A Soldier’s Welcome: How a Family Brought a Crowd of 86,000 to Tears

We have all seen videos of military personnel returning from wars around the world and reuniting with their families at the airport. Needless to say, it is always a very emotional scene to witness, and that is exactly what happened at the Williams-Brice stadium located inside the University of South Carolina.

Although usually soldiers, even when they decide to surprise their families with their return after many years of service out of country, don’t do anything more than simply knock at the door of their home unannounced, or visit their children at school without the kids having the slightest idea that their parent has returned. We have all seen such videos on YouTube, and every time they have managed to evoke a sensation of awe within us.

However, in the case of the Faile family, it was a spectacle that was witnessed live by over 86,000 people.

We have all seen videos of military personnel returning from wars around the world and reuniting with their families at the airport. Needless to say, it is always a very emotional scene to witness

How the Events Unfolded

The original story dates back to 2012, however it is still making rounds of the internet due to its uniqueness. In essence, it has become a phenomenon, and one of those videos which remain relevant no matter how many years may pass.

The Faile family, which includes wife of Sgt. Faile, Tammy Faile, and their two children, Breanna and Cameron, was attending the game at the Williams-Brice stadium when they were selected as the Military Family of the Game. Of course this was an honor for the trio, but what happened next truly took them by surprise.

On the screen, a giant message from Sgt. Faile started to appear, addressing the family all the way from South Korea where he was posted for service. The message was enough to move the family to tears, but the surprises didn’t end there. As soon as the message was completely delivered, out walked Sgt. Faile wearing his uniform, and his family, without a second thought, rushed to him in the most frantic way imaginable.

YouTube Fame

Of course, this is the 21st century and it’s inconceivable that no one would’ve recorded this glorious moment. Indeed, the entire moment was recorded and uploaded on YouTube, where it garnered close to 384K views within a span of only three days.

The video shows everything, from the time that the family is cheered on by the crowd after being announced as the chosen Military Family, to the time that they are finally reunited with their father in the most awe-inspiring reunion we have ever witness.

Before the reunion, the speech that Sgt. Faile delivered was heart-touching to say the least. The sergeant began by expressing his love and longing for the family, and then made known his desire to be there with them at this game. As he was saying all this in the video, Sgt. Faile was actually standing only a few feet away from his family, and after picking the perfect moment, he entered their field of vision and within seconds was embraced by them.

The Mother-Daughter Run

Since this is the internet after all, people saw the video numerous times and pointed out one anomaly which they deemed worthy of discussion: the fact that Tammy pulled on her daughter Breanna’s shirt as they were both running to their husband and father, respectively, and getting ahead of her to reach him first. Breanna found this particular instance to be rather humorous and is obviously not bothered by it.

Months of Preparation

Apparently, it took Sgt. Faile around three months of planning and preparation to executive the surprise in the best possible manner, which is why he sought the help of Kaela Harmon who works as a public relations manager at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, and of course also with the University of South Carolina.

Even though years have passed, the family remains unforgettable. Although they have not made news after this event passed, everyone who was there and also all those who watched the video on YouTube will surely find it very difficult to forget about this amazing family and their emotionally charged reunion back in 2012.