YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY — A second grader at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School got the surprise of his life recently when his father returned from being deployed with the U.S. Army National Guard.
Specialist Chris Larkin said he was originally supposed to return home from the Middle Eastsometime between Feb. 5 and Feb. 8, but found himself flying from Texas back in Westchester County Thurday, Jan. 31.
Since he knew his second-grade son Sean loved surprise military homecomings, Larkin decided to show up at his elementary school while Sean was in the library surrounded by classmates. Larkin worked with his son’s school and second-grade teacher Kathleen Nash via email for weeks setting up the surprise.
Larking had been deployed for nine months. He was one of 300 members of the New York Army National Guard’s 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion which is headquartered in Yonkers and has elements in Peekskill and Orangeburg, who returned to New York recently.
The 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion provides communications support to military units across large distances using satellite communications technology.
So grab a box of tissues and watch the reunion.
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