Navy dad’s homecoming surprises children at Gulfport school

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Two Gulfport children were overcome with joy Thursday when their father - a petty officer in the U.S. Navy - returned home and surprised them at school.

With the help of teachers and students at West Elementary, along with an assist from Gulfport Fire Department, the Davis family were reunited.

With Mathew Davis hiding inside a fire truck, students gathered in front of the school, holding up signs that read “Welcome Home” and “Not every hero wears a cape.”

When Davis emerged from the back of the fire truck, his two children, Kana and Will, were left stunned and in tears. As their mom Yoko Davis stepped out to reveal herself, the kids launched themselves into their father’s arms.

“Before we got over here, I was good but when we came around the corner and I saw all of the kids, I got really nervous... Then when I saw my daughter crying, I about lost it,” said Davis.

For the last seven months, Davis has been deployed overseas in Europe.

“I just got back from a seven-month deployment over in Spain and Romania, the last one of my career before I retire,” he said.

So what’s next for the family now that they’re together once more?

Davis said the family is going to decompress over the next four days since it’s a holiday weekend and enjoy spending some time together, which if his kids get their way, will mean a family trip to Big Play.

After that, the family will start planning to move to their next assignment: San Diego. The Davis’ will head to the West Coast in June.

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