U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Richard Davis surprised his daughter, Stephanie, during the Syosset High School Class of 2014 graduation ceremony, coming up to the stage and presenting her with her diploma.
“I worked in conjunction with members of the district and the Board of Education along with the family to make this request a reality,” Durante said. “It was an honor to be a part of welcoming Lieutenant Colonel Davis home.”
The surprise came while Syosset High School Principal Giovanni Durante was handing out diplomas at the June 25 commencement, held in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University.
LTC Davis has been deployed in Afghanistan since July 2013 and wasn’t scheduled to return until Jul
y 2014. However, Davis worked to secure an earlier leave and reached out to the district to arrange the surprise appearance. Shortly before Graduation Day, Karen Davis, LTC Davis’ wife, alerted the district that her husband had made it stateside in time. The reunion was kept private between Lt. Colonel Davis and the Syosset School District right up until Davis snuck up onto the dais.
