Jacob Varela didn’t care who heard his girly, high-pitched screams that day at Chicago’s Midway Airport.
That’s because the U.S. Marine Corps vet was about to be reunited with someone he hadn’t seen in over two years, and containing his emotions was not his radar!
As one of the worst-ranking airports in America (according to travel website The Points Guy), Chicago’s Midway isn’t exactly known as a hub of happiness.
But, when Jacob was caught running like a little boy towards his furry 9-year-old pal, all the onlookers couldn’t help but feel a wave of happiness overcome them as the precious moment unfolded.
Jacob and his fur-buddy served together in special ops for three years, and they weren’t just work friends – they were family. Even the most mundane things, like drinking water, was done as a tight-knit unit!
“We were together for everything. Everywhere I went, he was with me. When we were out in the field… he was with me. If I was drinking water, he was drinking water; if I was eating, he was eating. He becomes like your teammate,” Jacob said.
The two were separated in 2017, but all of that was about to change.
After Jacob got word that Attila was getting too doggone old to work, the former canine handler decided to adopt the pooch and bring him home for good.
That’s when Mission K-9 Rescue stepped in to help reunite the former comrades. And boy was that reunion a bark out loud blast!
You know a man is the happiest he’ll ever be when his voice suddenly rises four octaves as he spots a long lost friend off in the distance.
And all the hootin’ and hollerin’ that was spilling out of Jacob’s mouth spoke volumes about a guy who was sorely missing his best doggy friend.
A video posted on YouTube shows the pair being reunited at last, and comments about Jacob’s hilarious excitement level kept pouring through:
@Lajie Liu:
“When a grown man, a marine no less, is making that super high pitched “HEY BUDDY, COME HERE!! COME HERE!!!” you know it’s good and they both deserve it.”
Others, like @Moosh Moosh exclaimed:
“They should have never been separated in the first place.”
Kristen Maurer, the Mission K-9 Rescue team member who helped reunite Jacob and Attila at the airport, said:
“These dogs serve with these guys. They spend 24/7 training with them, putting their lives on the line together, so there’s a bond that we can’t understand.
Being deployed to dangerous locations as a special ops team member can certainly do a number to one’s mental health.
Some folks on YouTube, like @Naz, mentioned the “PTSD Awareness” t-shirt Jacob was wearing in the video.
“I noticed Jacob’s shirt says PTSD on the back. I hope reuniting with Atilla has helped to take it, or mostly all of it, away.”
There was no mention of PTSD in his interview, but we all know what impact this heart-wrenching condition can have on our beloved military veterans.
Perhaps Jacob was wearing the shirt to bring awareness for his friends who have PTSD, or maybe he’s personally experienced it himself.
Either way, having his best doggo buddy back at his side must be doing wonders for his overall happiness level.
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