your service boys!”
Be sure to scroll down below to see Shannon Conrad’s sweet video and her mother’s delightful surprise.
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