Ohio soldier surprises his son on his first day of school

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The love between a father and son on display as the dad returns home from a yearlong deployment. The surprise reunion happened last week on the first day of school in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

A dad's big surprise for his son: Dressing up as his son's school mascot was a moment that was a year in the making.

"It was just magical that was the best feeling the best moment that I've had," said Sgt. Perry Chronister of the Ohio Army National Guard.

Chronister was deployed to the Middle East for a year, leaving his seven-year-old son Eli behind in Cuyahoga Falls.

Dressing up as school's mascot

So when he got back home, he decided to surprise him on his first day of school, getting some help from the staff at Dewitt Elementary.

"One of the teachers had a great idea they said how about you put on the mascot costume and we'll have you come in and wave at the kids a little bit and we did the big reveal," Chronister explained.

Chronister went into the classroom disguised as the school's Black Tiger. Eli jumping into his dad's arms when he realizes its him! Chronister says he wasn't able to talk to his son regularly, missing Christmas and Eli's birthday.

"Where I was at, the Wi-Fi was not good and so some conversations just some days we would try and it wouldn't work out and so there'd go long periods of time where I couldn't see him couldn't talk and it was hard, it was very hard," Chronister shared.

Now, the two are reunited, thankful for all the support, with Chronister saying, "It's been a long year and I'm just so happy to be back and with my buddy."

Chronister surprising his son's memory they'll cherish for many years to come.