Army Grants Dying Boy His Fondest Wish
- Share via
SAN FRANCISCO — A dying boy who dreamed of joining the U.S. Army became an honorary colonel during a ceremony at the Presidio.
Robert Wheeler Jr., 9, whose family includes five generations of Army combat veterans, was flown by helicopter Friday to the Army Presidio airstrip and driven to Presidio headquarters in a police car with screaming sirens.
The boy, who suffers from a brain tumor doctors say is terminal, was honored by a procession of officers who loaded him with honorary insignia.
“Things haven’t been going our way for a long time,” his misty-eyed mother said. “But today they did.”
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
