MADISON, Ala — It's a moment of sweetness and joy that made the perfect birthday gift for a North Alabama girl.
"Landon Hoffman, Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Army, has been deployed in Kosovo for the past six months," wrote the Rocket City Trash Pandas via their X (formerly Twitter) account Friday night.
"His daughter, Vera, is celebrating her 10th birthday this weekend. He traveled for nearly 24 hours to surprise her for a first pitch before our game on Friday night."
Video posted to the social media account shows a smiling Vera winding up her pitch and tossing it to the catcher, who then trots up to the girl and begins to remove his headgear.
Surprise, Vera! It's your...
"Dad!" the girl can be seen yelling as she runs into Hoffman's arms for a long-awaited hug.