thedrifter
08-08-08, 06:11 AM
Marines make teen's wish come true by putting him through the paces
Published Fri, Aug 8, 2008 12:00 AM
By PATRICK DONOHUE
pdonohue@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5531
Sitting cross-legged on the red turf of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island's Inchon Firing Range, a Marine rifle instructor by his side, 13-year-old Kyle Drott lowered his M-16 service rifle, wiped the sweat from his eyes and fired. His first shot -- right on target.
"Nice shooting, Dirty Harry," said his father, Earl, cradling an M-16 of his own. "But don't get too cocky."
"If we had this kid as a sniper, the war would already be over," said Sgt. Danny Gonzalez to a group of about a dozen Marines crowded around the range. "I'd be expecting a phone call and a knock on your door from recon."
Running through Parris Island's infamous Crucible, sparring with the depot's marital arts instructors, firing off a few magazines of live rounds at the range, Kyle, a Tyler, Texas, native who's battled lymphoma for the past two years, got a taste Wednesday of what it means to be made into a Marine. And he liked it.
"It's been everything I wanted and more," he said. "I expected to come out here and have everyone yelling at me."
While no one got in his face during his visit to the depot, Kyle said the experience to meet and interact with Marines only enhanced his love for the Corps.
"They're amazing," he said. "They're real people, you can sit down and talk to them and laugh with them. I love the Marines Corps now more than ever."
Kyle's visit to Parris Island and a visit Thursday to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort were the work of a coordinated effort between the Make-A-Wish Foundation's North Texas and South Carolina chapters.
Kyle's mother, Amy Drott, said she wasn't sure if the organization would be able to make her son's wish come true.
"This has been what he's wanted to do ever since he heard of Make-A-Wish, and the doctors said 'Pick something.' And they thought 'There's no way the Marines will do that,' and we didn't think they would either," she said. "To be able to be here and be doing this is amazing. Kyle's wanted to be a Marine since he was 9, and to be able to have your child experience what they've always wanted to do, and be a VIP in the process, is pretty incredible."
Kyle's desire to get an up-close look at Marine recruit training came as no surprise to his father, Earl.
"When this came up, I thought, 'Well, of course,'" he said. "Everybody here has bent over backward and gone the extra mile. They've been sparring with him, running through the obstacle course, working with him on shooting. It's way more than I expected.
"I thought we'd come see the place, I had no idea that he was going to come out of here feeling like he'd been a little recruit," Earl Drottsaid. "I'd be proud to have my kid be a United States Marine."
The Drotts' visit to the Lowcountry was the first time the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Carolina has had a child, from South Carolina or elsewhere, request a visit to MCAS Beaufort or Parris Island, said Allison Wilder, wish coordinator.
"Both the air station and Parris Island have been wonderful to work with in planning all of the details of the wish," she said. "The Marine Corps has gone above and beyond to accommodate Kyle's specific requests, and I know that his experience will be one that he never forgets."
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Carolina, the state chapter of the national nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, granted 137 wishes in 2007, she said.
Kyle's visit to MCAS on Thursday included visits with the air station's fire rescue team, a tour of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312's hangar, a trip to the base's flight simulator, and lunch with Lt. Col. Todd S. Taylor, executive officer of Marine Aircraft Group 31.
Taylor said Kyle's courage personifies the Corps' core values.
"For Marines, courage is the will to persevere despite uncertainty, and we all wonder if we have what it takes until we are challenged," he said. "This young man, Kyle Drott, is a living example of courage, and his example is a goal that we should all strive for. We are honored to host him and his family."
Kyle was scheduled to finish his trip to Beaufort with a return to Parris Island to attend a Marine graduation today.
Ellie
Published Fri, Aug 8, 2008 12:00 AM
By PATRICK DONOHUE
pdonohue@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5531
Sitting cross-legged on the red turf of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island's Inchon Firing Range, a Marine rifle instructor by his side, 13-year-old Kyle Drott lowered his M-16 service rifle, wiped the sweat from his eyes and fired. His first shot -- right on target.
"Nice shooting, Dirty Harry," said his father, Earl, cradling an M-16 of his own. "But don't get too cocky."
"If we had this kid as a sniper, the war would already be over," said Sgt. Danny Gonzalez to a group of about a dozen Marines crowded around the range. "I'd be expecting a phone call and a knock on your door from recon."
Running through Parris Island's infamous Crucible, sparring with the depot's marital arts instructors, firing off a few magazines of live rounds at the range, Kyle, a Tyler, Texas, native who's battled lymphoma for the past two years, got a taste Wednesday of what it means to be made into a Marine. And he liked it.
"It's been everything I wanted and more," he said. "I expected to come out here and have everyone yelling at me."
While no one got in his face during his visit to the depot, Kyle said the experience to meet and interact with Marines only enhanced his love for the Corps.
"They're amazing," he said. "They're real people, you can sit down and talk to them and laugh with them. I love the Marines Corps now more than ever."
Kyle's visit to Parris Island and a visit Thursday to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort were the work of a coordinated effort between the Make-A-Wish Foundation's North Texas and South Carolina chapters.
Kyle's mother, Amy Drott, said she wasn't sure if the organization would be able to make her son's wish come true.
"This has been what he's wanted to do ever since he heard of Make-A-Wish, and the doctors said 'Pick something.' And they thought 'There's no way the Marines will do that,' and we didn't think they would either," she said. "To be able to be here and be doing this is amazing. Kyle's wanted to be a Marine since he was 9, and to be able to have your child experience what they've always wanted to do, and be a VIP in the process, is pretty incredible."
Kyle's desire to get an up-close look at Marine recruit training came as no surprise to his father, Earl.
"When this came up, I thought, 'Well, of course,'" he said. "Everybody here has bent over backward and gone the extra mile. They've been sparring with him, running through the obstacle course, working with him on shooting. It's way more than I expected.
"I thought we'd come see the place, I had no idea that he was going to come out of here feeling like he'd been a little recruit," Earl Drottsaid. "I'd be proud to have my kid be a United States Marine."
The Drotts' visit to the Lowcountry was the first time the Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Carolina has had a child, from South Carolina or elsewhere, request a visit to MCAS Beaufort or Parris Island, said Allison Wilder, wish coordinator.
"Both the air station and Parris Island have been wonderful to work with in planning all of the details of the wish," she said. "The Marine Corps has gone above and beyond to accommodate Kyle's specific requests, and I know that his experience will be one that he never forgets."
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of South Carolina, the state chapter of the national nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, granted 137 wishes in 2007, she said.
Kyle's visit to MCAS on Thursday included visits with the air station's fire rescue team, a tour of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312's hangar, a trip to the base's flight simulator, and lunch with Lt. Col. Todd S. Taylor, executive officer of Marine Aircraft Group 31.
Taylor said Kyle's courage personifies the Corps' core values.
"For Marines, courage is the will to persevere despite uncertainty, and we all wonder if we have what it takes until we are challenged," he said. "This young man, Kyle Drott, is a living example of courage, and his example is a goal that we should all strive for. We are honored to host him and his family."
Kyle was scheduled to finish his trip to Beaufort with a return to Parris Island to attend a Marine graduation today.
Ellie