WATCH: Marine surprises kids in Henry County, comes home early from deployment

Channel 2's Audrey Washington was at Ola Elementary School when Sgt. Garen Evans surprised daughter, Karter May, and son, Kooper

Two Henry County kids got a big surprise at their elementary school Friday.

Their father, Sgt. Garen Evans, came home early from his second tour of duty overseas with the U.S. Marine Corps to help give his kids an early Veterans Day celebration, Channel 2 Action News reported. Evans had been deployed for the past seven months in Japan.

Sgt. Garen Evans, a Marine, came home early from his deployment to be able to give his children a brief surprise on Friday. (Photo: Channel 2 Action News)

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However, he worked with his wife, Kristina, the Henry County School District and Ola Elementary School officials to surprise two of their three children, Karter May and Kooper, Channel 2 reported.

“I felt like I owed it to the family with being away for so long,” Sgt. Evans told the news station.

Karter May Evans FaceTimed her father, Sgt. Garen Evans, moments before he surprised he by coming home from deployment in Japan early. (Photo: Channel 2 Action News)

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The children and their classmates were told by their teachers that they were celebrating veterans, and a school district official walked in and let Karter May and Kooper separately FaceTime with their father, Channel 2 reported.

However, they didn’t know that their dad was really just steps outside of their classroom door. Once the FaceTime call ended, Sgt. Evans popped in for the surprise, and the news station caught the heartwarming moments on video — first Karter May, then Kooper.

“Felt like I was going to cry,” Kooper told Channel 2 after reuniting with his father. “I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

Both Kooper and Karter May said they look forward to just hanging out with their dad again before he has to fly back. He redeploys on Monday, but he’s set to return in December, the news station reported.

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