FRIEND.
FRIEND. AND I'LL BE CELEBRATING YOU ALL
MONTH LONG SO I'M HERE FOR IT.
SPEAKING OF CELEBRATING WE LOVE
THESE STORIES AND IT'S TIME GET
YOUR TISSUES OUT, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, BECAUSE WE'RE
THROWING YOU A HOMECOMING.
CHRISTINE: OH.
CHRISTINE: OH. CARA: THEY HAD NOT SEEN THEIR
FATHER FOR 11 MONTHS, SERVING
IN QATAR, AND SO THEY
ORCHESTRATED A LITTLE SURPRISE,
HE'S SURPRISING HIS GIRLS AT
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. >> OH.
>> OH.
>> OH. [CRYING]
[CRYING]
[CRYING] >> IT'S OK.
SO.
SO.
SO. CHRISTINE: OH.
CHRISTINE: OH. SHIBA: TEARS OF EXCITEMENT AND
SURPRISE AND THE TEACHERS THERE
CAPTURING IT IN THE CAFETERIA.
THEY ALWAYS INTERVIEW THE
SOLDIERS THAT ARE COMING HOME
AND ONE COMMON THEME BETWEEN
THEM ALL IS HOW NERVOUS THEY
ARE, THE NERVOUS ENERGY TO SEE
THEIR KIDS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T
SEEN THEM FOR SO LONG AND THEN
JUST THE RELIEF OF BEING IN
EACH OTHER'S ARMS ONCE AGAIN.
SO, SERGEANT RUIZ DE CHAVEZ,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND
HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HOME.
[APPLAUSE]
[APPLAUSE] >> YES, AND CARA, THESE
VIDEOS, I MEAN, WELL, WE ALWAYS
SAY THERE SHOULD JUST BE A
REUNION NETWORK, WHERE WE CAN
JUST WATCH THESE HAPPY REUNIONS
OF FAMILIES AND FRIENDS.
AND WHAT JOY THAT IT IS FOR
THEM FINALLY TO BE BACK
TOGETHER AND I'VE GOT TO TELL
YOU, I MEAN, THEY'RE GETTING
PRETTY CRAFTY IN TERMS OF THE
WAY SOME OF THEM TRY TO REALLY
ORCHESTRATE THESE AWESOME,
AWESOME REUNIONS.
AWESOME REUNIONS. THAT'S FUN WATCHING THEM THET
CREATIVE, TOO, NOT THAT THEY
NEED TO, THE KIDS ARE JUST
HAPPY.
HAPPY.
HAPPY. CARA: AND THOSE ARE CREATIVE
AND WHAT A SACRIFICE THOSE
FAMILIES MAKE.
FAMILIES MAKE. THANK YOU FOR LETTING US
CELEBRATE YOUR JOY.
WE LOVE TO SEE IT AND WHENEVER
SOMEBODY WANTS TO DO A NETWORK,
CAVE GIVE US A CALL, WE CAN
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. SPEAKING OF SERVING THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. COLONEL JOHNSON, SERVING IN THE
AIR FORCE 30 YEARS AND WAS AT
THE PENTAGON STATIONED DURING
9/11.
9/11.
9/11. WHAT A STORIED LIFE HE'S LED
THUS FAR AND RECENTLY, WE'RE
CELEBRATING THE COLONEL, AND
ALSO HONDO?
ALSO HONDO? WHO IS THAT?
HE'S HIS SERVICE DOG, AND HE
PASSED THE LEASH AND HE'LL HELP
WITH SMALL MENIAL TASKS AND
HELP HIM.
HELP HIM.
HELP HIM. HE WAS WITH ANOTHER 9/11
SURVIVOR WORKING IN THE
PENTAGON RECENTLY AND COLONEL
DOBSON WAS SO TOUCHED BY THIS
AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY
WHEN HE GOT ON HONDO.
