PLANT CITY, Florida — A father serving in the US Air Force was on a surprise, top-secret mission Friday night.
Lt. Col. Alfredo Laboy has spent the past six months deployed in the Middle East serving in the U.S. Air Force.
“I just love what I do,” said Laboy of his career in the military. “The ones that really sacrifice are my kids.”
Laboy’s children, between the ages of 12 and 16, haven’t seen their dad since June and didn’t expect him home until the end of January. But this year Santa had an early present up his sleeve.
“I think they’re going to be very, very surprised,” said Laboy after traveling for near 24 hours straight to get home in time for Christmas.
His family was visiting Plant City’s Christmas Lane Festival on Saturday evening and the kids thought they were going to get Christmas pictures taken from Santa.
But just as they walked around a group of Christmas carolers, their father appeared standing among a group of Junior ROTC students at the event.
“I thought I was going to spend Christmas without him,” sobbed Laboy’s 16-year-old daughter, Mara-Jade. “It didn’t feel the same spending Christmas without my dad and then to see him … I feel so happy!”
There were tears of joy from kids convinced they were stuck spending Christmas a half world apart from their father.
“This one’s better than any present,” said 12-year-old Diego Laboy.
Diego’s older sister Lorena agreed. “This is the best gift ever.”
The family wanted to thank the organizers of Christmas Lane for helping to make the surprise reunion possible. The family also wants people to remember all of the brave men and women who can’t be home for Christmas as they serve around the world.
Laboy only has a short time home before returning to serve out the final six months of his deployment in the Middle East.
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