Soldier stationed away for 19 months expected to miss Christmas with his family — until the Red Cross' called to arrange a surprise
Being among friends and family during the holidays can matter a lot to people. However, for one soldier from Virginia, his holiday reunion with his family was extra special as he saw them after 19 months. The man had been deployed in Korea since July 2024 and hadn't had a chance to see his family since then. So he decided to surprise them for Christmas after the Red Cross picked his family as the military family to be reunited this year. The man, PFC Patrick Consul, was welcomed with tears of joy and hugs from his family, per WTVR CBS 6.
The Consul family was at the Red Cross office in Fairfax as the staff packed cards and gifts for patients in military hospitals. Patrick came in and surprised them right at that moment. His parents immediately rushed to give him the biggest hugs. Both of them were in tears as they got to see their son after 19 months. They expressed how much they missed him as they held onto him. "I don't think of myself as an emotional person. But when you see your son after you haven't seen him in a year and a half and you are proud of him for what he is doing, you can't hold yourself back," the man's dad expressed. "I watched the Army and Navy game the other day and I kept thinking about him the whole time," he continued and choked up a little.
It was also very big for Patrick as he couldn't spend last Christmas with his family and because his mother had been recently diagnosed with cancer. His mother's news had been really hard on him. "It's hard to keep it together, really, because she has been worried about me. Your mother worries about you the most," Patrick shared. "So, having to hear from her, saying she missed me, finally being able to see her again, it means everything, it really does," the man went on. The family had been picked by the American Red Cross this year, so their son could return home from military duty for the holidays.
"Once a year, we pick a family from around the whole country and this year it happens to be here in our local area, so it is just really special," a personnel from the organization explained. Patrick was really grateful that he got a chance to meet his family during the holidays. He also acknowledged that deployment and being away from home can be hard on everyone and being back meant a lot. "Obviously, it gets harder the longer you are overseas. There are some heroes out there who have been overseas longer than I have, you know," the man revealed.
He added, "It is equally hard on everybody. It's not like someone has it worse or better than the others; it is hard on everyone. Because you have to leave your home and what's familiar. So when you finally get the opportunity to go back and see them, it is just pure elation." The entire staff cheered for Patrick and welcomed him home. People appreciated the moment in the comments section of the YouTube video.@patperno6237 wrote, "Thank you for your service. Enjoy your time spent with your family. God bless you." @MaireArchbold commented, "It's so exciting to see a family reunited!" @christophermunro4503 remarked, "A Soldier fights not because he hates what's in front of him. A Soldier fights because he loves what he left behind."