Army Veteran’s Return Surprises Daughter at School

MACON, Georgia (41 NBC/WMGT) – An army veteran surprised his daughter at school on Friday.

Greg Washington hadn’t seen his daughter, Tatyanna, in person in over a year. He is currently serving as the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade Equal Opportunity Advisor in Korea. He surprised his daughter in a “welcome home” ceremony of sorts at her school. 

Tatyanna is in pre-K at Tattnall Square Academy and her birthday is on Monday. She won’t be eating cake and ice cream, instead she will be having her tonsils taken out. 

Teachers learned of Washington’s arrival late Thursday evening and since Tatyanna will be in surgery on Monday, they wanted to celebrate her birthday a few days early. 

She came to school with expectations of having show-and-tell. Ironically, she picked the letter “D” and brought her stuffed, dancing dog. 

She had no idea that another “D” was standing around the corner of the bleachers where she was; her dad.

While she was telling her classmates about her dog, Washington snuck behind her and Tatyanna smiled from ear to ear when she realized her father had come to celebrate her day.

“This is absolutely amazing to actually be here for my daughter,” Greg Washington told 41 NBC. “I actually surprised her because she didn’t think that I was coming. I told her a few times that daddy just couldn’t make it.”

Tatyanna’s mother, Latachia Clay, was ectstatic that her husband had come all of this way to spend time with her.

“After a year it’s pretty exciting, I’ve been having to endure it myself and he’s been real supportive at a distance, I know he’s serving his country,” Clay said. “I know that’s important for him, and for him to be with our daughter today, it’s amazing.”

Washington will stay with his family until Tatyanna recovers and is scheduled to head back to Korea on May 10. 

He plans to be back with his family in about a month and a half and he makes that visit, he will be staying for good.