Unemotional Veteran Sheds Tears after Seeing Daughter’s Wedding Outfit for the First Time – Story of the Day

An unemotional war veteran believed nothing in the world would make him cry. But moments before walking his beloved daughter down the aisle, he wept like a child after seeing her wedding dress for the first time.

War veteran Simon Cooper always lived by his pride. He was 55 but still had the potential to scare everybody around with his menacing attitude.

Those who knew Simon well called him "Rock" behind his back. This was because he never laughed, very rarely smiled, and never showed his emotions outside.

Worst of all, even during his wife's funeral two years ago, everybody expressed their sorrow except him. Simon buried his emotions and stood calm like a statue just staring at the coffin. Nothing could make him cry.

But there came a time during his beloved daughter's wedding when Simon's heart melted, and he wept like a kid after seeing the bride in her wedding dress...

"Just two weeks more!" Agnes exclaimed as Simon hurried behind her with a pile of boxes. "Dad, is the guest list ready?"

"Oh my God! What is going on? Why are you wearing this for your wedding?"

The bride-to-be was excited about her wedding. Her mom's last wish was to see her wedding, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. So Agnes wanted to ensure that everything about her big day looked crisp and pleasing, just like it would've been if her mother had arranged it.

Meanwhile, Simon was occupied with decor and catering. He didn't want to miss the golden chance of playing an important role in his daughter's wedding preparations.

But the only thing that upset him was when Agnes told him not to interfere with her wedding dress and jewelry.

"I'll take care of it, daddy...you don't have to worry about that, and I don't want you deciding it for me, okay?" Agnes expressed the last time Simon asked her about the outfit.

The veteran was visibly upset about this but never showed it. It did not add up to him why Agnes wouldn't allow him anywhere near the dress that she kept locked in her room.

Simon had wanted at least something of his choice to go into that wedding dress, and the very thought of his daughter's refusal hurt him.

The days passed quickly, and on the night before Agnes's big day, Simon decided to ask her about the dress. He sounded a bit demanding not to expose his worry. He assumed it would prompt Agnes to show the outfit to him.

"I want to look at your dress and jewelry," he said. "I want to make sure it looks good on you and not make people point fingers at you...If you know what I mean?"

But Agnes was determined not to show it to him.

"You will see for yourself tomorrow when you walk me down the aisle."

Simon was baffled. He was lost in deep thought and could not sleep the whole night, thinking about the mysterious wedding dress.

The big day finally came. Simon arrived at the church on a pleasant and breezy Saturday morning. He saw guests dressed in their best and children running about holding flowers.

He sighed and walked in. Deep inside, he was crushed to think his daughter would soon leave him and go to live out of the country. Shortly, the wedding mass started, and Simon anxiously looked around for his daughter.

Then a little girl approached him. "The bride wants you to walk her down the aisle," the girl said.

Simon was excited. He curled his mustache, flapped his blazer, and walked toward his daughter.

"Where is she?" he asked the bridesmaids.

Simon was eager to see Agnes in her wedding dress. He was nervous, and that's when the crowd of bridesmaids stepped away, revealing something heartbreaking. Simon gaped in awe as tears gushed down his eyes.

"Oh my God! What is going on? Why are you wearing this for your wedding? And where is your necklace?" he cried, seeing his old army dog tag around Agnes's neck instead of her mom's diamond necklace.

The guests looked at the two in surprise. They hadn't seen Simon cry like this before. Agnes was equally stunned because it was the first time she had seen her dad burst into tears.

"I had thrown that thing away 20 years ago," he sobbed. "How did you find it?"

Simon had worn the army tag during the war. It was chipped after a shell fragment hit him. Simon was in critical condition then, but luckily, he recovered.

After getting back on his feet, he learned the value of life and decided to raise a family with his wife. A year later, Agnes was born. The dog tag still hounded him with the painful memories of the war, so he threw it away and never looked back at the tragedy he endured.

"How did you find it?" he cried as Agnes held his hands.

"Mom told me about it, and I found it in the storeroom," Agnes said. "I wanted to show you how proud I am of you, dad!"

Although the dog tag was damaged, Agnes had customized it into a heart-shaped pendant with her dad's data on it.

"I wouldn't have been here today if you hadn't decided to raise a family...so this is for you...only for you," Agnes cried. "But if it hurts you, I don't want this."

Agnes tried to remove the chain with the dog tag around her neck. But an emotional Simon immediately stopped her and shook his head in refusal.

"No, let it stay!" he said. "It's an important piece of history, and I shouldn't have been running away from it."

The proud father hugged his daughter and walked her down the aisle in tears. He looked straight at the altar as the guests shed tears of joy, seeing the veteran cry for the first time!

What can we learn from this story?

• It is important to remember your family history. After surviving the shell strike in the war, Simon threw his dog tag as it reminded him of the tragedy. But after seeing it on Agnes's neck at her wedding, he became emotional and realized the importance of cherishing that part of his history.
• It is important to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed for the country. When Agnes learned about her dad's role in the army and the tragedy he faced during the war, she decided to pay him a tribute. She found his old army dog tag, customized it into a heart-shaped pendant, and wore it at her wedding.

Click here to read about how a bride didn't want her dad in a wheelchair to walk her down the aisle until she saw him on TV.

This story is inspired by the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.