It has been half a year since Air Force Master Sgt. James Bonner has seen his family. He flew into Los Angeles from a deployment in Guantanamo Bay Cuba and into the loving arms of his wife and children at a Patriotic assembly at his children's elementary school in Palmdale.
"I am just very happy to be here, and I am glad to see my sons and wife," said Bonner.
His wife, Michelle, said had no idea he was coming home so soon.
"I am shocked. I wasn't expecting him for a few days. This is great to have him home. I am glad he's home," she said.
His son, Marcus, said he's feeling "happiness and joy and a bunch of other things."
Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Taylor helped arrange the special homecoming at the school.
"I felt when I knew that he was coming home that just coming and surprising his children in the classroom wasn't enough. The whole country and the whole world need to see when a military person of his standing comes home. He needs to have a hero's welcome," said Taylor.
As Master Sgt. Bonner reunited with his family, he had one request of all of us that we not forget we still have troops a world away from their families.
"I got a chance to come home. I'm home with my family. A lot of my comrades won't be coming home to their families, and it seems that sometimes America has forgotten what we are fighting for. We don't choose to leave our families; we do this because we love our country," said Bonner.
