LEBANON, Tenn. — A heartwarming video of a Tennessee military dad's tearful reunion with his son is going viral.
According to WSMV-TV, the emotional moment happened Monday when Tennessee National Guard Staff Sgt. Rob Cesternino returned home from a 10-month deployment in southern Syria and Jordan. That night, the father of six surprised his youngest son, 9-year-old Luca, during a class at a Lebanon taekwondo center.
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Luca, who was wearing a blindfold, believed he was sparring with three of his instructors. But the third "instructor" was really Cesternino.
Luca was unaware of the change until his dad said Luca's nickname, "Shib," the Lebanon Democrat reported. The video shows the boy asking, "Daddy?" before pulling off his blindfold and tearfully embracing Cesternino.
"You were such a big boy when I was gone," Cesternino says in the clip. "I'm so proud of you."