Youngstown honors Liberty girl at 50th Pilot for a Day program

Published Sept. 4, 2012
910th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

YOUNGSTOWN AIR RESERVE STATION, Ohio -- Youngstown Air Reserve Station rolled out the red carpet August 31 for a young lady from Liberty battling leukemia during the 910th Airlift Wing's 50th Pilot for a Day program.

London Hairston, 11, was sworn in as an honorary second lieutenant after the 910th AW Public Affairs office contacted Akron Children's Hospital Mahoning Valley to find out who would be a good fit for the outreach program that began in June 2000.

"She's the right age where she'd be interested and be able to ask questions," said London's nurse, Katie Fabis.

London has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia since February 2010. She's been in remission for a year and a half, her father, Edward, said.

According to Edward, his daughter has endured one round of radiation treatments, and the rest has been all chemotherapy. Her last treatment was in June.

London's day began when she, her family and nurse were escorted onto the base by Maj. Brent Davis, chief of public affairs and HUMVEE chauffeur Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Joe Zufelt, and brought to the Community Activities Center.

There she was given a pilot's uniform, complete with a personalized embroidered nametag, a 757th Airlift Squadron ascot and personalized dog tags.

Col. William Phillips, 910th Operations Group commander, swore London in as a junior officer; Col. London's mother, Bernadette, pinned the 2nd Lt. officer rank insignia on her flight suit.

Representing Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council, Col. (honorary) Fred Kubli, Jr. gave London a C-130H Hercules aircraft model with her name printed above the crew door, replicating an aircraft crew chief's name and title. London also received a teddy bear in an Air Force uniform that she named Timmy. YARBCC has funded the PFAD program for more than four years. The Youngstown Air Reserve Base Community Council has raised money for the Pilot for a Day program for more than four years.
Next, the group escorted London to the operations group command center, where she walked among the air crew members and toured the facility.

From there, it was a short ride down the tarmac to a Youngstown C-130 Hercules aircraft that like London's model featured her name and honorary rank stenciled above the door.
The flightcrew taxied the aircraft down the tarmac and gave London a high-speed taxi down the runway.

Afterward, London poked her head out of the emergency crew exit atop the aircraft and waved for a few photos.

London rode from the tarmac to the Marine Corps section of the Navy Operational Support Center where she was allowed to fire training weapons hooked up to CO2 tanks that simulate the feel firing live ammunition.

"We're just trying to give these kids a ray of sunshine, with all the appointments and treatments they have to go through," said Davis. "We just want them to have an enjoyable day away from their problems."