A proud mom is brought to tears in the Walmart she works as she thinks a customer is asking a question only to turn around to find her Marine son in dress blues for the first time after completing boot camp.
For 13 weeks of recruit training, Christina Runer, from Fredericksburg, Virginia, had no communication with her son, Kobe, other than a couple of letters.
The lack of contact was tough, Kobe said, but given how proud he felt at completing Marine Corps boot camp, he wanted to find a way to surprise his mom when he returned home.
On November 23, 2022, Kobe headed to his mom’s Walmart with his grandma, who played along with the surprise by walking up to Christina and saying, “Excuse me, ma’am, I have a question.”
When Christina turned around and saw Kobe, a private, standing there in his Marine dress blues, she immediately welled up and headed in for big hug.
The moment was captured by Kobe’s uncle, Michael Blodgett, who later shared the video online.
Kobe said: “It definitely was a moment of pride – I didn’t have the greatest upbringing, and being the first to graduate high school, so completing Marine Corps training was a prideful feeling.
“My whole family is so proud, but to hold your mother in a moment like that is a feeling like no other.
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“Never take the time you have with your family for granted.
“Yes, I was only gone for 13 weeks, but that was my biggest hardship while I was on Parris Island.
“I missed my family in a way I never have before.”