http://www.deseretnews.com/art…form-of-an-Army-jeep.html
For one 8-year-old boy and his friends, playing "Army" took on a completely different meaning, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and countless volunteers. Friday afternoon, a shocked and wide-eyed Mark Jeanes, known as "Marky" to many, was greeted in his backyard for his birthday by a large gathering of friends, family, military personnel and — most importantly — his much-longed-for "wish."
That wish happened to be quite unique for a boy of Mark's age.
"His exact wish was for a real Army jeep that he could play on," said Krachel Greenwood, communications manager for the foundation.
With the help of a special family friend, the U.S. Army and a vast number of other volunteers, Make-A-Wish was able to restore an old 1944 Willys Jeep as well as build an Army play set for Mark's yard, donating some 600 manhours of work for the sick youngster and his friends.
"It's one of the coolest backyards I've ever seen," said Wyatt Shosted, one of the many who helped to restore the World War II jeep. "The Jeep looks like a real Army jeep. If you looked at the beginning pictures of it, it didn't look anything like that." 
For Mark, who suffers from what doctors believe is an autoimmune disease that has attacked his intestines and left spindle cells striated throughout them, love for the Army and anything related to it comes from a logical source.
"It's something that has been institutionalized," Greenwood said. "His dad is in the Army; his grandpa is; his uncle is. He idolizes those people in his family."
According to Mark's family, the boy's obsession with the Army, combined with a playful imagination, has kept his life pretty busy.
"Marky just always loves playing with his little Army and Army stuff," said Mark's cousin, Brittany Beecher.
After hearing about Mark's health condition and his ultimate wish, local Army leaders and other military personnel were more than willing to get involved with the Make-A-Wish project.
"I had sent an e-mail to a number of friends at Hill Air Force Base, and that circulated," said family friend Ray Meldrum, a Jeep enthusiast who donated the 1944 Willys model. "I didn't know who they were, but they showed up full of energy and willing to work."
On top of helping out with the project, Army, Air Force and a number of other military branches were on hand at the surprise party as Mark was sworn into the U.S. Army and made an honorary paratrooper and captain.
"Today is really overwhelming. I wasn't expecting this," said Mark's father, James Jeanes, as he gestured with his arms at the crowd. "I kinda knew this was coming but didn't expect all this."
Luckily for Mark, according to his father, heavy doses of steroids and immune suppressant drugs have been successful in treating his rare disease.
Mark isn't out of the woods yet, and treatments will have to continue for several more years. But he now knows that he has a lot of support behind him in his recovery — as well as a shiny new jeep to play with every day.
"This is beyond his wildest dreams. I can't believe it," Beecher said.
