ESPN released a tear jerking video today on their website in celebration of the fourth of July.

The Sports Center featured video is a compilation of home videos and ESPN recordings of American soldiers surprising their loved ones after returning home from war.

The video starts off with a scripted military family chatting via webcam. In the opening clip, a solider looks lovingly as his three young daughters and wife greet him telling him how much he is missed. The webcam sessions seem to span over a course of time as they highlight different milestones like his birthday and finding out his wife is going to have another baby girl.

The song begins to play "All I Want" by Kodaline starting with the words:

All I want is nothing more
to hear you knocking at my door
'cause if I could see your face once more
I could die as a happy man I'm sure

Following the opening clips, raw footage is shown in football stadiums, baseball fields, and hockey rinks where soldiers surprise their loved ones. Stunned and teary eyed, family members run and jump into their arms.

Going in between the progression of the opening story and real occurrences the emotional moments play along with the song I'm Going Home by Chris Daughtry. Special surprises unfold as fathers make the unexpected visit to their children's schools and homes.

Flashing back to the underlying universal story of the first solider coming home, he is shown driving home past countless planted American flags symbolizing soldiers who are being honored for giving their life during time of war. Pain crosses the soldier's face until he arrives home in his driveway, running across the lawn and immediately falling to his knees to embrace his family.

Watch ESPN's Coming Home video:

Tags
Fourth of July, Fourth of July 2013