Ellen Degeneres surprised a San Diego-based U.S. Navy Supply Officer and his girlfriend on her show in what she said may be her all-time favorite military reunion.
In the middle of Thursday’s show, Degeneres read a letter from Noah Copeland, a supply officer who is deployed overseas, thanking the entertainer for “keeping my girl company.”
He was talking about his girlfriend, Maura Gonzalves who watches her show every day. Copeland said he believes the Ellen Show has helped Maura get through his year-long deployment.
The couple moved to San Diego from Massachusetts about a year and a half ago, just months before Noah was unexpectedly deployed, Gonzalves said.
“Because I’m such a fan, I’ve made him a fan,” she said. “We’ve been watching together. I will Facetime him while I’m watching.”
Degeneres invited Gonzalves to her special 60th birthday show and in the young woman’s excitement, she almost didn’t notice that the show had arranged to have Copeland hand deliver the tickets with a bouquet of roses.
Gonzalves ran into Copeland’s arms and the couple hugged for quite a while, ignoring the presence of the cameras or the television audience.
Local
Later in the show, the couple explained how they had planned a trip to Puerto Rico but when Gonzalves saw the Ellen episode about the island’s devastation, the couple donated the money they were going to spend to a relief fund.
The host surprised them with a six-night stay at a hotel in Hawaii.
Degeneres posted the clip of the reunion to social media with the comment: "This military reunion may be my all-time favorite."
Watch the video here.
