A sixth-grade student at Carnegie Elementary School was surprised Friday morning by his hero: his older brother, a U.S. Army helicopter mechanic who has been stationed in Germany.
Surrounded by his classmates, 11-year-old Damon Chiodo was reunited with his brother, Spc. Devin Tomei, after more than two and a half years.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Damon recently completed a school essay in which he answered the question: Who is my hero? The answer came easily to him.
“My brother is brave and smart. He is always there for me, even if I just want to talk. I am very proud of him for choosing to protect me, and everyone in the United States. He is not just my brother. He is also my friend,” Damon wrote.
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Damon and his fellow classmates, who had no idea what was about to happen, read their essays in the school’s auditorium. Tomei was nearby waiting to make his surprise appearance after traveling from Germany to Baltimore and finally to Pittsburgh.
The wait was well worth it.
"I'm just honored and this feels great," Tomei said. "I didnt think in a million years I'd be able to pull off something like this."
"I was so happy and I'm still shaking from the happiness," Chiodo said.
While Devin’s homecoming will be brief, lasting until the end of October when he heads to Fort Campbell, the time will surely be cherished by Damon, who knows the importance of his hero’s job.
“Hundreds of army missions depend on these helicopters,” Damon wrote in his essay. “And my brother must make sure that all of them are safe and ready to fly.”
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