On March 24 of this year, Seth Cummings, a junior at Topeka West High School, had an opportunity few high school students are offered: pull the tail on a Paladin M10946 155 mm Artillery System.
Pulling the tail involves hooking a rope to the firing mechanism on the gun after the weapon is primed and loaded, then yanking the cord. The projectile that was launched from the Paladin hit the target approximately 20 miles away. After the three rounds were fired by the crew, there was still time to pose for a photo by the weapon.
Although, the first round surprised him by its sheer force, Cummings said pulling the tail was a thrill. “Explosions are always cool,” he said.
Cummings, a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, suffers from stage four Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue type of cancer found most commonly in older children and teens.
“We want to make as many memories as we can – putting a flag in the earth saying, ‘Seth was here,’” said Heather Cummings, Seth’s mother.
The chance to fire the Paladin was one of three wishes expressed by Seth. Those wishes reached Kansas Army National Guard CPT Benjamin Moore, who assisted in the planning of the Paladin event and two others.
“My mission is to support you and make sure you get your desired outcome,” CPT Moore told Cummings. “How can I help with your goals?”
Cummings was also offered a chance to shoot from an M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, an armored personnel carrier used by the Kansas Army National Guard, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas. After the shots were fired from the Bradley’s 25mm M242 chain gun, MSG Timothy Buchhorn, the master gunner, presented Cummings with a shell casing of the rounds he fired.
Cummings’ third wish was to take a flight aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. This wish was granted on March 30 by the Kansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment, headquartered in Topeka. Cummings flew with pilots CW3 Bodie Miller and CW3 Matthew Osborne and SPC Kolton Carbon, the flight’s crew chief.
“Seth had lots of questions [about] what we do and how we do it,” SPC Carbon said. “We did our best to answer them, and I am pretty sure that he wasn’t able to stump us on anything.”
The flight took him on a trip around Topeka, where he was able to see his house and experience what it’s like to fly in a military aircraft.
“The flight was awesome,” Seth said. “I finally got a ride in a military helicopter.
“I am very grateful for everything the Kansas National Guard has done for me,” he added, “and all the support that I have been given.”
Seth Cummings, 17, passed away on May 15. The Kansas National Guard posted the following message:
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend, Seth Cummings.
In the short time we knew Seth, he made an impact on the Kansas National Guard. He reminded us to live life to the fullest.
Our deepest condolences go to his family and friends.”
BY SSG Mark Nussbaumer, Kansas NATIONAL GUARD
