The anchors lifted at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, where this year’s Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl began between the Navy Midshipmen and the Oklahoma Sooners.

At the end of the first quarter, Navy overcame a large 14-0 deficit to win the bowl 21-20.

But amidst the tackles and touchdowns, there were also tears of joy.

During the second quarter, the Jumbotron played a message from U.S. Army Senior Airman Aaron Bach to his family in the crowd.

Bach was on assignment in Japan and had not seen her for about a year.

“It was very hard not being able to communicate or see him like that,” said Bach’s younger brother David.

Then an even bigger surprise: Bach enters the field with his arms outstretched, towards his family.

“For him to come out on that field was overwhelming. Overwhelming,” said David.

“He said, ‘Not my brother.’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s your brother, it’s your brother!'” said Thu Ho, her mother.

A moment that was still surreal for her in the minutes after the reunion, as she held her son’s hands and kissed him on the forehead.

“Now that I see him, it’s like my dream,” Ho said.

Bach said all the planning and travel was worth it for this moment with his mother.

“She has literally given so much to support both of us alone; She raised us by herself, she was from Vietnam,” he said.

And when Bach’s team took home the win, he went home with an even better highlight.

“I’m really grateful that she gets to experience this,” said Bach, putting an arm around his mother.