Marine Sgt. Joshua Newville and Senior Airman Emily Leehan exchanged wedding vows in front of their closest friends and family over the weekend, but it was Leehan’s vows to Newville’s 4-year-old son Gage that captured hearts across the country.

In a now-viral video, Gage becomes overwhelmed with emotion as his new stepmom reads special vows she wrote for him.

“I may not have given you the gift of life, but life surely gave me the gift of you,” Leehan reads as Gage cries and hugs her and his dad.


“I was thinking ‘don’t cry’ and was just trying to comfort Gage,” Newville told TODAY. “It truly means something when someone who has no involvement in creating Gage loves him as if she did. I was just very proud and happy and excited.”

The Marine sergeant and Air Force senior airman met at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

The newlyweds won’t be taking a honeymoon right away because they’re both on active duty, according to TODAY. They plan on returning to their duty station next week.


About Mackenzie Wolf

Mackenzie Wolf is an editorial intern for Military Times.

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