We all dream about what we want to be when we grow up as children. Whether we want to be a rock star, a policeman, a firefighter or doctor, there’s no question that when we’re kids we don’t put limits on our dreams. One little boy, in particular, has made it his goal to become a soldier in the Queen’s Guard.

Meet Marshall Scott, the 4-year-old boy that knows he was born to protect her majesty by serving in the Queen’s Guard.

As parents, it’s our job to encourage the hopes and dreams of our little ones. To help bestow the confidence in them it takes to work hard at reaching your goals. This is one job that Marshall’s mom, Imogen Scott, takes to heart.

So, when she was planning her courageous son’s 4th birthday, she knew it had to include a trip to see the Queen’s Guard.

With that in mind, the doting mom planned an outing to Windsor Castle so her son could watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Marshall doesn’t want to be just any soldier, though. He wants to be a Coldstream Guard. Formed in 1650, The Coldstream Guards are the oldest regiment to actively fight and labor for the UK’s interests.

Known as a fierce fighting regiment and hailed for their acts of courage throughout their 370-year history, Marshall must truly be a brave little boy to choose them to serve under in the Queen’s Guard.

The little boy was so excited about getting to see the Queen’s Guard that he even dressed up in his Coldstream costume.

Marshall looked so adorably charming dressed in his formal attire. With his red waistcoat and bearskin hat, he looked the part perfectly. Even the tourists were impressed by the tiny soldier’s dedication, and many of them stopped to have their photo taken with him.

Just getting the chance to be at Windsor Castle in the presence of his heroes was more than Marshall could have hoped for. As it turned out, though, there was a much bigger surprise in store for the devoted tiny soldier. One that neither he nor his mom knew about.

It began with the Changing of the Guard.

Marshall and his mom were standing next to the keep when the line of guardsmen went marching by. As they were marching toward the keep to the changing quarters, Marshall mustered his innermost soldier and threw up a hand in salute to his heroes as they marched past him.

While that was about as close as anyone expected the little boy to be able to get the stoic soldiers, one guardsman had something else in mind.

After the guards had marched into the keep, Lance Corporal Edden halted and turned to march back out toward the tiny soldier that had saluted them.

He used a hand gesture to bid Marshall to come over and stand next to him for a photo together. Fortunately, one of the tourists, Joanna Feng, was recording the entire time and caught the rare and special birthday gift from the soldier on camera. The precious video has warmed the hearts of millions of people around the globe.

Little Marshall stood straight as an arrow next to the compassionate Coldstream Guard while giving a perfect salute to the camera.

After going viral, The Evening Standard interviewed the kindhearted guardsman, inquiring what had possessed him to turn around for the little boy.

“Usually I would just take the guardsmen in the guardroom as normal – but my wife and I are expecting a baby boy, and I remembered standing at Edinburgh Castle when I was younger hoping to get a picture with a soldier. I noticed Marshall in a Coldstream guards uniform, and seeing him coming out made me proud of what I do,” Lance Corporal Edden told the news publication.

While this was what Imogen Scott said Marshall described as “HIS BEST BIRTHDAY EVER” the Queen’s Guard had one more gift in store for the loyal little soldier.

After the video of the guardsman going out of his way to make Marshall’s day went viral online, the Coldstream Guards uploaded a link to it on their Facebook page with a very special message for Marshall in the caption:

“We have a spot reserved for him at the Army Foundation College Harrogate for the March 2029 intake.
#FutureGuardsman#ColdstreamGuards“

All of this just goes to prove that dreaming big really does pay off in the end. Or, in Marshall’s case, in the beginning. To see this stoic Coldstream Guard break formation to give a little boy the birthday of a lifetime, watch the video below.

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Source: ABC News, Evening Standard, Facebook/Imogen Echo Scott, Facebook/Coldstream Guards