JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A heartwarming reunion between a local sailor and his daughter took place on Tuesday.
On Monday, the USS Hue City returned to Naval Station Mayport after a seven-month deployment with the George H. W. Bush carrier strike group to Iraq and Syria.
On Tuesday, a special moment for the Elizondo family.
A loved one leaving for deployment is hard no matter what, but especially on the Elizondo family, as 9-year-old Alanna has an intellectual disability. Her mom said she couldn’t have done it with family and friend support and seeing Alanna and her dad reunite was a very special moment.
The moment every little girl waits for when their daddy is deployed: being back in his arms!
Alanna was at school Tuesday morning at the North Florida School of Special Education when her dad surprised her in front of all of her classmates.
Alanna father, Chief Petty Officer Silvano Elizondo, was greeted at the dock by his wife, Lisa, and their 12-year-old son Armanno, but had to spend one more night on base, so he was anxious to see Alanna this morning.
"I want to make sure she has the best day possible so this is really perfect for her," Silvano Elizondo said.
Alanna’s mom couldn’t be filled with more joy that her family is back together. She called the reunion "heartwarming."
"We have been through so much, and this is her first time that he's been gone that she can remember and understand that he was gone," Lisa Elizondo said. "Getting to see him come home has been quite amazing."
Alanna’s mom said she couldn’t have gotten through this deployment without the support of Alanna’s school, the North Florida School of Special Education. It is a school for children ages 6 to 22 with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. She said her husband even served another deployment just so Alanna could stay at her school because they love it so much.