11th Armored Cavalry helps young man with rare disorder live dream of being a Soldier

By Sgt. Justin MayJune 12, 2018

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1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Ethan Larimer, center, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Honorary Blackhorse Trooper, and Grant Averill, Ethan's friend, are briefed about the capabilities of the vehicle mounted Browning M2 .50 Cal. Machine Gun at the National Training Center, Calif., o... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Troopers explain building clearance drills to Ethan Larimer, 11th ACR Honorary Blackhorse Trooper, and Daniel Larimer, Ethan's father and former Blackhorse Trooper, at the National Training Center, Calif., on June 1,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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IRVINE, Calif. -- Young Ethan Larimer has always dreamed of joining the Army and following in the footsteps of his father, Daniel Larimer, who was a "Blackhorse Trooper," as Soldiers of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment are known.

However, Ethan has a unique neurological disorder -- Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy type 4J, or CMT4J -- that will prevent him from joining the military. Because of his medical condition, Ethan has difficulty with motor functions and uses a wheelchair.

"Ethan has dealt with his disease very well," said Daniel Larimer. "He has been hospitalized for weeks on end at times as well as continuous physical therapy. One thing Ethan has taught me is that even if you have some barriers or limitations, that doesn't need to be your life."

Though Ethan will never be able to serve in the Army due to his disability, he still dreams of riding into battle on the back of tanks. When Ethan's mother, Victoria Perkins, contacted the 11th Armored Cavalry about fulfilling Ethan's dream, the famed Blackhorse Regiment was happy to oblige.

Ethan recently spent a day with Soldiers of the 11th Armored Cavalry, who helped Ethan check off all the items on his bucket list. Upon arrival to Regimental Headquarters, Ethan was inducted into the Blackhorse Honorary Rolls, an honor set aside for those who have served the regiment above reproach. The regimental commander then presented Ethan with the Regimental Command Team coins.

Ethan was able to see demonstrations of several guns, including the M240B Machine Gun, Browning M2 .50 Cal. Machine Gun, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, and M4A1 Carbine. He also got to drive his wheelchair into a tank and see a helicopter.

"Through his diagnosis and living with CMT4J, Ethan has shown great resiliency," said Col. Joseph Clark, Regiment Commander, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. "My interaction with Ethan was inspiring, because he maintains positivity, and refuses to allow his disability to stop him. Throughout the day, he was curious and asked many questions about what we do. His personality, his drive, and his grit is exactly what I look for in my troopers, and I am honored to have made him a Blackhorse Trooper."

Ethan was given a personal "Box Tour," an event where people are shown the ins and outs of training and battles at the National Training Center in Irvine, California. Then he led a platoon during building clearance drills through the streets of "Razish," a simulated town at NTC.

Later the 11th Armored Cavalry's Horse Detachment gave Ethan a tour of the stables and brought some of the horses out to greet the young Blackhorse Trooper. The Horse Detachment conducted a special demonstration for Ethan and his family to mark the end of Ethan's day.

"Even though I am no longer a service member, the post and the unit I was a part of really pulled out all the stops to accommodate my son," said Daniel. "We are all really grateful to come back and see what the Blackhorse has become and to hear 'Allons' again."