Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post
Ethan Moyer, 9, right, and his best friend Jake Smith, 10, take the Oath of Enlistment at the end of their day at the Denver MEPS. The final enlistment step is the swear-in — raising his hand
Ethan Moyer is far too young to worry about the rigors of military training or the dangers of combat. But the 9-year-old Emporian wanted to become a member of the U.S. Army, and his mom, Debbie Coleman, is very grateful that the Army and the Make-A-Wish Foundation came together to make it happen.
Especially because, when the foundation sat down with Ethan last December to determine what his wish would be, it seemed that no wish that didn’t involve the Army — such as a typical trip to Disneyland — would do.
“It just came back to (the) Army. And he wanted the Army base built in the backyard,” Coleman said with a laugh. “His first wish was to go to an Army base, was how it started out.”
But before doing that, Ethan, his mom and his friend Jake Smith went to the Military Entrance Processing Station in Denver on March 16 and met with an Army recruiter. Then, Ethan and Jake went through a two-day enlistment process — including simulation training — and were sworn in as soldiers.
“They put him through everything a soldier would go through,” Coleman said. “And once they got to the base (Fort Carson, Colo.), they promoted him to corporal.”
Ethan has focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a disease that damages the kidneys and gives him high blood pressure and cholesterol. His diet allows him just 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day and 15-18 grams of saturated fat. He takes four different medications, plus daily doses of fish liver oil.
“Basically, you either go into remission or you’ll eventually go into kidney failure,” Coleman said. “But his doctors are pretty optimistic that he will go into remission, and he is doing better.”
Coleman jokes that he talks about the Army “just a little bit.”
Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post
Ethan Moyer is issued boots, dog tags and his uniform at the Denver MEPS.
“He gets on the computer, prints stuff off,” Coleman said. “He can name a lot, some of the vehicles, and that’s what fascinates him the most... the vehicles. He likes the tanks.”
Still Coleman wasn’t sure that the Army could make Ethan’s wish a reality. But in February, she got a call from Maj. Cort Hunt at the MEPS in Denver, and Ethan’s big trip began to come together.
The boys’ training process — which included getting up at 0500 hours — included being taken through a rollover simulator and a convoy simulator, as well as riding in a tracker. Some of the simulation time involved engaging video enemies with virtual gunfire.
Ethan said the convoy and rollover simulators were his favorite part of training.
“On the convoy thingie, these bad guys will come running up on the screen and you have to shoot them,” he said. “And they can come and blow your vehicle up. And after (that), they take a break, and you can get down there and just shoot.”
Coleman was amazed at how the Army pulled off Ethan’s wish.
“Everybody was so nice,” she said. “Treated us nice. There were people that took off their vacation to come in and help. They were supposed to be on leave, and they turned it down for a day to come in and help. ...
“I was very impressed. I just wasn’t expecting quite that treatment.”
Because of at least one media report on Ethan’s trip that Coleman said incorrectly reported that Ethan’s illness is terminal, she said she wants people to know that Make-A-Wish isn’t for terminal people anymore.
“It’s for kids that have life-threatening illnesses... that needs to be put out there in the public. It’s not that anymore,” she said. “What they can do for a kid is just amazing — it’s the only word I can ever come up with.”
If what Coleman calls Ethan’s Army “phase” isn’t just a phase — that is, if his love of the Army stays with him as he grows up, and he wants a career in the military — Coleman said she would support him.
“It would be an honor for me, yes. If he grows up and he wants to be it, I think it’d be an honor for him to be a soldier,” Coleman said. “It scares me, though.”
Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post
Ethan Moyer, right, and his best friend Jake Smith read the military guidelines for personal conduct while waiting to sign their Army contract during their day at the Denver MEPS.
Ethan, showing he understands why, chimed in.
“Because, like, the first war I go in, I could die right then.”
“It’s true,” Coleman said. “I don’t know if he understands quite the seriousness. But yeah, as a mother, it is scary. But yeah, I’ll support anything he wants to do. ...
“He’s aware of it to a point. I think it’s still pretty amazing he wants to do this. And I think his experience down there just influenced him even more, because of how great everyone was.”
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Posted by hottopics (anonymous) on March 29, 2008 at 9:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that is totally wonderful. For any child that has to continually deal with difficult health issues deserves it. I for one am a huge fan of Childrens Mercy Hospital who puts everything into helping children such as Ethan. I hope this inspires more people in the community to donate to these wonderful causes for children. Even $5 makes a difference when many pitch in.
Congratulations Corporal Ethan!!!!
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