A U.S. Army sergeant recently surprised his son at his high school graduation ceremony after being deployed for a year in Kosovo.
Just as senior Tyler Solomon received his diploma, his father, Army Sgt. Damon Solomon, showed up on the field, sparking a very emotional embrace, ABC 7 reported.
WELCOME HOME: One high school student’s graduation was made that much more memorable when his father – a U.S. Army sergeant serving his fifth tour in Kosovo – stepped out from the crowd to surprise him and his family. https://t.co/A9nKnwdKz0 pic.twitter.com/w2ccmPcjh0
— ABC News (@ABC) June 3, 2018
Onlookers at Marshfield High School in Massachusetts gave a standing ovation to the father and son, who were so caught up in the moment they almost missed it, CBS Boston reported.
Later, Tyler said he had been wondering why the principal held on to him after handing him his diploma.
“I thought, what’s going on right now, why is he stopping? I need to sit down in my seat,” Tyler said.
“That face he made, I will never forget, because I knew it was authentic. It was him saying both you’re a jerk, as well as I love you and thank God you’re here,” Sgt. Solomon said, of Tyler.
“I wanted him to feel that because he deserved that, he’s been through so much in my deployments, he deserves to be recognized from my perspective for enduring,” Sgt. Solomon added.
While the principal may have known about the sergeant’s return home, it was a complete and total surprise to the rest of the family.
“I’m still at a loss for words trying to process it, it all happened so fast,” Tyler said.
Tyler said his dad is known for pulling surprise visits during his 18 years in the National Guard – including five deployments – but this was the best.
He even posted a Facebook message a couple days before apologizing for not being able to be there for his son’s graduation.
“He said it was his last one, so it better be his last one,” Tyler added.
