Returning soldier surprises son at Battle Creek school

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – One West Michigan soldier is back home from Iraq, just in time for Thanksgiving, and on Wednesday he went to his son's school to give him a surprise.

Wednesday was grandparents day at Calhoun Christian School, but for little Ibrahim Vaughn, it was also dad's day.

Ibrahim's father has been overseas for a year, but now Staff Sergeant Jonathon Vaughn is back in West Michigan and ready with a Thanksgiving greeting for his four-year-old son.

"He's been missing him an awful lot," said Alesha Vaughn, Ibrahim's mother. "He prays for him every single day. Not a day goes by he's not praying for his daddy."

Jonathon Vaughn just wrapped up his second tour in Iraq, which means he's been gone for two of the four years his son has been alive.

"Him waking me up in the morning, spending time with him, being with him, watching him grow," said Jonathon. "He's grown so much since I've been gone."

Staff Sergeant Vaughn will be home for three months and says he's looking forward to a big family Thanksgiving.