A video of a soldier surprising his mom at her police swearing-in ceremony has the internet in tears.
In the now-viral clip, Erika Benning is waiting for her badge to be pinned, when in walks her son, Army. Sgt. Giovanni Pando, whom she hasn’t seen in two years.
“It really did take me a good two to three seconds that this young man in his blue was my son,” Benning, 42, told TODAY Parents. “Then, I just lost it.”
Benning’s husband, Corey, planned the long overdue reunion, which took place on Jan. 30, at the Irving Police Department in Irving, Texas. He couldn’t have picked a more perfect day.
“I’ve wanted to be a police officer since I was 4-years-old,” Benning explained. “There was this feeling in my body that I had never felt before. And then to have my son pin my badge. It was overwhelming.”
Though Benning knows she will "fall apart" when Pando, 21, flies back to Germany on Friday, she takes comfort in knowing he’s just a FaceTime call away. The two never go more than a week without talking.
“We’re extremely close, he's definitely a mama's boy, so not seeing him for long periods is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with,” Benning revealed. “But I know he is doing great things. And I am proud of him for loving his country.”
The video, which was shared on the Irving Police Department Facebook page, has racked up more than 5,000 comments.
"Gave me goose bumps," wrote one person.
Added another, "Incredibly beautiful. Tears in my eyes."
