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50 Years Later, Vietnam Veteran Meets Daughter He Didn't Know Existed

GRASS VALLEY (CBS13) — Life has been fulfilling for 78-year-old Gary Barnes of Grass Valley.

The decorated Vietnam veteran has earned his rest and relaxation as he sits on his deck and watches the deer.

But a recent phone call from a total stranger just made his life even more full. It turns out she was no stranger at all.

Gary tells us, "She called and said would you be willing to do a DNA test? And I said—sure!"

The 50-year-old woman at the other end of the line had reached the end of the search for her father.

Olivia Robles was doing family research on Ancestry.com and found someone who led her to Gary Barnes.

As it turns out, during the Vietnam War, Gary would spend some of his R&R in the Philippines.

"I thought the women were beautiful," he told us. One of those women kept a secret from Gary. She never uttered a word about their daughter.

We were there as Olivia met her father for the first time.

She was ecstatic, telling CBS 13, "This is truly a miracle; I've been on this quest for so many years since I was 10 years old, and here we find each other at age 50 and 78, so it's a miracle."

Gary, who has never had children—until now—couldn't be happier.

"Oh, I can't describe it," he would tell us, "My life is complete."

Gary Barnes found out he's not only a father but a grandfather and great-grandfather as well.

For the Barnes family, this will be their best Christmas ever.

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