coming home - part 2 - the surprise

I wrote a few weeks ago about photographing a homecoming that was being filmed for the tv show, "Coming Home".......I posted the first set of images here. Well, the surprise part of the show was actually for Jon's dad, and since the show has now aired (finally), I am free to post about it. Actually, I think anyone that knows me is shocked that I was so compliant and made it this long. It is not like me. :) AJ, Jon's wife, had arranged to go to a Harley dealership with Jon's dad, under the guise of looking at Harley's for Jon, because he and his father had always wanted to take a road trip and ride together. Jon's dad, step-mom, ad AJ looked at all of the bikes, and Jon's dad was going to take one for a demo ride, thinking that the person accompanying him on the demo ride was going to be the employee that had been helping them. He had no idea that a switcheroo had been made, and that the person in the black leathers and black, full face visor helmet was really Jon.

When they pull up from the demo ride, AJ asks him how the bike was. He said that he thought it would be perfect for Jon. Then, she told him to turn around and see who his escort had been. Surprise. (You can read AJ's blog about the surprise here.)

http://vimeo.com/23676539

I am so honored to have been asked to photograph so many families reuniting after a deployment. I know that not every family is so lucky. This Memorial Day, I am so grateful for the sacrifices made by all of these families, and am humbled by those that have given their lives for my freedom.