Through the Make-A-Wish foundation, 5-year-old Gaven Cox took a break from his battle with cancer to "Soldier up" with members of the 1st Cavalry Division for a mission March 20.
Alongside his comrades from the 3rd "Grey Wolf" Brigade Combat Team, Gavin saddled up with the division's horse detachment, flew a virtual Apache helicopter combat flight over the Iraqi capital, and maneuvered on an actual Black Hawk -- all before lunch time. Gaven and his personal flight crew with Company C, 3rd ***ault Helicopter Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment took flight in search of make-believed insurgents, which was the first half of his mission.
"The pilot actually did some pretty hard banks," said Sgt. David Raines, a cavalry scout who rode with the soon to be 6-year-old. "I've done about 20 different rides in combat and none of them were ever like that."
Gaven's mother Melissa Heminger told reporters that her son, who was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2007, has been a Soldier since he was 3 and has proven it more and more each day the last couple of months.
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03-28-2008, 03:14 PM
Army Grants Wish for Sick Little Boy
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