Surprise homecoming overwhelms Pat Henry student

Joshua Rendon Jr. got the surprise of his life on Friday morning during a Tacky Turkey Day judging contest at Pat Henry Elementary School.

Rendon, a fifth grader, was called to the stage to judge the contest, where teachers and staff dressed in their most outlandish turkey costumes. What he didn’t know was that his father, who had spent the last nine months deployed to South Korea, was waiting in the wings to surprise his son. Joshua was not expecting his father to be home until at least Monday.

Sgt. First Class Joshua Rendon Sr. and the other 73 members of his artillery battery arrived in Oklahoma City at 3 a.m. Friday after traveling for 38 hours on five different planes. After being bused to Lawton, Rendon made sure the members of his unit were taken care of.

He hadn’t even been home yet before he stepped out behind the curtain on the stage at Pat Henry to surprise his son. The surprise was orchestrated by Joshua’s teacher, Samuel Lockhart.

“I was waiting for this, so I didn’t want to go home yet,” he said. “Just thinking about it, I get all choked up.”

Rendon Sr. and his wife, Mariel, waited in the wings while the turkey contest was conducted. Joshua’s name was pulled from a box to help judge the contest and he made his way to the stage. When it was decided that one more judge was needed, his father stepped from behind the curtain. Joshua’s face lit up, he waved, and rushed into his father’s arms, where he broke down in tears.

After the tearful reunion, the family was off to pick up their other two children.

Rendon said he was looking forward to having a meal with the family and Joshua said he just wanted to spend time with his dad.