In a moment that has since gone viral, a Florida soldier recently returned home early and surprised his family, who were in the middle of a photo shoot.

Meaning, the whole thing was caught on camera.

On Father’s Day, Kristin McKenzie planned to take photos with her three kids at Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base, according to reporting from WFLA.

As the photographer snapped the photos and kept the kid’s attention, Lt. Col. Simon McKenzie, who had been deployed since February, snuck up and surprised his family.

“Look behind, you guys,” photographer Hannah Sanchez told the family.

“Having him come home two months early was such a gift to all our hearts,” Kristin McKenzie told WFLA.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Although the cold and rainy days aren't fun, “working at a grade school, you see the little guys, and it makes it all worthwhile,” said Ted Masters, the oldest school crossing guard in Peachtree City. (Phil Skinner for the AJC)

Credit: Phil Skinner

Featured

UPS driver Dan Partyka delivers an overnight package. As more people buy more goods online, the rapid and unrelenting expansion of e-commerce is causing real challenges for the Sandy-Springs based company. (Bob Andres/AJC 2022)

Credit: TNS