ATLANTA — A soldier from Atlanta who serves our country overseas is finally reunited with his mother.
U.S. Army Sgt. Shakir Aquil surprised his mother Friday afternoon during a pep rally at Therrell High School in southwest Atlanta.
His mother, Lashandria Williamson, had no idea what was about to happen.
Williamson is a school resource officer at Therrell High School and when a school official called her forward, she thought she was being recognized for her work with the students.
Instead, she was reunited with her son, who was serving our country overseas in South Korea.
"It was unreal. I couldn't believe it. I saw the basketball team come in and I thought it was the usual boys who I use to take the place of him in his absence and then I saw his uniform and I lost it," she said.
After the reunion, we caught up with Aquil, his mother and his little brother and they were all smiles.
"Honestly, my Auntie Angie pulled it off. I just told her I called her like a month ago or a month and a half ago and I told her, ‘Auntie, could you put this together for me? I really want to surprise mom,’” Aquil said.
What makes this reunion even more special is they haven't seen each other for two years. The last time was for his grandfather's funeral.
"Things weren't going too well, but you know, then I went out into Korea out there for a year and now I'm back home," Shakir said.
"It's surreal. It's definitely a surprise. I didn't expect it," his mother said.
Aquil flew into Atlanta Friday morning and then picked up his little brother before school before the big surprise.
He will be home for 21 days.
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