Soldier surprises 5-year-old daughter in school

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,None — Five-year-old Ellie Perkins had no idea how special her school day Tuesday was going to be. For the first time in eight months, she was going to see her father.

"I'm excited, and I'm anxious about it," said U.S. Army Capt. Eric Perkins in the parking lot at Joseph W. Grier Academy in northeast Charlotte.

He was serving in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne. During those long months, his communication with his only child has been his life line.

"We Skype, and I call her every chance I get," Perkins said.

However, he has also missed a lot, too, like "seeing her in a Halloween costume, opening Christmas presidents, in a play at school as a polar bear."

So with cameras rolling, Perkins, in full Army uniform, walked into Ellile's Kindergarten class at Grier Academy.

"I'm not sure if she'll sit there and freeze or sprint and tackle me," he said.

It was the latter. She turned and saw him and ran screaming to his open arms. Perkins lifted her to his chest, and both cried, just holding each other close.

"Where was I?" he asked her.

"In Afghanistan," she replied, getting all the syllables of the word right.

The rest of the class sat wide-eyed as Ellie sat on her father's lap during story time. She played with his large hand and whispered in his ear.

He smiled through his tears and wiped hers from her eyes.

There were few dry eyes in the room as teachers and members of the media were also deeply moved.

Perkins served for 15 months in Iraq on one tour of duty, then another five months. This time it was eight months in Afghanistan.

He has missed Ellie's birthday before, but not this time.  She will turn six in two weeks, and he will be there to celebrate with her.

Even better, Perkins is taking a training position at West Point, and will not be deployed overseas again for at least another four years.

When asked what the two of them were going to do together Tuesday night, Perkins replied, "Whatever she wants.”

"He's taking me to McDonald's," Ellie told the news cameras.  "And I want to go and play Barbies."

Ellie got to leave school early with her father. Her teacher told her she would let her homework slide.  Perkins walked down the school hallway carrying her in his arms with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

WSOC