Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON -- A small boy in flight gear walks side-by-side with a Marine pilot.  They are mirror images of one another as they approach an AH-1W, Super Cobra, attack helicopter. 

A captain sees that the 6 year-old passenger is fastened tightly into the front seat of the cockpit and the major settles in the rear seat.  The engines begin to roar, producing the torrid spin of the rotors, and heat waves, which ripple against a blue, cloudless Southern California sky.  As wash from the now invisible blades blows small debris off the flight line, the aircraft begins to lift off the ground and a "wish" has become reality.

One-and-a-half years ago, at the age of 5, William Grassell, of Pinedale, Wyoming, was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor in the cerebellum region of his brain.  Fortunately, the initial prognosis was that the tumor had been caught early enough that Will could make a full recovery.

Shortly after the discovery, Will began chemotherapy.  The family employed a well-known brain surgeon from Salt Lake City.  The radiation treatment was two-fold - one concentrated on the area containing the tumor, the other was a less potent radiation treatment used over a large area of his body.  After the tumor was under control, the doctor removed it during surgery.

"Between the radiation and surgery, the doctor was able to remove all of the tumor.  Only through the miracles of science and medicine can Will now go on to lead a full and healthy life," said Lynn Grassell, his mother.

After such an ordeal, the Make-a-Wish Foundation decided that Will deserved a chance of a lifetime - have his one most-wanted wish granted.     

The boy wanted to see "Top Gun", a naval aviator's course which is now located in Fallon, Nevada.  Will hopes to be a fighter pilot when he grows up and wanted to get a jump-start on the competition.

The Wyoming chapter of the Make-a-Wish Foundation contacted Chief Petty Officer Kurt Kalbfleisch at Fleet Combat Training Center in Point Loma in mid-July.

Kalbfleisch contacted the public affairs office at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, early October.

In late November, the plan was set - Will would get to fly in a Cobra.

The Grassel's arrived in San Diego Jan.15 and began what Lynn Grassel said was their first family vacation in about two years.

January 16, the family visited MCAS Miramar and toured the base to include the flightline.

Will was issued mock gear including a flightsuit, name patch with his call sign "Grass", and a helmet. 

An FA-18 Hornet pilot led the family out to a jet and showed them around the aircraft.  Afterward, they went into the flight simulator and allowed Will to fly the plane for a while.

"He asked a lot of questions while in the simulator, including
whether or not he could blow up the air station," said Kalbfleisch.

"During the flight, Will toured all of San Diego and MCAS
Miramar.  The simulated aircraft was then loaded with rockets and Will blew up the air station several times."

The next day, Will and his family trekked to Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 303.  The family met the squadron's commanding and executive officers and the pilot of the cobra, Maj. Scott Cauthen, operations officer, HMT-303.  Cauthen presented Will with an authentic flightsuit and HMT-303 patches.  With Will's three sisters running around the room, Cauthen quickly briefed the family on what was planned for the day and whisked them to the flight simulator.

Will, speaking very sparingly, entered the simulator - which is used to train for flying in the front seat of the Cobra.  Accompanying him was Capt. Christopher Oballe, an instructor at HMT-303.  In the simulator used to train for the backseat, Cauthen accompanied Chopper, Will's father.  Chopper was given the opportunity to control the helicopter while Will fired missiles at various targets, to of course include the air station here. 

From the simulator, the Grassell's were taken back to HMT-303 and enjoyed a lunch consisting of burgers and fries.  While eating, Cauthen explained that for Will his call sign was "Beaker", "Jaguar" to everyone else, and Will's was "Rocket."  During this brief, Cauthen asked Will questions and started to get him talking, something Will had done very little of after his arrival.

Will received his helmet for the day, and the entire family was off to see the Cobra that Will would fly.  The family moved back as Will was placed in the aircraft and snugly fastened down.  With all the pre-flight procedures complete, the helicopter was off and Will's big adventure began.

During what Cauthen would later call "one of the greatest flight opportunities" of his life - the Cobra was guided to the empty field on Vandegrift Blvd.

Here, Cauthen masterfully glided the Cobra close to the Earth  performing several different fly-bys.  One showed the side of the cockpit so Will could excitedly wave to his family.  During this time, Lynn and Chopper were kept in radio contact with Will. 

While trying to talk with Will, Chopper was cut short by Will with " hold on Dad, we've got to land right now!"

With this Chopper was prompted to say, "it may not seem like it now, but we're going to hear about this every night for the next six months."

The remainder of the flight, during which Will became quite talkative, said Cauthen, took Will all over Pendleton, including the opportunity to try and find both whales and buffalo.

With the day complete, and Will grinning from ear-to-ear, the family loaded into their white mini-van and drove off.  With a tour of the USS Constellation and Disneyland still on the itinerary before flying home, the children needed all the rest they could get.

"The entire family was ecstatic about how well the day went, said Cauthen.

"This was a great opportunity for us to get back in touch with the citizens we protect and give something back to the community that supports us (Marines) unfailingly."