Like Derrin Austin, a father serving in the navy who surprised his son, Edgar Justino was a father serving in the army who wanted to surprise his daughter.
Justino, who got called for active duty in the Army National Reserve, left for Afghanistan in December 2009. Before serving, he recorded a special three-minute video message for his daughter, Chelsea, a graduating high school senior in Clearwater, Florida, and the class of 2010. The school kept the video under wraps for six months in order to surprise her during the graduation ceremony.
When the principal introduced the video on a large screen, Chelsea had tears in her eyes as she watched her dad saying: “I want you to know that I will always be there for you in your most hardest, most difficult, most lonely times. I will be there to pick you up when you fall. Wipe your knees and hands. Clean your feet. Wipe your tears. Give you a shoulder to cry. Give you a hug, with a kiss.”
In addition to getting her diploma, Chelsea was able to spend a special day with her dad in a unique and memorable way.
Read more about the graduation surprise: