SAN ANTONIO – U. S. Army SGT David Jurss recently completed his second tour of duty in Iraq, where he took part in a number of reconnaissance missions.
On Wednesday, he worked with family members to pull off the ultimate secret: a surprise visit to his daughters' schools.
Jurss returned home from Iraq in July but is stationed in Georgia. He said because of his military service, he has not been able to spend more than a few hours at a time with his children for years.
"When I found out he was coming, I was, like, we've got to do something," said Donna Jurss, mother of the soldier. "We've seen these (reunions) on TV and cried over them."
Donna Jurss helped to coordinate her son's surprise meetings at two different schools.
The first stop Wednesday morning was at Lytle High School, where seventh grader Allie's junior high class was watching a holiday movie.
Her principal, Amy Bibler, suddenly interrupted the film with what students thought was a drawing for a door prize.
Within seconds of calling Allie Jurss to the stage, Bibler revealed that the "prize" she'd won was actually her father who'd been waiting in the wings.
"It was amazing, just amazing," Allie said through tears, after running into her father's arms.
The family then made their way across the street to Lytle's Primary School and into the classroom of six year old Grace, Jurss' younger daughter, right in the middle of a holiday party.
"I just knew that was my daddy," she said, after seeing the uniformed man walk through the door.
Both girls said they plan to make up for lost time with their father, who will be in town through New Years Day.