Military Dad Surprises Daughters at Daddy/Daughter Dance

Ensign Michael Hodosky has been away from his wife and two girls stationed in Washington State, and wasn't supposed to see his family until June.

When the USO San Diego found out his daughters had a Father/Daughter dance Saturday, they bought him a ticket home just to surprise his family, in time for Valentine's Day.

“My children are staying down here so that way they can complete school,” Hodosky said. “Thanks to our friends at the USO they provided a plane ticket. It’s exciting. It's exciting that we have people who care enough about the military family to be willing to reach out and do this especially within our own community.”

Corsage in hand, Hodosky surprised his daughters at their Girl Scout Troop’s dance all the way from Naval Base Kitsap in Washington.

“My daughters got upset,” Hodosky said of the dance. “They didn't want to attend because I wasn't going to be here.”

Hodosky said he’s been through five deployments in his first ten years, but this time felt different because the girls didn’t know he was going to be there.

“When you're building up returning from deployment, it's anticipated. You know the date that you're coming in and coming back but today they're not expecting me at all," he said. "The next time they're expecting to see me is in June.”

“You’ve seen how happy a reunion this is, so I call this one a success,” Arne Nelson CEO of USO San Diego told NBC 7.

Little Melodee, dressed in a sparkly pink dress, agreed the dance was a success “because my dad came.”

“I couldn't believe he was here I didn't think he was going to make it at all,” Hodosky’s oldest daughter Caraleena said while wearing her dad’s corsage proudly on her wrist. “It’s just so exciting. This is probably the best moment in my whole entire life.”

When they move up to Washington in June, the girls will be able to spend much more time with their dad, but for now they’ll settle for several spins around the room.

Contact Us