A U.S. army soldier from Wisconsin last saw his family nine months ago when he was deployed to Kuwait.
But right before he left, Chris Roelke and his wife April went to see a Luke Bryan concert together.
So, it was a full circle moment when Chris surprised his wife in line at none other than a Luke Bryan concert, the Farm Tour, in Brooklyn upon his return from the Middle East.
Chris returned to the states two days prior and one week earlier than when he told April he’d be home.
He knew it would be difficult to surprise his wife, but he was up for the challenge.
Chris showed up at the concert dressed in his Army apparel, held a sign that said “Honey, I’m home! Surprise!” which he had concertgoers sign as they walked by him.
”She always figures things out. It’s very hard to surprise her,” Chris said. “So, I’m kind of nervous that we’re actually able to pull it off.”
When April saw him from afar, she ran through the field and jumped into his arms in front of hundreds of onlookers who cheered and cried when the pair reunited.
”I kind of looked forward and I was like, is that? Is that my husband?” she said. ”I’m ecstatic! I don’t want to let him go.”
April held onto her husband so tight after the homecoming, only letting go briefly to look at the sign he made.
Chris has been in the service for 22 years and recently in the reserves through the 143rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Kuwait for nine months. This was his third deployment.
The pair share seven children which Chris surprised some of them after their football game on Friday.
Source: NBC 15