A sailor surprised his niece and nephew at their Long Island elementary school while home on Christmas leave, and the touching reunion was captured on video.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer Timothy Sicignano returned home after a seven-month deployment to the Middle East, and went to Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School in Shirley to surprise Maddy Sicignano, who is in the second grade, and her brother J.J., who's in the first grade, according to the school district.
Video shows Maddy reading aloud to the class, and as she returns to her seat with her book, her jaw drops as she sees who has walked into the classroom.
"Uncle Timmy!" she shouts as she drops her book and runs into Sicignano's arms.
Sicignano squeezes his niece tightly as he picks her up and tells her, "I missed you." He crouches down to scoop up J.J. and holds the two of them.
Maddy's teacher, Diane McCarthy, also has a son in the U.S. Navy, Brian Kelley, who is serving overseas, according to school district officials.
Sicignano serves as an aviation ordnanceman in the Navy.
