Twelve years ago, in 2003, then-President George W. Bush did something just a little different for Thanksgiving – he traveled all the way to Baghdad to surprise a group of American soldiers to thank them for their selfless service and help them celebrate Turkey Day. It had been only two years since al-Qaeda terrorists had attacked American citizens on their home soil, and the United States had just launched Operation Iraqi Freedom. Troops could easily be deployed for up to a year or more at a time, forced to spend holidays in a foreign land away from their families, friends and the comforts of home.
Not expecting their Commander in Chief to show up unannounced, the soldiers gathered for dinner that day were stunned when Bush quietly slipped into the room from a side door.
Watch their priceless reaction below: