MIAMI – An Army soldier surprised his daughter at a high school graduation in South Florida on Monday.
Staff. Sgt. Jose Garcia said he was proud as Samantha Garcia, 18, walked off stage with a diploma from Miami Killian Senior High School.
"She was 10 when I left," said Garcia.
The two last saw each other four years ago when Samantha was a freshman. The cost of flying back and forth from overseas meant the family could not see each other frequently.
Garcia made only two trips in the past eight years.
"It's nice to finally see him again. I've grown up a lot and I know he's grown a lot. It is a nice reunion," said Samantha Garcia.
Jose Garcia is now stationed in Georgia and said his wife helped coordinate the surprise.
He served several deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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