'Nothing compares to this, honestly': Navy officer surprises son at Fremont School Veterans Day assembly

Traci Mayes told her son Colton that this year his daddy - a Navy officer who has been deployed on a ship near the Arctic Circle since April - was going to get a ride home with Santa Claus.

But during an all-school Veterans Day assembly at Fremont Elementary School near Mundelein, Christmas came early for Colton.

When Navy Petty Officer 1st Class William Mayes was announced as a special guest, Colton looked around the gym, spotted his dad in full uniform and ran to him to be reunited. William, his face red with emotion, picked up his son and they hugged each other, while the shocked crowd at the assembly applauded.

"I couldn't ask for it to go any better," William Mayes said after the special moment. "Nothing compares to this, honestly."

It was the second time William had been deployed on a Navy ship since Colton, 6, and his little sister Kaylee, 3, were born. He said this time was a bit harder because the kids were older.

Since he's been gone, the family moved to the Mundelein area from Florida where they'd been for much of Colton's life. Traci Mayes reached out to the school about a month ago when it was clear when her husband would be back. She said she wanted to do something special for Colton, who is in first grade, and it just happened to line up with Veterans Day.

Traci Mayes made her son a custom T-shirt that she asked his teachers to put on him right before the assembly. It had his father's name on the front; on the back, said "Shhh, don't spoil my surprise."

Traci and William got to spend time together before William reunited with the children. Traci met him in Tallahassee and the two went on their first vacation together without children, which included time at Universal Studios in Orlando and on a cruise.

William has a few weeks off to spend with his family in their new home before beginning an assignment at the Naval Station Great Lakes in early December.

After the assembly was over, William and Traci took Colton out of school for the rest of the day to begin getting caught up.

"We're going to get in some re-bonding time," William said. "I've still got one more kid to surprise, I hope she's excited too."