Returning Soldier Surprises Daughter At Prairie View Elementary - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

SPOKANE, Wash. - It was an emotional moment for a 10-year-old at Prairie View Elementary Monday as she celebrated a different kind of homecoming.

Back from his most recent deployment in Iraq, Major Vaughn Astudillo shocked Mrs. Delcid's 5th grade class Monday, including one very special little girl he says has him wrapped around her finger.

With his tour ending in June, Astudillo's daughter Micah wasn't expecting to see her dad for at least another three months.

Major astudillo says because of training and deployments to places like Iraq and Afghanistan, he's missed nearly half of his daughter's life, something he now hopes to make up for.

Standing outside of her classroom Monday afternoon, the Major waited nervously for Micah to notice a small duck he had earlier put on her desk, keeping a promise to her he had made before he left.

Major Astudillo says he will be home now for good. He plans on getting back into teaching at Eastern Washington University and spending most of his time with his family, who are thrilled to finally have their dad home.