River Nimmo spent most of his short life fighting cancer, finally passing away in his mother’s arms at age five. River, who went by “Oakley,” dreamed of a life in the military as an “Army man,” dressing in camouflage and playing with toy guns on his better days. Following the announcement of his passing, Oakley’s family appealed to members of the military to attend their son’s funeral.

Soon after, the Nimmo’s request went viral, attracting the attention of online group U.S. Army W.T.F! Moments which states their mission as, “We strive to be positive members of the military community, past and present, by raising awareness of needs or events.” Their Facebook page, which frequently post alerts to their online community to honor members of the military that have passed away, currently has over 1.2 million followers. After seeing the Nimmo’s request to honor their son, a call for attendance went out.