Army sergeant surprises his daughter at school after 13 months
By Rachel Hirschheimer
Click here for updates on this story
CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A special surprise for one little girl at Oakdale Elementary School. A third grader’s father has been deployed for more than a year, but on Tuesday evening she was able to jump into his arms again.
“It’s just really important that these kids get a chance to just to understand what the roles of our veterans are and how important it is to respect them and to thank them for everything they’ve done for us,” Oakdale Elementary School music teacher Mandy Mejia said.
On Tuesday night, Oakdale hosted its annual Veteran’s Day Concert where students sang songs and wrote messages to honor those who sacrifice their lives for our freedom.
Third grader Launna Long has not seen her father in 13 months. He’s been deployed in Arizona, but on Tuesday evening while she was reading a special tribute to her dad he surprised her in front of the whole crowd.
“Honestly, I’m so grateful that he could be here,” Launna said.
Her father, Army Sgt. Dominic Long, says he’s looking forward to spending time with his family now that he’s home, especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner.
“It definitely feels great, missed my daughter and it feels good to be back home,” Long said. “It means a lot you know, I missed my daughter like crazy and I’m glad I could be here for it.”
A moment and embrace Launna and her father say they’ll cherish forever.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
