A sailor couldn’t hold back her tears when she returned from deployment to discover her dad – who was unable to see her the last time she was in the U.S. – hiding in their car, waiting to surprise her.
Madison Meany, 23, an E-4 with the United States Navy, arrived back on home soil in July aboard the USS Eisenhower to Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, ending a nine-month deployment.
The carrier group spent the majority of that time in the Red Sea defending shipping lanes from Iranian-backed rebels, with Madison – assigned to the Crash and Salvage division – working long days in 100+ degree heat fighting missiles and drones being deployed against cargo ships.
But what made her return extra special was that her dad, who couldn’t see her the last time she was home, had a special surprise in store.
In August 2023, while she was back on base, dad Johnny Meany, 53, was unable to visit from Atlanta, Georgia, leaving Madison upset she couldn’t see her father.
Fast forward to July 2024, and after starting a new position at his work, Johnny again wasn’t sure he’d get the time off to see Madison – until his boss told him it would be no problem.
Johnny and wife Tracie kept the news secret from their daughter, so when they went to base on July 14, the moment came as a complete surprise for Madison.
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Tracie said: “We were given the opportunity to go out on her ship in August, but he couldn’t go to this, so she was devastated and upset.
“Then [this year] he had just started a new job at work – but his boss suggested he take the time off to see her, so we wanted to surprise her and didn’t tell her he was coming.
“When they docked, there were sailors on the bow. I was afraid one might be her, and I didn’t want her to see him, so we made him return to the truck.
“Her twin brother thought it would be better if he hid inside the truck, made his dad get in the back seat, and then led his sister to the side of the truck Johnny was hiding at.
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“Even as a young girl, Madison was not an emotional person; she is not a crier, so to see her break down like that made my heart swell.
“Everyone who has seen it says they have been so moved to tears.
“Our military do their jobs with no complaints and to the best of their ability to keep us safe, sometimes in awful conditions, and miss those they leave behind.
“We owe them our freedom and compassion.”