Soldier returning from Kosovo surprises his family in front of packed hockey arena.
A soldier`s homecoming is always something to be celebrated, but for one soldier`s return at the Bismarck, North Dakota airport, it was a little quieter than normal.
That`s because he was saving his return from his first deployment for a surprise.
"At the Bobcats game, they`re going to take them out on the ice and let them shoot a puck and I`m gonna take my mask off," Sgt. Thomas Lawler said.
After weeks of preparation, the surprise was pulled off, in front of a packed arena.
"I was so shocked. It`s the best Christmas ever. The best Christmas present I`ve ever had," said Codi Kae, Lawler's daughter.
Sgt. Lawler is home for ten days before he returns to Kosovo for another nine or ten months.
He isn`t sure if he`ll make that return trip a surprise or not.