The Smith family had a memorable surprise waiting for them when they attended a Tennessee Vols basketball game. The family thought they were going to center court during half time for what they thought was just a video from their Navy dad. What they didn’t know was that Lieutenant Commander Zachary Smith was waiting to surprise them. According to the Vols, Smith had been deployed in Guantánamo Bay for 10 months. Shortly after the video played, Smith came out to surprise them. The heartwarming moment left everybody in the room touched as the family reunited with each other.

Special moment during the @vol_hoops game today ? pic.twitter.com/0FLSsH75oT

— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) December 9, 2023

Before Smith went out to surprise his family, he spoke with Tennessee athletics about how nervous, yet excited, he was to see his family. “I’m just super excited to get back together with them and be able to see my family again,” he said.

The video posted to X, previously known as Twitter, has gained thousands of views, many people commenting how touched they were by the video. One user commented, “What a wonderful homecoming for that American Hero and his family. Thank you for serving!!! Merry Christmas and God Bless each of you.”

Thankfully with Smith’s safe return home, he was able to spend the holidays with his family.