Master Sergeant Madaleno Martinez was stationed at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia for the past six months. His journey in the Air Force began almost 20 years ago in 2005, so special homecoming surprises hold a big place in his heart. As soon as he returned to Lubbock, his first stops were to surprise each of his kids. His first stop was to see his daughter Brooklyn at Heritage Middle School, then his older daughter Jayden at Frenship High School, and last was his son Ryan at Oak Ridge Elementary School.
“I’m very excited to see each of them. I expect them to shed tears of joy when they see me. I think Ryan will be the most surprised,” said Master Sergeant Martinez.
Family means the most to Master Sergeant Martinez, and he is grateful for the chance to reunite with his children after such a long time.
“My family means the world to me. The last six months have been challenging, because I haven’t been able to be with them,” said Master Sergeant Martinez. “I’m coming up on my retirement from my enlistment, so having them with me now is pretty exciting.”
Brooklyn Martinez was in the middle of her lunch period, sporting a Scooby-Doo onesie with her friends for spirit-day when she was called upon to the cafeteria stage. She was unsure what was going on, but Principal Kelsey Taylor explained that there was someone special there to see her.
Her dad popped out from around the stage curtains and embraced her with a big hug. Tears filled Brooklyn’s eyes, and the entire cafeteria clapped in celebration. Her classmates even created a celebratory banner welcoming Master Sergeant Martinez home.
“I knew something important was happening, and I felt happy when I saw his face,” said Brooklyn. “It was hard calling him on the phone because it would be nighttime here and morning there, and now it’ll be the same time of the day.”
The next surprise was to see his oldest daughter, Jayden Martinez, a senior at Frenship High School. Jayden happened to be an aid in the counseling suite during his arrival. She was asked to sort and organize papers in a conference room while her dad set up the big reveal.
The counselors notified her that she could come out of the conference room and that is when she realized that her dad was standing in the same room as her. Similar to her younger sister, she also cried tears of joy and relief hugging her dad.
“I was really confused and then I turned, and I saw my dad, and that's when I realized woah my dad is standing here in uniform. I’m so happy he’s home,” said Jayden.
Jayden explained that this week was tough for her, but seeing her dad turned it around very quickly. Her first reaction was almost as if it was a sweet dream, seeing her dad in person.
“It feels like a dream, like it’s not real at first and you don’t want to let go,” said Jayden “We’re really close, we butt-heads because we’re the same person, but I love my dad a lot.”
After being inspired by her dad’s bravery and commitment, Jayden plans on enlisting in the Air Force after high school.
“I think the military is a great building spot for people entering their adulthood,” said Jayden. “Both of my parents have shown me the military in a positive light.”
Master Sergeant Martinez could not be happier to have one of his kids following in his footsteps, carrying on his legacy.
“I’m definitely proud that she is following in my footsteps; it feels really good,” said Master Sergeant Martinez.
The last surprise was to the youngest sibling, Ryan, a third grader at Oak Ridge Elementary School. Ryan was getting ready to play on the playground during his recess period when he heard a familiar voice calling out his name.
His dad, from right around the corner, was finally home after months of communicating long distance. Ryan raced through his classmates and jumped up into his dad's arms and wept tears of joy. He was happy to hold his dad in his arms again.
Ryan’s birthday was actually just two days away, and he had expressed to others that the only thing he wanted for his birthday was for his dad to come back home. It’s safe to say that Ryan got the sweet birthday gift he was wanting.
“This is awesome, this is the best present I’ve ever gotten. I am very proud of my dad,” said Ryan.
We love celebrating these special moments with our Frenship Family! Welcome home Master Sergeant Madaleno Martinez, we are thankful for your service.