Soldier Returns Home To Surprise Bartlesville Family

A Green Country family is spending their first night together in almost a year after a soldier’s very happy homecoming.

Nine months in Afghanistan and then a 14-hour bus ride back to Oklahoma; it was all worth it to Staff Sergeant Matthew Morgan after getting to surprise his loved ones.

Students at St. John Catholic School in Bartlesville were thrilled about their surprise assembly. Little did they know they had a bigger surprise hiding just feet away.

After nine months of not seeing his two sons, Staff Sergeant Morgan hid in a closet, anxiously waiting for his queue.

"I think they are going to freak out. My little redhead, he's going to be the one to lose it I think," Morgan said. 

Principal Traci McKee called the boys up to recite the pledge of allegiance and they had no idea what was about to happen next.

The school honored Morgan and his family throughout the year and even sent him an American flag made out of each students' handprint.

The school is like a family to Morgan; each one of his children went here so it's no surprise he had a gift for the school too, a flag he brought home from Afghanistan.

Morgan said even after being gone almost a year, the ten minutes he hid in the closet felt like forever.

"The wait was pretty tough. Just knowing your boys are on the stage it was pretty nerve-racking," Morgan said. 

Morgan surprised his two step-daughters at the high school earlier in the day. Now, it's time to celebrate.

"I have work, but I think everyone is going to eat pizza at our friend's house," said Morgan’s step-daughter Anna. 

"It was good to see them again. It was good to touch them and all that good stuff. That’s what we do it for," Morgan said.