Returning Soldier Surprises Wife at DFW Airport
Wife had no idea he was among returning troops she was greeting
KXAS
Alicia Young spots her husband getting off a plane of returning troops.
A soldier returned home from Iraq Thursday with a surprise for his wife -- himself.
Alicia Young, a Garland teacher, went to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to greet returning troops. But she had no idea her husband, Sgt. Matthew Young, was among the soldiers she was about to welcome home.
She had gone to the airport before as a volunteer for the "Welcome Home a Hero" program organized by DFW Airport, the USO and the North Texas Commission.
"Being able to welcome home these soldiers who have sacrificed so much is a good way for me to serve my country," she told reporters, who were also in on the secret.
When she spotted her husband getting off the plane, her face lit up. She ran to him for a long embrace.
The couple's two sons were also there for the emotional reunion.
"Daddy, daddy," one of the boys said.
The family hadn’t been together since Young left for Iraq in August.
The big crowd was more than he expected, he said.
"I wasn’t expecting all the cameras and everything," he said. "I was just expecting her."
Alicia Young wiped back tears.
"I’m wonderful," she said. "It’s fantastic."
It’s also temporary.
The family will have two weeks together before Matthew Young returns to Iraq.
