Maryland boy battling cancer gets behind the scenes look at Joint Base Andrews

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — Among the heads of state and other dignitaries flying in and out of Joint Base Andrews for the NATO summit this week, a special honoree got to have his moment in the spotlight.

Major General Clyde Hicks was greeted with a red carpet welcome at the base. But the two-star general is not your typical member of the military. Afterall, he's only eight years old. 

Clyde was recently diagnosed with grade two intramedullary spinal astrocytoma and grade two neuroblastoma. He is currently receiving treatment at Children's National Hospital.

"This whole experience, we've used it as an opportunity to bring our family closer together," said Clyde's dad, Nate Hicks. 

The Check-6 Foundation wanted to give Clyde and his family a special day to remember. The foundation, founded in 2006 by Retired Air Force Colonel Rob Balzano, looks to provide special experiences and hope to families going through a difficult time. 

"This really is a life changing event for some families," Balzano said. "They've been through so much and we can't change that, but what we can do is replace it with some of the great memories we have here today." 

Clyde was the 35th child battling a serious illness hosted and honored as "Pilot for a Day" through the program. Clyde, along with his mom, dad and sister Clover, spent the day visiting different squadrons on Joint Base Andrews. The young general's wingmen for the day were Air Force Captain John Dansby and former number 35 of the Kansas City Chiefs, Christian Okoye. 

Clyde got to see a military helicopter up close, he tried his hand at flying with a virtual simulator and he sat in the cockpit of a KC-135, a plane that refuels jets in the air. 

He also saw the inside of the Maryland State Police helicopter, ate lunch on the First Lady's plane and tried on night vision equipment. But he said his favorite part of the day was seeing the military K-9 team in action. 

The day was filled with special memories for the entire family, and served as a reminder that there's a strong village that has their back. 

"There's no words," said Clyde's mom, Shelley Hicks. "We can never thank them enough for what they did for not just Clyde, but for Clover as well. We'll never been able to thank them. This was truly amazing."