I'm a sucker for military homecoming videos.

I don't know why I watch them -- they always leave me in tears -- but I do. Maybe it's the joy of watching loved ones reunited and the feeling of gratitude I have towards those who have made sacrifices on my behalf.

Earlier this week, nearly 160 men and women of the Minnesota National Guard's 851st Vertical Engineer Company returned from a nine month long deployment to Kuwait.

Many of them were reunited with loved ones at the St. Cloud Armory. But one dad planned an extra special surprise for his son at St. Francis Xavier School in Sartell.

"One of our students was just surprised by his dad," the school commented with the video, "returning from Kuwait for about a year! So exciting!!"

In the video, the father is seen entering the school's gymnasium to applause from staff and students as his son runs up to him. A group of students approach the father with a large hand-made "Welcome Home" sign, and the school collectively sings "May God Bless You" over him.

According to comments left by viewers, the father is Troy Gjerde of Rice, MN.