Couple's grandson picked to appear in inauguration event

Christon Wesbrock renders a salute as Eagle Scouts present the colors during the presidential inauguration parade.

As people in the United States watched as the nation ushered in its next president, one Mountain Home couple had a more personal interest in viewing the ceremony.

Scanning the television screen at their home, Dave and Mary Lou Pursell were hoping to catch a glimpse of their grandson, Christon Wesbrock, who received a personal invitation to be a part of the inauguration parade on Jan. 20.

Wesbrock, an Eagle Scout, was one of just 54 Scouts across the United States that were selected to be a part of the procession. While most of those teens carried the flags of each state, Wesbrock was the one calling cadence to keep them walking in unison.

While their grandson was on screen for just a few fleeting moments, the Pursells spotted him standing behind the procession calling out the marching commands.

"That was great," said Dave Pursell, who admitted that he quickly went onto social media and shared the news with his family and friends.

Those selected to be in the parade had to be Eagle Scouts, Pursell added. In the case of his grandson, he earned that rank while his family served in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Eagle Scout project involved planning, designing and then constructing a small building for the Scout troop, which is affiliated with the Midnight Sun Council in interior Alaska, his grandfather said.

Born in Idaho Falls, Wesbrock and his parents often return to southern Idaho to visit their grandparents. In addition to staying in Mountain Home, the family often travels to Featherville, where the Pursells own a cabin.

Currently, the teen and his family live in the Washington, D.C., area. A high school senior, he serves as an assistant Scoutmaster with his troop and a company commandant with his school's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program.