FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Two incredible things happened to Christopher Coleman Oct. 21. His dreams of being a Soldier in the U.S. Army were fulfilled - and he got to retire 15 minutes later.
Coleman, who has Down's syndrome, was inducted as an honorary Soldier by Capt. Joseph Miller, commander of the Potomac Recruiting Company.
Besides being given an official Army Combat Uniform shirt and certificate of appreciation, the "Soldier for a day" received several T-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, backpacks and other Fort Belvoir memorabilia courtesy of the Post Retention Office and Military Police.
Installation Commander Col. Jerry Blixt and Installation Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Berhane even stopped by to personally thank their new friend for all his support and told him it's okay to come back and visit anytime.
"It's too bad we didn't have more time together. I could've used your help today," Blixt joked with Coleman. "Thanks for your desire to be a part of our team. It means a lot to us."
Blixt remarked, "Being a private can be rough," and told Coleman the next time he visited, they would make him a corporal.
"Actually, I have an even better idea," Blixt said, then took the colonel's rank from his uniform and placed it on Coleman's. "Wear it proudly," he said.
Originally planned as an all-day outing, the two leaders wanted to take Coleman and his family for a tour around Belvoir. Their schedules, however, didn't permit the time. Despite the change of plans, Berhane was still happy to take part in the special ceremony.
"It's a privilege to enlist him as an honorary Soldier. It's serious business being a Soldier. To know this has been his dream for so long makes me feel good about what I do," Berhane said. "Normally, retirement comes 20 years later, but we'll make an exception today."
A graduate of Marshall High School in Fairfax, Coleman will be 32 on Veterans' Day. A sports enthusiast, he has won numerous medals through the Special Olympics, including an international gold medal in basketball - his favorite sport of all. Coleman also plays baseball at Eddie's Club - a challenger league for the handicapped in Springfield.
"Chris will be talking about this for a long time. I'm sure he'll even be sharing some of his gifts with co-workers," said his stepmother, Amy. "This was a big thrill for him and I can't thank everyone at Fort Belvoir enough. They opened their hearts up to him and we're thrilled the Army allowed this to happen."
His stepmother also gave special thanks to Pauline Hunter, the installation's chief of Community Relations. Hunter, who has known the Coleman family for many years, suggested a ceremony in Coleman's honor as part of the Army's "Year of the NCO" campaign.
"This experience has made Chris so happy. Without a doubt, it's one of the highlights of his life," his father, Lou, added. "We owe Pauline and the Soldiers who helped make this possible a very big thank you. They really came through for him today."
Social Sharing