On Thursday afternoon, students at Indian Hill Elementary School celebrated their country at a patriotic assembly. To their surprise however, Major James Babbitt ripped through a paper banner and embraced his children, Jack and Lilly Babbitt.
Babbitt's unexpected homecoming brought tears to his family's eyes as they held him in their arms. Babbitt was last with his family in July during a two week visit from his one year tour of duty in Iraq.
Lilly Babbitt, 8, said, "I was surprised because they told us he was supposed to come home tomorrow."
"It was just a wave of shock," Jack, 10, said.
Babbitt presented an American flag to the school and shared his time in Iraq with the students through pictures.
And now that Babbitt is back, his children and wife plan to spend as much time with him as they can.
"It was a nice homecoming," wife, Tara Babbitt says. "Nice for the kids. They've had a long, long year. This is a nice ending to it becaue we were ready for him to come home."
Babbitt made his first stop at Grand Blanc Middle School to surprise his older son.
While in Iraq, Babbitt was stationed an hour and a half north of Baghdad with the Indiana National Guard, 1st Bttalion - 293rd Infantry. Babbitt says his tour is complete and he is no longer active duty. He is happy to be home in time for Christmas.
