A graduating soldier could not hold back his tears of pride when his baby daughter surprised him by being the one to tap him out.
Cannon LaBrier, 21, from St. Louis, Missouri, had faced a tough few months, being away from his family for 14 weeks as he completed his boot camp training.
Back home, Cannon had left his one-year-old daughter, Stella, who his family felt needed to be there to see her father’s big day when he graduated.
MORE GOOD NEWS: Soldier Son Returns From Overseas to Surprise Mom During New-Home Walkthrough
And so, before Cannon’s graduation, Cannon’s mom and his daughter’s mom liaised to make sure Stella could travel to Fort Jackson in South Carolina.
On February 19, for Family Day, Cannon’s family made their way through 1154 graduating soldiers as Cannon waited to be tapped out.
Then, when the 21-year-old saw his baby daughter being handed to him, ready to tap her dad out, the new soldier’s lip quivered before he cried proud tears.
The moment was captured on video, and then, the following day, there were even more tears of pride when Cannon’s dad, Rich, was the one to tap him out for his actual boot camp graduation.
Rich later shared those moments on social media, where the clips warmed viewers’ hearts.
Cannon was then set to head off for another 17 weeks of training, so Stella’s visit was an uplifting and heartwarming surprise.
MORE GOOD NEWS: Military Son Surprises Dad at Work After Long Deployment
Rich, speaking of his son’s reaction to seeing Stella, said: “I was an emotional mess.
“Him showing that kind of emotion is the same feeling I get when I see him succeed in life.
“He’s worked so hard, and training is very difficult for them.
“Add being away from family, and you have an eruption of feelings, no matter how stoic they try to be.
MORE GOOD NEWS: Army Vet Surprised by Military Brother After 10 Years Apart
“My ex-wife and I hugged to show appreciation for each other.
“We worked hard together to ensure he knew he was loved and we would always be there for him.
“The response on social media has been amazing – most folks just love the true raw emotions of them being reunited for this moment.
“Our friends and family have watched Cannon grow to a fine young man and have given tons of congrats to him and love the video.”
