Army Father Arranges Helicopter Visit At Denver School

DENVER (CBS4) - Thanks to his father, preschool student Oliver Ramos won some serious 'cred' today with his classmates.

Army Sgt. Charlie Ramos is home between deployments. What better time to make good on parental involvement at the school.

Sgt. Ramos pulled some strings and reeled in a Blackhawk helicopter from the United States Army. The craft landed in the center of the Clayton Early Learning campus Thursday morning, near the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard.

Clayton students were kept some distance away as it did, some huddled on the playground, others peering through the school's windows.

When copter's rotors came to rest, the first of the Clayton crowd to sprang into place. The students and staff listened to a presentation from the crew, then were escorted for a closer look or a walk through the copter's cabin.

Young Oliver, of course, was among them. He's part of Clayton's Denver Educare preschool, and has undoubtedly been promoted several ranks.

Sgt. Ramos is a member of the school's Father's Building Futures program which encourages fathers' increased presence in the school's activities and education.