An American soldier's return from Afghanistan, taped in 2005 by his wife, has suddenly become a viral-video sensation -- thanks to the welcome-home yelps his elated dog, Gracie, gave upon seeing him again for the first time. The video only recently became a YouTube sensation after it was included in a Veterans Day video montage.
In the home video, then-Lieutenant Andrew Schmidt of the West Virginia Air National Guard, dressed in fatigues, is coming back from a five-month tour in Afghanistan. But he can't get past the sidewalk in front of his Springfield, Virginia house before Gracie, then a two-year-old golden retriever, bolts forth from the front door.
Earlier this week, Andrew Schmidt told The Today Show, "We're really close. You know, dogs get to be like your kids. The truth is, I missed all my family, and when I got off that plane I was home -- a little bit. And then when I drove down the street and looked out the window, I was home a little bit more. But I knew when that door opened and she came running out, I felt like I was finally at home."