FOREST CO., Pa. (EYT) — Students in a Forest Area School District class got a surprise visit from an area soldier recently.

This past fall, students in third grade at East Forest made cards for a soldier stationed in the Middle East. They didn’t know at the time they’d be getting a thank you for those cards in person.

On February 11, SRA Anthony Fetzer, the uncle of one of the students in the class, Willow Walker, made a surprise visit to the classroom to thank the students for the cards.

Willow wasn’t aware ahead of time that her uncle had returned home, and he was able to have a very heartwarming surprise reunion with her.

Afterward, he spent some time visiting with the class and showing some items from the culture in the Middle East.