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Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Welcome to Story Behind podcast. This is the

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Speaker 1: show for people who love hearing a good story and

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Speaker 1: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the

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Speaker 1: team behind God Updates and God Too, and we hope

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Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day.

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Speaker 2: Soldier surprises daughter at her high school graduation and It's

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Speaker 2: so sweet Written by MICHAELA. Gordoni read Vigili Provost Louisiana

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Speaker 2: High School. Senior thought that she was going to have

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Speaker 2: a good graduation day after years of studying, but it

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Speaker 2: became great when her father, a soldier, surprised her with

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Speaker 2: her diploma. He had been stationed in Kosovo for one year,

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Speaker 2: and the seventeen year old had no idea he would

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Speaker 2: be there. When she saw him, she was over the

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Speaker 2: moon excited. This is about the most effort I've ever

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Speaker 2: put in my life, said the girl's father, Brereton Aridone,

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Speaker 2: a staff stargeant in the US Army. Bretherton has been

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Speaker 2: planning the surprise for three months. He got special permission

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Speaker 2: from his superiors to leave and even stayed in a

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Speaker 2: nearby town before the graduation to avoid his daughter, Jazlyn Ardon,

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Speaker 2: seeing him and ruining the surprise. School was very much

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Speaker 2: in on the surprise. Staff formed a shield in front

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Speaker 2: of him as he walked up to give Jazlyn her diploma.

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Speaker 2: He got to be there not only for the ceremony,

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Speaker 2: but also to hand her to the diploma. When Jazlyin

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Speaker 2: saw her father in uniform, she ran into his arms

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Speaker 2: and lost her shoes in the process as he lifted

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Speaker 2: her off the ground in a long hug. Was a

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Speaker 2: lot to process at first, Like I was just shocked,

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Speaker 2: I was happy, Jazlyn said. His whole life just basically

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Speaker 2: inspired me. And like all the things that my dad

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Speaker 2: went through, he still pushed through. Breverton said, Jaslin is

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Speaker 2: the greatest thing he's ever accomplished. He's proud to see

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Speaker 2: her graduate from high school and start her life as

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Speaker 2: an adult. What a tremendously touching story. It's wonderful to

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Speaker 2: see a dad and a daughter share a special bond

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Speaker 2: like this one. This is a gift that Jason will

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Speaker 2: never forget. Community steps up to honor a World War

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Speaker 2: Two veteran with no non family Written by Heather Rigamann

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Speaker 2: read Bedely Provost. The community shows up to honor a

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Speaker 2: World War Two veteran with no non family. Grab a

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Speaker 2: tissue because this story will take your breath away. There's

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Speaker 2: something that catches in my throat when strangers show up

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Speaker 2: for someone they never knew. Maybe because in a world

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Speaker 2: that can feel hurried and distracted, kindness still gathers, honor

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Speaker 2: still stands tall, and respect still matters. In Handsome, Massachusetts,

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Speaker 2: ninety eight year old World War Two veteran John Bernard

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Speaker 2: Arnold was laid to rest, but he did not leave

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Speaker 2: the world alone. When the word spread that he had

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Speaker 2: passed away and was being laid to rest without family

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Speaker 2: or friends, strangers came by the hundreds to honor him.

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Speaker 2: Veteran services from the town and surrounding communities put out

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Speaker 2: a simple call asking people to attend his funeral. What

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Speaker 2: happened next felt deeply human and heartbreakingly beautiful. Veterans, police officers,

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Speaker 2: and community members came in full force. People who have

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Speaker 2: never known him, people who have never heard his story,

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Speaker 2: shared a meal or sat beside him on an ordinary afternoon,

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Speaker 2: still chose to show up. It was tear jerking to

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Speaker 2: watch so many officers lined up to honor this man.

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Speaker 2: You can almost picture the solemn weight of the day.

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Speaker 2: The slow movement of his casket. The quiet hum of

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Speaker 2: respect hangs heavy in the air, boots against pavement flags, nearby,

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Speaker 2: strangers standing shoulder to shoulder because they believed this hero

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Speaker 2: deserved to be remembered. One Army retiree showed up for

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Speaker 2: the funeral after learning about it online. He said, best,

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Speaker 2: I'll show up and be his family. Another veteran said,

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Speaker 2: we'll never let one of our veterans pass without being

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Speaker 2: honored and sent off with the respect and dignity and

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Speaker 2: the way that a veteran should go to their final

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Speaker 2: resting place. Those worth landeep because this was more than duty,

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Speaker 2: It was love shown through honor. Another veteran shared kind

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Speaker 2: of reinforces that bond that, regardless of how we help,

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Speaker 2: will all on the same team trying to help our

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Speaker 2: community and hear for each other. That kind of unity

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Speaker 2: feels rare and beautiful. It reminds us that even in grief,

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Speaker 2: people can gather around goodness. As John's casket made its

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Speaker 2: way to Tako, Massachusetts, where he was laid to rest,

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Speaker 2: the scene remain filled with reverence. Sometimes family is not

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Speaker 2: always blood. Sometimes it's veterans, officers, and strangers who stand

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Speaker 2: in silence because a man once honored our country, and

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Speaker 2: they believe his life deserves one final salute. And a

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Speaker 2: world that can feel divided, this quiet, active honor reminds

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Speaker 2: us that goodness still shows up. Show proper respect to everyone,

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Speaker 2: love the family of believers, Fear God, Honor the Empire.

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Speaker 2: First Peter, two.

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Speaker 1: Seventeen, Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast.

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Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story.

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Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced

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Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes,

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Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to

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Speaker 1: our podcast and please tell a friend about us. We'd

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Speaker 1: a review. It really does help more people find us.

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Speaker 1: Story Behind is a Salem Web Network production

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Speaker 2: MHM