There’s nothing like seeing an old friend.

In this touching video shot in December, but uploaded this month, Navy Hospital Corpsman Eric Ralston returns home to Colorado from an eight-month tour in Guam to be greeted by the family dog, Kermie.

It’s a pretty cool scene, but even more so because a month after Ralston was deployed in March of last year, his wife learned Kermie, an 11-year-old beagle/lab/chow mix, had oral cancer and was only expected to live another month.

Amazingly, Kermie hung on for another eight months and was there when Ralston came home shortly before Christmas.

On YouTube, Ralston’s wife wrote, “His return was some sort of magic pill for her. She began eating and drinking again, without struggle! Watching the homecoming video, you cannot even see the struggles of the previous months.”

Unfortunately, Kermie couldn’t defeat the cancer. Shortly after New Year’s, her health took a turn for the worse and the family put her down in February.

But, at least they have a pretty amazing memory of her.

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