After Deployment, Air Force Dad Plans Heartwarming Surprise for Young Son
There are many special milestones in our lives that bring joy and warrant celebration, but there are few public displays of love more powerful than a homecoming.
You don’t have to be related to the person coming home to their family or even know who they are to feel the bond between them and their loved ones and find yourself a bit choked up.
Sheriff Deputy Clint Thomas of Versailles, Missouri, wanted to surprise his family in a unique way. He was a deputy, but he was also an airman and had spent the last four months in Bagram, Afghanistan, with the U.S. Air Force.
With the help of a friend and fellow lawman, Thomas planned to pull his wife and kids over for a “traffic stop,” and then reveal to his kids that he was home.
According to Inside Edition, his wife Lindsay was in the car along with their 2-year-old, Jordyn, and their 7-year-old, Jase, when they were pulled over.
Thomas’ friend pulled Lindsay over, and while he was speaking to her at the driver’s side window, Thomas walked around to where his son was seated in the second row on the passenger’s side.
“What’s up, dude?” he says to Jase through the open window.
Jase looks up and waves and doesn’t seem to realize it’s his dad quite yet, but it doesn’t take long.
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Thomas barely has time to whip off his sunglasses and ask “who am I?” before Jase is hastily unbuckling his seat beat and wordlessly climbing out the window and into his father’s waiting arms.
“I missed you,” Thomas said to his son, who had his arms and legs wrapped around his dad, his head buried in his shoulder.
“Did you miss me?” Thomas asked, and Jase’s head nods even as it’s pressed against his father’s shoulder.
Jase refuses to let go of his dad even as people in the background realize what’s happening and start cheering and shouting “welcome home!”
The 7-year-old was clearly making up for all the hugs he missed during those four months.
“Morgan County Deputy Sheriff Clint Thomas surprises his son on a traffic stop after returning from a 4 month deployment to Bagram, Afghanistan with the United States Air Force,” the sheriff’s office posted on Nov. 9.
“Welcome home Clint!”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
