Zadok and Oakley Waltz got the surprise of a lifetime April 13.
The students at Des Moines Downtown Elementary were called out of their classes that Tuesday for a photo opportunity involving brothers and sisters, according to a blog on the Des Moines Public Schools website.
They had their photos taken and were asked by Principal Rob Burnett to tie a yellow ribbon around a tree outside the school to show support for military members, including their father, Sgt. Stephen Waltz, who was deployed in Africa with the Iowa Army National Guard.
Little did they know it was a set-up to surprise them with their father s return. Waltz, his wife Emily, and Burnett planned the surprise with the precision of a fine-tuned military operation, the blog said.