Elijah Gonzales is a typical 15-year-old who loves his friends, playing sports and his dad.
It hasn’t been the easiest year for him because his father, Marine Staff Sergeant Isaias Gonzales, has been out on deployment. The Texas teen has really missed having his dad around, but thanks to a little plotting between his parents, he didn’t have to wait as long as he thought to see him again.
At a recent football practice, Elijah was shocked to see his dad, who he was expecting home in about a month, walking toward him. He was surrounded by teammates at the time, which heightened the emotion of the moment.
The father and son caught each other in a giant bear hug that moved everyone who was present to witness it.
What makes this homecoming even better is that it’s for good this time.
Isaias Gonzales won’t be going out on deployment again, so Elijah can look forward to a lot more quality time with his dad in the months to come.
Meanwhile, people all around the country have the privilege of watching this moment unfold on camera as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices that military families make in order to help keep America safe.
