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U.S. Army Helps Sick
Child's Wish Come True |
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| By Spc. Casondra Brewster / Assistant Editor, Belvoir Eagle |
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FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Oct. 10, 2002) -— Walt Disney eat your heart out. The Army can help make dreams come true, too. Elements of Fort Belvoir recently teamed up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic to help make a terminally ill 10-year-old’s wishes come true. Justin Bryce’s doctors believe he has just a few weeks left before the disease that threatens his life wins. Bryce told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that his desire before dying was to be a soldier — a real soldier. Bryce visited here after enlisting in the Army the evening before in a ceremony at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and promoted to the rank of sergeant by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley. The Grene, N.Y. resident was accompanied by his family, including brother, Pvt. Raymond Bryce, with Battery E, 7th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Drum, N.Y. Pvt. Bryce flew to Washington, D.C., to surprise his brother during his “enlistment.” Bryce, who was dubbed “Sgt. Justin” by those he was visiting was issued a custom-made uniform complete with Military District of Washington patches, rank, insignia, identification “dog” tags, even a kid-sized pair of jungle boots for his “duty” while in the National Capital Region. Justin’s uniform and name tapes were donated. Additionally, he received a personalized U.S. Army challenge coin made with his rank of sergeant and his name engraved on one side and the U.S. Army seal on the other side. It would be one of nearly two dozen he received during his whirlwind duty tour that began at the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, where Bryce and his family were treated to a tactical demonstration of the Army’s A-1 Abrams tank and ended with a visit to see a U.S. Coast Guard vessel in port in Baltimore and meet the guardsmen who work on the ship. However, a good portion of the Make-A-Wish soldier’s time was spent here. His day here began, like so many soldiers’ days begin, with training. Bryce was trained on the latest night-vision technology and weaponry. Following his successful training, Bryce and his squad were loaded into an Armored Personnel Carrier, following a camouflaged face-painting session, and sent out on a secret mission to recover top secret equipment. “Move out! Let’s Go!” Sgt. Bryce said, quickly assuming his new leadership role. Senior noncommissioned officers and officers alike followed their orders from “Sgt. Justin.” Within 20 minutes Bryce had completed his “top secret” mission. “Good job,” he told his troops. “Yes, sergeant!” said Maj. John Kalainov, a member of Bryce’s team for the secret mission, who works daily within the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate. “Let me know if there’s anything else we can do,” Kalainov said to Bryce. Sgt. Justin called Kalainov to him and quietly said, “Don’t tell my mom, but I really want to ride in a helicopter.” “I’ll see if we can accomplish that mission,” Kalainov said.Following that, Bryce was debriefed for his mission and the soldier of honor at an awards ceremony, where he received a Meritorious Service Medal, a number of certificates of achievement, certificates of training and more coins. Career soldiers present at the ceremony remarked that Bryce already had more coins then they had collected over their years in service.
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| Army Sgt. Michael Mills of the Military District of Washington Engineer Company assists Sgt. Justin Bryce, 10, as he takes the controls of the unit’s excavator. Photo by Peter Cihelka |
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Bryce also hauled away quite a load of loot in addition to his achievement awards. He received a warrior pack full of soldier goodies, including Meals, Ready to Eat. Just like a typical soldier, Sgt. Justin went right for the poagie bait. In fact the candy seemed more of a treat for the young soldier than some of the plaques and certificates he received in his award ceremony. Then it was time for “chow.” Sgt. Justin ate at the Consolidated Dining Facility here with soldiers from all over Fort Belvoir. At lunch, Sgt. Justin was assigned a new “battle buddy,” a soldier from Headquarters Battalion, Spc. Juan Forero who was decked out in full battle-rattle gear. “We always have your back, Sgt. Justin,” Forero told the recently decorated sergeant.Bryce met with commanders, including Garrison Commander Col. T.W. Williams. Fort Belvoir’s Headquarters Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Mark Lindon told Bryce that Fort Belvoir was happy he chose to become a soldier because “there’s nothing better than being a soldier.” At that point, Bryce seemed completely indoctrinated as a soldier, responding with the all-purpose, “Hooah!” From there Bryce was treated to hands-on time with some of the heavy equipment and training aides for the Military District of Washington Engineer Company. Sgt. Justin got to climb in a small “Bobcat” bulldozer and a giant excavator, as well do suspended litter training with the “Extractors.” It was smiles all around following that training when Bryce received more tokens of the military community’s appreciation of the young warrior. “Of all the things you could have chosen to do as your wish,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Westbrook, “you chose to become a soldier, like us. That means a lot to us.” To help Sgt. Justin remember his time and continue his Army adventure Westbrook gave him a special edition Army Monopoly game. The child sergeant’s delight was hard to hide. It was then that word finally came through that an aviation mission was set for Sgt. Justin. He convoyed over with the MPs to Davison Army Airfield and boarded one of 12th Aviation Battalion’s VH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. “Let’s go!” Bryce said as his brother, decked in Class A’s, boarded the helicopter, too. The mission’s flight took him along the Potomac and over portions of the district. Sgt. Justin fought sleep while playing with his new aviation wings which he had pinned on him by 12th Aviation’s Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Joann Eberle. Tuckered out from all the day’s activities, Sgt. Justin was carried out of the helicopter upon its return and waved good-bye to his Belvoir Battle Buddies. He had time for a quick nap during a drive to Baltimore and perhaps some dreaming of wishes that had come true. |
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Darn formatting -- Here's a more readable version:
U.S. Army Helps Sick Child’s Wish Come True
By Spc. Casondra Brewster / Assistant Editor, Belvoir Eagle
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Oct. 10, 2002) -— Walt Disney eat your heart out. The Army can help make dreams come true, too.
