Three Dallas children reunited with their Marine father in a surprise homecoming after nearly a year apart.
Lt. Col. Patrick Johnson has served three deployments in Afghanistan.
"You focus on the mission; you focus on the requirements," he said.
But as a father, there's a weak spot for his children underneath that exterior.
"I'm not allowed to get broken down," he said. "I think about them frequently. I thought of this moment for a long time."
Hundreds of students at the Dallas Academy gathered a patriotic assembly Friday. Johnson's family, including 12-year-old Bryghte, 10-year-old Asher and 5-year-old daughter Madray sat in the front row.
There were bear hugs from his children and tears from their mother when he came out.
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Bryghte, whose birthday is on Sunday, said his father's surprise homecoming is a tremendous birthday gift.
"It was probably the biggest surprise of my life," he said.
Johnson will be home for a while; there is no word whether or not he'll be deployed overseas again.
"The circle has been closed," he said. "It's great to be together again."
