Crying Little Girl Won't Let Go of National Guard Daddy When He Shows Up at School
Veterans Day isn’t the only time in November we get to honor the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
Since 1996, November has marked Military Family Month. All month long, military families are appreciated and recognized.
One military family from Massachusetts celebrated quite the heartwarming reunion when a little girl saw her daddy for the first time since he left for training.
Second Lieutenant John Lombardo serves as a Massachusetts Army National Guardsman. He’s been stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia since July, The Enterprise reported.
Although his first grade daughter, Emelia, expected her daddy would be coming home for the weekend, she had no idea he would show up at her school for an early homecoming surprise.
“I was going to say ‘hi,’ give a quick hug and say a couple of words about Veterans Day,” Lombardo told The Enterprise.
His visit, however, took an emotional turn when sweet little Emelia wouldn’t let her dad out of her sight or her arms. “I think it was maybe a little overwhelming,” he shared.
“It was definitely not as expected, but it was great. Afterwards, she was laughing.”
Thankfully, Lombardo is fortunate enough to make it home often, about once each month. Still, the time he is away remains hard on his family.
His wife is a superhero, caring for their three young children all ages six and under. Lombardo told The Enterprise he’s thankful for “how hard my wife works to support everything while I’m away.”
Emelia could be seen clinging to her daddy with tears in her eyes during his visit to L.B. Merrill Elementary School on Nov. 9.
What a darling moment these two shared. We’d like to take this moment to offer our gratitude to men and women like 2nd Lt. Lombardo who continue to make sacrifices to protect our freedom.
As we continue to show appreciation for military families across our nation all month long, this story reminds us to take time to offer a hug, a thank you, or word of encouragement to those who may not have the opportunity to spend the upcoming holidays together.
We are so grateful for all our veterans and active duty military members who do so much more than we could ever know. Happy Veterans Day and thank you!
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