Iowa Dad Surprises Sons As School Mascot In Sweet Military Homecoming

Here's your daily dose of good internet for today.

Military homecoming videos always make me tear up at least a little bit and there's one that happened recently right here in Iowa. And yes, it was caught on video.

According to Des Moines station KCCI, Sgt. 1st Class Cody Richards had been deployed with the Army in Romania for 9 months.

His sons, Jaiden and Sam, thought he wouldn't be home for a few more weeks. He had told his boys the wrong date so he could surprise them.

His sons go to Berg Middle School in Newton so Richards dressed up as Big Red, the Cardinals' mascot, and went to the school during lunch as part of the homecoming festivities. He went to tables, high-fived the kiddos, and when he went to sit with Jaiden and Sam...well, watch it for yourself:

Newton News says that their stepmom, Mandy, was watching it from a classroom window that overlooked the atrium. Like the boys and their dad, she wasn't immune from crying either.

Richards has been deployed 4 times. This latest one was his shortest yet and even though it was non-combative, he said he had a lot of time on his hands and missed his family a lot. He told Newton News that he appreciated the support from the Newton Community School District to allow him to surprise his boys.

It's homecoming season for our schools, but that's a homecoming to remember. Now if you'll excuse me, someone is cutting onions here.