Injured Marine Takes Flight at Palo Alto Airport

It was U.S. Marine Cpl. Farrel Gilliam's dream to fly a plane high up in the clouds. When he stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device, or IED, in Afghanistan, where he was stationed, he thought that might never happen.

However, friends from the Palo Alto Fire Department and Advantage Flight School decided to honor his service and sacrifice to his country by making that happen for him at the .

On Friday afternoon,  a brigade of fire trucks rolled into Palo Alto Airport's parking lot with recovering serviceman Gilliam to enjoy a spectacular afternoon above the clouds. Still under the care of the , Gilliam endured debilitating wounds in Afghanistan, which led to the amputation of both legs and tissue restoration to the entire right side of his body. With the tremendous support of family, including his flight instructor, Amy Gilliam, and older brother, Daniel Gilliam, the Marine pursued the chance of a lifetime to single-handedly take flight out of Palo Alto Airport. 

"A while ago, Farrel had come to me and expressed interest in flying a plane sometime," Amy Gilliam said. "I was on board and thought now would be great time to go fly. Daniel called up some people and put the event together, and I said, 'Let's do it'."

In the spirit of commemorating the perseverance of military troops, the fire department commissioned part of its local division to attend to the patients at the veterans hospital. Known around the fire station as Engine 5, these officers organizes events to get the veterans out of the ward and back on the road—such as when they gathered a band of motorcycles and took patients for a scenic day trip. After 20 years of going strong, the program continues to be an integral part of the fire department. 

"You do what you can to get them out of the hospital," fire Capt. Aaron Aguilar said. "Their spirit is inspirational and worth celebrating."