Queensland soldier’s teary surprise for teenage son, seven months after being deployed overseas
Seven months after he was deployed to Afghanistan, an Australian Army dad organised a sweet surprise for his son — and it had everyone in tears.
Seven months after he was deployed to Afghanistan to serve in the Australian Army, Lieutenant Michael Anderson knew he’d be able to get back to his family in Toowoomba in Queensland soon.
The lieutenant was sent overseas last year to serve with the Australian Defence Force and knew his young son William, a student at Highlands Christian College, had been missing him since he’d left.
As a way of staying in touch and thanking the entire platoon for their service, William’s teacher at the school had spent months co-ordinating classes to send letters and care packages to the soldiers overseas.
Wanting to say thank you to the school and the students, William’s dad organised for a special gift to be sent to the Queensland school.
On March 1, the whole school was called to an assembly to wait for the gift to be delivered, and William was pulled up on stage.
Skyping in to the assembly — from what appeared to be his army base in the Middle East — the lieutenant greeted the hundreds of students.
“Firstly, I’d just like to say hi to my son William,” he said. “Hey buddy, I’ll see you very soon. Looking forward to getting home mate and giving you a big hug. I miss you.”
The lieutenant then thanked the school for the letters and care packages on behalf of his platoon.
“That support goes a long way with all the soldiers, and it gives us plenty of fond memories of opening up the jokes, opening the questions that everyone sent us,” he said.
“And especially the food, the food goes a long way for the guys and girls in the platoon.”
The lieutenant then said, as a token of his appreciation, he would give the school a small gift.
“If you just hang on two seconds, I’ll go and grab it,” he said, walking out of shot.
Then, in a tear-jerker moment, instead of William’s dad presenting the gift on camera, he walks on stage in person.
The father and son hug in a heartwarming embrace as William cries on stage and the entire school claps the happy reunion.
“On behalf of the guys and girls in Afghanistan, I’d just like to give this as a token of our appreciation,” he said, presenting the school with a banner of his platoon.
“I’ve had every member of my platoon sign the back and say thanks for the support,” he added.
The banner had the platoon’s symbol and “Operation Highroad Camp Qargha 2018-2019” written across one side with the signatures on the back.
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