For Tamara Twiner, the only thing that could make her trip down the aisle more perfect would be the attendance of her son, Zaykeese Riley.

Zaykeese is an AIT soldier stationed at Fort Lee with the 262nd Quartermaster battalion J Co (JAG). Having been exposed to the military mom life, Tamara already knew that Zaykeese wouldn’t be able to make it to her wedding in Houston, Texas. And while she was already aware, she was still sad that he was going to miss being a part of such a special day.

Zaykeese was also devastated to be missing his mother’s wedding day. Zaykeese and his brother were raised by their single mother, Tamara, and as a result, the trio were incredibly close. Although he knew Tamara would be upset that he couldn’t make the wedding, both mother and son were in agreement that, as a soldier, his priority had to be his duty to his country – and neither would have it any other way.

“I love my country. I really, really love my country, and I really want to serve and be willing to sacrifice everything for this country because I love it so much,” Zaykeese explained.

When Zaykeese expressed sadness at missing Tamara’s wedding, it was his grandmother who came forward to offer him words of wisdom. She suggested that Zaykeese put his heart into a letter to his chain of command, telling them how special it would be if they’d granted him leave in order to surprise his mother on her special day.

Surprisingly, the Army commanding officers were so moved by Zaykeese’s words, that they granted him leave for the day. Unbeknownst to Tamara, Zaykeese flew into Houston and with some help from his family, arranged an incredible surprise. Just before Tamara was to walk down the aisle, she felt someone gently tug on her veil.

When she turned around, her face lit up into a giant smile at seeing Zaykeese standing by her side. Then the smile quickly turned to tears as the magnitude of the situation hit her. She continued to cry tears of joy as both of her sons, along with her mother, walked her down the aisle to her new husband, Jay Twiner.

“To be there on my mother’s day was very meaningful to me,” Zaykeese later stated. “Every moment that you have with your family, every moment that you can share with those who you love means everything.”

Zaykeese’s surprise is not only heart-warming, but it’s also a reminder that the men and women who chose to serve our country often have to sacrifice so much in order to do so. We thank them for their service.