[MUSIC PLAYING]
Everything is going good here.
Just like I said, I wish I was home with you guys.
NARRATOR: After seven long months,
Marine Nathan Newman has finally gotten that wish
and come home from Afghanistan.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
And now he's here at the circus, disguised as a clown.
Why?
Because he's about to give his three
boys one whopper of a surprise.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[METAL FALLING]
[WHISTLE BLOWING]
I just want them to remember this
for the rest of their life. [HORN HONKING]
[WHISTLE BLOWING]
NARRATOR: And the whole thing is riding on one
last incredible magic trick.
[WHISTLE BLOWING]
MAN: There's so many things that could go wrong that it's
really nerve-wracking.
We're going to do like a hocus pocus, OK?
So you're gonna put your hands in the air
and wave them like this, OK?
WOMAN: They love magic.
So that was really cute, that that
was incorporated in it, too, because I know
that that got them excited.
Because they thought, what are they going to do to him?
MAN: When the curtain went up, we
had to actually get him out of all this clown costume, all
the makeup.
So we had to make it as fast as possible,
so that it would be a great surprise.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
WOMAN: The boys are looking at the curtain,
wanting to find out what the clown turned
into, because they had no idea.
MAN: Come on in, Matt.
[APPLAUSE]
Come on in.
You can help us.
[CHEERING]
Put your hands up, folks.
We have to have everyone's hands in the air.
Yeah, there you go.
Can you feel it?
You guys doing good.
All right.
It's almost ready.
I knew that that big moment was coming.
And I have to go from getting this clown outfit off
and then I have my uniform on, underneath.
It was very nerve-wracking.
[CHEERING]
MAN: He put on his uniform shoes.
I started wiping his makeup.
There was just stuff going on like crazy, back there.
NATHAN NEWMAN: Of course, my big concern
is getting all the makeup off my face
and make sure I spit the fake teeth out.
Because I definitely didn't want to be
revealed with the fake teeth.
Why don't we do a countdown?
Will you help us do that?
Sure.
Can you do it for us?
Yeah, I'll do it.
We'll have the big guy, Matt-- he's going to do the countdown.
Here.
MATT: I'm going to count down from five.
Five!
AUDIENCE: Five!
If you love America--
[APPLAUSE]
I heard him start at five, and I'm like, oh, gosh, am I ready?
--four--
AUDIENCE: Four!
[CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
MATT: --please join me in welcoming home--
WOMAN: Nathan had been waiting to see the boys for so long.
It's like this was their moment, you know.
And it was happening in front of everybody.
--three--
AUDIENCE: Three.
--after seven months in Afghanistan--
[CHEERING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
--two, Katie's husband and these three boys' daddy,
one, chief warrant officer, Nathan Newman.
[APPLAUSE]
NATHAN NEWMAN: They looked shocked.
And then they finally realized that, my gosh, that's my dad.
[CHEERING]
How you doing?
Hey, buddy.
Hi.
[CHEERING]
I told him, I can't believe you're here.
[CHEERING]
What's up, Buddy.
BOY: I am very proud of dad.
How are you?
[CHEERING]
When I saw my dad, it was awesome.
I love you guys very much.
[CHEERING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN: At that point, I had to just
turn off being a clown for a minute
and let my emotions come out.
[APPLAUSE]
BOY: [INAUDIBLE], daddy.
I love you, Tyler.
They're all telling me they love me, you know,
and I tell them that I missed them.
And, you know, they're the greatest things that
ever happened to me in my life.
[CHEERING]
I've been waiting for that moment for so long.
And when it finally comes, it's so overwhelming.
And I know the boys, they need me.
They need their father.
The whole family's back together,
and my life is complete again.
[CHEERING]
Chief warrant officer, Nathan Newman, on behalf
of a packed house here at Circus Vargas
and a very grateful nation, welcome home.
Thank you very much.
Great to be home.
[CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]