>> HE TOOK ON A DIFFERENT
MEANING TO ME THIS WEEK BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DEDICATE
THEIR LIVES TO GIVE THAT TIME
AND A DOG TO A PERSON FOR A
VETERAN, IS JUST PHENOMENAL.
>> HONDO, PHONE.
CARA: SO, SMOKY MOUNTAIN
SERVICE DOGS IS AN ORGANIZATION
AND IT'S IN EAST TENNESSEE AND
IT TAKES TWO YEARS TO PREPARE
THE DOG AND ABOUT $25,000 IN
INVESTMENT, SO, HE WAS CLEARLY
TOUCHED BY THIS GIFT AND HIS
NEW BEST FRIEND AND YOU KNOW,
ANOTHER THING HE SAID,
CHRISTINE, I THOUGHT WAS SO
POIGNANT.
POIGNANT.
POIGNANT. OBVIOUSLY, I'VE HAD ALL OF
THESE THINGS HAPPEN TO ME IN MY
LIFE OR FOR ME, BUT I LOOK BACK
AND EACH ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN
SUCH A BLESSING.
THANK YOU, COLONEL JOHNSON FOR
YOUR SERVICE AND "HAPPY TRAILS
TO YOU" AND HONDO.
CHRISTINE: IT'S ALMOST AS HE
KNEW HE WAS TALKING ABOUT MAN'S
BEST FRIEND AND HE'S SITTING ON
THE COUCH AND STARING AT ME.
AND INCREDIBLE THE JOY THEY
BRING TO OUR LIVES.
THE FACT THAT THEY COULD DO
THAT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS
PROTECTED US AND OUR COUNTRY
AND IT SEEMS LIKE A SMALL THING
TO HIM, A HUGE THING IN HIS
EYES.
EYES.
EYES. THAT'S WHAT MATTERS.
THAT'S AWESOME.
THAT'S AWESOME. CARA: YEAH, EXACTLY.
YES.
YES.
YES. AND
YES. AND UNO IS SO SMART, AN
AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD, SO SMART.
THIS LAST ONE QUICKLY, I LOVE
IT, IT'S SO SWEET.
ROSE AND JACK BYRNE AND THEY
GOT THE SWEETEST PRESIDENT FOR
THEIR 72ND WEDDING AND VERSUS,
THEY'RE 95 AND 94 YEARS OLD
RESPECTIVELY AND HERE IS WHAT
THEY GOT.
THEY GOT.
THEY GOT. THEY GOT TO SEE EACH OTHER.
THEY HAD NOT SEEN EACH OTHER
FOR OVER A YEAR BECAUSE OF
COVID AND IN VIRGINIA--
DID I SAY ROSE AND JACK?
I MUST HAVE JUST WATCHED
"TITANIC."
"TITANIC." CHRISTINE: YOU DID.
I WAS THINKING "TITANIC."
CARA: AND JACK IS IN AN
ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY,
LIVING IN ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITY THAT HAD SUCH STRICT
LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS THAT SHE
WASN'T ABLE TO VISIT HIM.
SHE WAS ABLE TO VISIT HIM ON
HIS 72ND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
AND WHEN SHE DID, THE SPARKLE
IN HIS EYES WAS AS SHE
REMEMBERED HIM.
REMEMBERED HIM. AND THEY'RE LOOKING, REAL GOOD.
A HANDSOME COUPLE.
>> REAL GOOD, CARA.
ASPIRE TO THAT, THAT IS
INCREDIBLE AND HOW ROMANTIC, I
MEAN, WHAT A SWEET THING FOR
HER TO SAY.
I'M JUST SO HAPPY FOR EVERYONE
THAT CAN FINALLY SEE THEIR
LOVED ONES, THEIR FRIENDS
AGAIN, IT'S JUST A REAL
BLESSING AND YOU ARE A BLESSING
TO ME, MY FRIEND.
YOU DID SAY ROSE AND JACK AND I
WAS LIKE FROM THE "TITANIC"?
AND IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING
TRILLIO
AND IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TRI
TRI