Sergeant re-enlists on roof of JW Marriott

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The roof of the JW Marriott is 35 stories off the ground, and to get there people have to find their way through a small hatch that is carefully guarded.

That's exactly what a group of soldiers did just so they could give Sergeant Daniel Butler a special treat as he re-enlisted for another three years in the Army.

The plan was to be above the city with a view of the war memorials below. Plus, Sergeant Butler is about to join the 101st Airborne Division.

"He loves being in the air, would love to have re-enlisted in the air, and this was as close as I could get him without an airplane," explains Sergeant Jeff Jacobus, who who came up with the plan.

"It was a pretty good idea," said Sgt. Butler, a man of few words. "It was a great surprise."

The management of the JW Marriott is very picky about who can get on the hotel roof. Photographers were allowed on top of the building during the Super Bowl, but not since. The hotel gets requests all the time to go on the roof, including a recent one from a man who wanted to rappel down the building. The answer is almost always no.

"This one today," said General Manager Scott Blalock, "was one that we just couldn't resist."

For Sergeant Butler, it is also a way to say goodbye to Indianapolis. He's headed for Fort Campbell, Kentucky after serving as a recruiter here for the last two years.