Marine Sgt. Nick Walsh was so in love with his 1991 Ford Bronco that he vowed to pass it down to his own son one day. But those dreams were seemingly shattered.
In 2007, Sgt. Walsh was on deployment in Iraq when he was killed by sniper fire. He was only 26. His son, Triston, was just 4 years old at the time.
Though Triston's mom kept the car, it began to fall apart as the years passed by. Julie eventually took to Facebook to explain the situation and ask for some advice. Should she hold onto the car, knowing how much it meant to Triston and his late father, despite its totally unusable condition?
The community took note, and it wasn't long before local businesses, mechanics, and dealerships were chipping in to restore the Bronco at no cost.
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Triston, who was nearing his 16th birthday, had no clue what was to come. In fact, his mom told him she sold the Bronco (since it was such a clunker, anyway) and said she planned to use the money to buy him a different car instead — one that actually worked.
But the teen, who had gotten his hopes so high and desperately wanted to drive his dad's car, was so angry and disappointed that he refused to speak to his mom for nearly two weeks! He knew that having this car would make him feel close to his father, the fallen hero who died way too early.
In this clip, watch as Triston's mom brings him to the car dealership under false pretenses — and the curtain peels back to reveal his true birthday surprise.
