Father, son meet for first time following DNA test

PHOENIX (KSAZ) -- A Mesa man, along with a 26-year-old man from New York, both received the surprise of their lives, as they discovered, against all odds, that they are father and son.

On Friday, the two they meet for the very first time at Sky Harbor Airport.

Gary Hamm of Mesa used to be in the military, and Josh Thomas of New York City is an aspiring actor. Their paths might never have crossed, but technology has brought them together.

Hamm, who used to work special operations in the Navy, said there was pressure, but nothing like this.

"The stuff I used to do was taking bombs apart, jump out of planes, but this scares the crap out of me," said Hamm.

Hamm, who stood with his fiancee, Lorenn Anderson, waited to meet Thomas, the son he never knew he had.

"I had a one-night fling with a young Army girl separated from her boyfriend," said Hamm. "I forgot about it. She got back with her boyfriend. Josh [Thomas] was born thinking that was his mother and that was his father."

As fate would have it, both had recently done DNA tests on ancestry.com, and discovered they're father and son. Thomas rounds a corner, and the two meet for the very first time.

For Thomas, there was a lot to process as well.

"I don't know, just looking forward to it," said Thomas. "I did one thing for 26 years, and now, a lot to look forward to, a lot to catch up on."

The two plans to met family, and get to know each other. In addition, it's Thomas' first time in Arizona.