A Norwich dad who has been away from his family after joining the U.S. Army is home for the holidays.
Specialist Cleyce Almond surprised his 5-year-old daughter with his homecoming on Thursday at a Stanton Elementary School concert.
As the students on stage finished singing a rendition of "Home" by Phillip Phillips, Almond came out from behind the curtains to meet his daughter, sitting in the first row of the audience.
"How are you? I missed you so much! Can I have a hug?" Almond said to kindergartener Camryn.
The embrace was met with an auditorium full of cheers.
For the last nine weeks, Almond was at Army boot camp in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
"You know I’ve been dreaming about seeing you every day," Almond told his daughter in between hugs.
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Almond also planned to surprise his 2-year-old Cali on Thursday afternoon. Almond heard his toddler has been talking much more than she was when he left.
He also met his 9-day-old daughter, Cherish, for the very first time.
"I don’t get much sleep anyway so I can sit up with her all night," Almond smiled.
In her dad’s arms, Camryn said she is "happy, because I miss him."
The kindergartener is excited to show her dad some of the new pictures in her room, pitch a tent and go to their favorite spot: Dunkin’ Donuts.
With just 13 days home before he spends another six weeks in Missouri, Almond knows to hold onto every minute.
He said his three girls and his wife were his motivation to get through boot camp and wrote to them any chance he had.
"Every moment counts. I’m here for 13 days and I’m going to make every moment count. Cherish your family. Especially around the holidays," Almond said.
Principal Susan Lessard said it’s important for students to see the sacrifices soldiers and family make. She also served in the Army and was a military police officer in the Gulf War in 1991 with a POW Camp.
"It’s really important to see that. That they’re away from their family and both sides have a sacrifice: the family and the soldier," Lessard said.
