Southshore Fourth Grader Gets a Big Birthday Surprise

Natalie Burleson rushes to hug her father Jeremy as teacher Mary Beth Reinbold looks on. Menifee 24/7 photos: Kristen Spoon

Natalie Burleson turned 10 years old on Thursday. A family birthday party is planned for Saturday. But the best present of all came today.

Natalie got a surprise visit during her fourth grade class at Southshore Elementary School in Menifee from her father Jeremy, who had just returned from a 10-month deployment in the Mediterranean Gulf region aboard the USS Carl Vinson air craft carrier. Natalie cried "Dad!", put her hand over her mouth and rushed into the arms of her father as class teacher Mary Beth Reinbold and Natalie's classmates cheered.

"I was like, 'Am I dreaming?" Natalie said. "When I hugged him I just said, 'I missed you so much.' "

Burleson, 43, has a little less than a year left in his service obligation, he said. He is a chief in the reactor control division on the USS Carl Vinson, which is based in San Diego but often is overseas on deployment. He will be home for several weeks before heading overseas again on another deployment.

Before today, he had been home for only three of Natalie's birthdays. He last saw her in August.

"I've been teasing her, telling her she could hold off her birthday party she's having this weekend until I get back," Burleson said. "She didn't think that would be for a while."

Natalie had no idea how closely guarded today's secret was. In fact, Burleson arrived home late Thursday night, after Natalie and her brother David were asleep. To keep the surprise until today's planned classroom appearance, he spent the night in a downstairs spare bedroom and hid until Natalie left for school.

"I'm surprised I didn't hear him snoring," Natalie said. "He snores pretty loud."

Burleson, his wife Lorelyn and their two children exchanged hugs with Reinbold and the students before leaving for a very special reunion and birthday weekend.

"When (Lorelyn) told me about it at open house last week, I instantly started crying," Reinbold said. "I was so excited for them. To keep it all in was hard."

Before Natalie left for the day, she passed out birthday cookies to all her classmates, who joined her in a group hug. Then it was back to Dad for another special hug.

Natalie said although she misses her father, she knows the importance of his military service.

"I understand that it's his job and he has to protect us and make sure the USA is safe," she said.