Meeting Marvel Comics iconic superhero creator Stan Lee at the March 3 Emerald City Comicon in Seattle was a dream come true for some Joint Base Lewis-McChord service members.

It also was a pretty exciting time for Lee, as he was surprised by JBLM Soldiers with an induction into the Signal Corps Regimental Association and an honorary membership into the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Lee served as a lineman in the Army’s Signal Corps during World War II.

“Oh wow! Thank you; this is great,” Lee said as Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Jones, 2-3 Inf., presented him with a certificate for a lifetime membership in Signal Corps as well as a coin from Jones’ battalion. “This

is one of my proudest moments.”

The event came about after Jones — a big Spider-Man and other Marvel superheroes fan — was planning to attend the comicon in Seattle. He read up on Lee, ultimately discovering his hero wasn’t yet a member of the prestigious Signal Corps organization.

“Stan Lee is one of the biggest names in comic books,” Jones said, the awe apparent in his voice. “I mean, he’s the creator of Spider-Man.”

Lee also was a World War II veteran , having enlisted in the Army in 1942, shortly after hearing of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

“He was a lineman for Signal Corps before the Army realized his writing skills and moved him into technical writing and doing posters,” Jones said.

During his research, Jones said he read an article about Lee that inspired him to see if Lee was already a member of the Signal Corps Regimental Association.

“I found out he wasn’t a member, and I thought, ‘Let’s make him one,’” Jones said. “I mean, why wouldn’t we?”

In early January, Jones reached out to the national Signal Corps office and then contacted comicon, who gave Jones and a handful of other service members the opportunity to meet and honor Lee.

Jones said he has been a comic book enthusiast since he was a young boy.

“I read any comics, but the Marvel comic books spoke to me,” he said. “I’m a huge Marvel fan.”

To Jones, Marvel superheroes are more authentic than those of other comics.

“Superman puts on suit and pretends to be Clark Kent, but Peter Parker is Peter Parker and he puts on a costume to be Spider-Man,” he said.

Jones has attended several comicons in other cities. His first one was in Germany in 2012 when he was stationed in Italy and undergoing cancer treatments in Germany.

“I figured I was in Germany and only a few hours away, so why not go,” he said.

Jones’ wife, Calan, accompanied him to that event and also to the one in Seattle. The Emerald City Comicon was much larger than the Germany event, Jones said.

“The Washington State Convention Center (where the event took place) was packed,” he said, estimating about 90,000 attended the event.

Although Lt. Col. Christopher Nunn, the battalion commander, wasn’t able to attend the event, he sent a battalion coin for Jones to present to Lee. The event was streamed live on social media for all the world to see how much Lee was affected by the honor.

“He was generally excited and seemed really touched,” Jones said of Lee. “He even wanted to take pictures with us. I was really honored by that.”

Lee, who will turn 95 in December, seemed happy to receive the honors.

“That’s beautiful,” he said, as Jones presented him with the battalion memento.

“Well, thank you and thank your battalion commander,” Lee said. “I’m thrilled; I really am.”

When it was pointed out he was getting a lifetime membership in Signal Corps, Lee was even more excited.

“I’m going to have to live a little longer to get my money’s worth,” Lee said.