I can't begin to imagine how hard it would be to leave my family for months at a time, especially if my destination were Iraq or Afghanistan. And I don't know how I could deal with my wife being deployed overseas. These reunion videos—for me, at least—shed a tiny beam of light on how emotionally draining being a military family can be. They'll also make you want a dog. To commemorate Veterans Day, here are some overjoyed dogs greeting returning soldiers.

In our first clip, Gracie welcomes her dad, who has returned from Afghanistan.

I'm not sure I've ever heard anything make a sound quite like this. How great are dogs?

We've posted this incredible clip before—dogs greeting a soldier after 14 months in Iraq. Worth watching again.

Basset hound Reggie welcomes his best friend home from Afghanistan.

Rocky gives his favorite soldier the welcome home he deserves.

From the YouTube description: "Soldier daddy comes home after a month of training, and the pups go ballistic!"

This boxer was cautious at first, but that caution was quickly replaced by excessive jubilation.

Dachshunds Franklin and Sally give a vocal welcome to their dad, a U.S. Navy man returning from an eight-month deployment to Kuwait. (According to the YouTube description, Franklin and Sally are both rescue dogs. If this video has put you in a dachshund-adopting mood, contact Southern States Dachshund Rescue at ssdr.org or Dachshund Rescue of North America at drna.org.)

This soldier is attacked (and nearly hurdled) by his pups.

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On this Veterans Day eve, here's hoping all our men and women serving overseas get to come home soon. And when they do, I hope they all get equally enthusiastic greetings—from dogs and cats, sons and daughters, significant others, parents, neighbors, friends, and grateful strangers.

Thank you for your service. Get home safe. Your puppies need you.