Elements of Fort Belvoir recently teamed up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic to help make a terminally ill 10-year-old’s wishes come true.
Justin Bryce’s doctors believe he has just a few weeks left before the disease that threatens his life wins. Bryce told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that his desire before dying was to be a soldier — a real soldier.
Bryce visited here after enlisting in the Army the evening before in a ceremony at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and promoted to the rank of sergeant by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Jack Tilley.
The Grene, N.Y. resident was accompanied by his family, including brother, Pvt. Raymond Bryce, with Battery E, 7th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Drum, N.Y. Pvt. Bryce flew to Washington, D.C., to surprise his brother during his “enlistment.”
Bryce, who was dubbed “Sgt. Justin” by those he was visiting was issued a custom-made uniform complete with Military District of Washington patches, rank, insignia, identification “dog” tags, even a kid-sized pair of jungle boots for his “duty” while in the National Capital Region. Justin’s uniform and name tapes were donated.
Additionally, he received a personalized U.S. Army challenge coin made with his rank of sergeant and his name engraved on one side and the U.S. Army seal on the other side. It would be one of nearly two dozen he received during his whirlwind duty tour that began at the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, where Bryce and his family were treated to a tactical demonstration of the Army’s A-1 Abrams tank and ended with a visit to see a U.S. Coast Guard vessel in port in Baltimore and meet the guardsmen who work on the ship. However, a good portion of the Make-A-Wish soldier’s time was spent here.
His day here began, like so many soldiers’ days begin, with training. Bryce was trained on the latest night-vision technology and weaponry. Following his successful training, Bryce and his squad were loaded into an Armored Personnel Carrier, following a camouflaged face-painting session, and sent out on a secret mission to recover top secret equipment.
“Move out! Let’s Go!” Sgt. Bryce said, quickly assuming his new leadership role. Senior noncommissioned officers and officers alike followed their orders from “Sgt. Justin.” Within 20 minutes Bryce had completed his “top secret” mission.
“Good job,” he told his troops. “Yes, sergeant!” said Maj. John Kalainov, a member of Bryce’s team for the secret mission, who works daily within the Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate. “Let me know if there’s anything else we can do,” Kalainov said to Bryce. Sgt. Justin called Kalainov to him and quietly said, “Don’t tell my mom, but I really want to ride in a helicopter.”
“I’ll see if we can accomplish that mission,” Kalainov said.Following that, Bryce was debriefed for his mission and the soldier of honor at an awards ceremony, where he received a Meritorious Service Medal, a number of certificates of achievement, certificates of training and more coins. Career soldiers present at the ceremony remarked that Bryce already had more coins then they had collected over their years in service.
Army Sgt. Michael Mills of the Military District of Washington Engineer Company assists Sgt. Justin Bryce, 10, as he takes the controls of the unit’s excavator. Photo by Peter Cihelka
Bryce also hauled away quite a load of loot in addition to his achievement awards. He received a warrior pack full of soldier goodies, including Meals, Ready to Eat. Just like a typical soldier, Sgt. Justin went right for the poagie bait. In fact the candy seemed more of a treat for the young soldier than some of the plaques and certificates he received in his award ceremony.
Then it was time for “chow.” Sgt. Justin ate at the Consolidated Dining Facility here with soldiers from all over Fort Belvoir. At lunch, Sgt. Justin was assigned a new “battle buddy,” a soldier from Headquarters Battalion, Spc. Juan Forero who was decked out in full battle-rattle gear.
“We always have your back, Sgt. Justin,” Forero told the recently decorated sergeant.Bryce met with commanders, including Garrison Commander Col. T.W. Williams. Fort Belvoir’s Headquarters Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Mark Lindon told Bryce that Fort Belvoir was happy he chose to become a soldier because “there’s nothing better than being a soldier.”
At that point, Bryce seemed completely indoctrinated as a soldier, responding with the all-purpose, “Hooah!”
From there Bryce was treated to hands-on time with some of the heavy equipment and training aides for the Military District of Washington Engineer Company. Sgt. Justin got to climb in a small “Bobcat” bulldozer and a giant excavator, as well do suspended litter training with the “Extractors.”
It was smiles all around following that training when Bryce received more tokens of the military community’s appreciation of the young warrior. “Of all the things you could have chosen to do as your wish,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Westbrook, “you chose to become a soldier, like us. That means a lot to us.”
To help Sgt. Justin remember his time and continue his Army adventure Westbrook gave him a special edition Army Monopoly game. The child sergeant’s delight was hard to hide.
It was then that word finally came through that an aviation mission was set for Sgt. Justin. He convoyed over with the MPs to Davison Army Airfield and boarded one of 12th Aviation Battalion’s VH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. “Let’s go!” Bryce said as his brother, decked in Class A’s, boarded the helicopter, too. The mission’s flight took him along the Potomac and over portions of the district. Sgt. Justin fought sleep while playing with his new aviation wings which he had pinned on him by 12th Aviation’s Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Joann Eberle.
Tuckered out from all the day’s activities, Sgt. Justin was carried out of the helicopter upon its return and waved good-bye to his Belvoir Battle Buddies. He had time for a quick nap during a drive to Baltimore and perhaps some dreaming of wishes that had come true.
Photo assay: http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/oct2002/p101102a1.html
What an incredible story. The pictures are fabulous, they brought tears to my eyes.
Cool story... and here I was, afraid I'd scroll down to read FReepers' screeds about squandering tax money, LOL.
This is really wonderful. Thanks for posting it.
Make a Wish is a wonderful organization and tries to grant most children's wishes. What a great story in the midst of a lot of pain right now.
Excellent story! Glad to see the Army was able to help this young boy live out his dream.
U.S. Military bump!!!
This story is absolute proof that we live in the greatest nation that is ever protected by the finest men god put on this earth.
