Madison was singing with her school choir when she caught a glimpse of her dad for the first time in 9 months. Sergeant First Class Richard Willis got home over the weekend, but he wanted to surprise his daughter. So with roses in hand, he secretly arrived at her high school during her choir practice!

“When Patrick left for Germany and then to Afghanistan he was only 18. He joined the service because he wanted to help soldiers on the battlefield. He trained to be a medic and learned to jump out of perfectly good airplanes. His unit deployed to Afghanistan shortly after he arrived in Germany. After a year away he arrived in the states a few days ahead of when he told his mom and sister he was due back. They had no idea he was coming early. Patrick, like all soldiers serving in Afghanistan and around the world, was in a dangerous place but he remained steadfast in his Faith in God while he was away. Having him home was the greatest blessing of a lifetime!”

-Sheila M.

Here is a two-for-one post. First, watch James surprise his dogs after his return from deployment. Later that day, his mother!