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Marine Father Surprises Daughter in Return from Long-Term Deployment

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Marines in uniform | Image by Glynnis Jones

A marine surprised his daughter at her school in Fort Worth after returning from a 6-month deployment.

Cpl. Eric Simon’s appearance at Tanglewood Elementary School on March 10 made Jax’s day.

Simon shared that he was a little nervous as he waited for Jax at recess, as he had not seen her for 6 months.

“I want to see my daughter for the first time in a minute,” he said.

When Jax saw her father, she screamed and jumped in excitement. After an emotional embrace, it occurred to her that since her father was home, he would be present for her birthday.

“Yay! You’re probably here for my birthday!” she said excitedly.

When asked how she felt about the surprise and having her dad back home, Jax, a special needs second-grader, used one word to describe her feelings: “Happy.”

During his time away, Simon deployed to a number of countries. The father shared that he would send videos to Jax, and FaceTime her frequently.

Simon’s wife, Dakota Severe, also said that the man FaceTimed his daughter often, adding that he attended every one of Jax’s school events virtually, from academic ceremonies to class parties.

“I don’t think he’s missed one school event, down to the Halloween party. He was on FaceTime every single event,” Severe said.

Simon and Severe got married after meeting a year ago when he was stationed in Fort Worth.

According to the parents, Jax had been told her dad would be coming home soon. However, she did not expect that her father would be around for her birthday on March 14.

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