It has all the elements of an "awww"-inducing homecoming: a father returning from U.S. Air Force duty in Afghanistan, a 5-year-old boy celebrating his birthday, and a surprise appearance by the dad.
Aided by Portland's Cloud City Garrison, a Star Wars fan club, Col. Rob Kiebler of Beaverton, Oregon, made his son Danny's fifth birthday party one to remember.
KPTV reports Rob just spent the last 14 months in Tatooine Afghanistan, returning home just days before the "Star Wars" themed party.
Instead of going straight home when he arrived, Rob stayed in a hotel and bought a Jedi Knight costume, planning to fit in with the other Star Wars characters, and surprise Danny when the moment was right.
“It was so hard not to go and see him,” Kiebler told NWCN, “but watching his face at the surprise was priceless.”
Led by a phalanx of other Star Wars characters, the group marched into Danny's birthday party. When the moment finally arrived to meet a Jedi Knight, Rob leaned down and flipped back his hood, revealing his true identity.
In a video of the event, Danny initially looks stunned, then hugs his father and refuses to let go.
“We wanted to have Rob be Darth Vader, so he could say, 'I am your Father!' but it would have been tough to hug Darth Vader,” Danny’s Mom Marcelle said to KGW.
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