If you or a loved one serves in the United States military, you are aware that long periods of separation from family might occur. Jonathan Hill, Boatswain’s Mate First Class, has been away for 365 days.

Fortunately, Jonathan’s time away from his family was about to come to an end. And he hoped to make a significant impression on his two children.

Landon, 15, and Jaliya, 8, had been told to join the other pupils at North Muskegon High School in the gymnasium. They had no notion the assembly’s special guest was their father.

Jonathan made his way through the corridors, jet-lagged and fatigued after his flights from Bahrain to London and into Detroit Metro. The most terrifying part of the trip was waiting to walk through the doors and into the gym.

This surprise pre-spring break gathering had been planned for a month. Teachers at North Muskegon High School had kept this reunion a secret, but it had now come to light.

The moment Jonathan walked into the crowded gymnasium, his anxiety melted away. Landon and Jaliya burst into tears and dashed into the waiting arms of their father. Around them, the crowd erupted into applause.

For Jonathan, it was a landmark moment that he had been looking forward to for a long time. “Almost being tackled by my son was the best feeling I’ve had in a year,” said Jonathan.