What started as a school assembly ended up being a surprise family reunion.
Sgt. 1st Class Ed Rosado deployed to Kuwait in March. His sons thought he’d be returning home the day before Thanksgiving, but the homecoming came a week in advance.
The U.S. Army soldier has one son at Imogene Gideon Elementary School and another at Timberview High School. School administrators helped the family come up with a way to surprise the boys at one location.
“We had an assembly, and I invited Timberview High School’s JROTC cadets over to present the colors,” said Shanee Charles, principal of Gideon Elementary. “We invite Timberview students over here all the time for different events, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary.”
The assembly featured people in or wanting to be in the military, and the students had the opportunity to ask questions.
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| The Rosado family is grateful to be together for the holidays. |
“As soon as I saw his face, I knew it was unbelievable. I was excited,” said Janmanuel Rosado, fourth-grader at Gideon Elementary. “It was like the best day of my life.”
“I tried to hold back the tears, but I couldn’t help it,” said Timberview senior Jose Rosado, who was recently accepted into the U.S. Air Force. “Without my dad, I wouldn’t be here.”
Many in the crowd were in tears to see the family’s reunion. The father said he is grateful to the Mansfield ISD teachers who look out for his sons while he’s away and for everyone coming together to make the assembly happen.
“Being able to surprise my kids is amazing,” the 19-year serviceman explained. “It’s indescribable.”
Rosado said it’s always a wonderful feeling to be able to return to his wife and children so that he can be a part of the daily routines once again.