The Zoo

The early morning sun had lighted the mountains behind and the plains to the east but has not yet peeked over the horizon.

A small flock of wild turkeys were pecking at goodies in roadside grass comfortably close to the safety of pine forest. Perhaps a thousand feet above us a Super Cub was tugging a longer winged glider to altitude. An idyllic scene as we are driving down the hill from our visiting quarters (military speak for hotel/motel) to a favorite IHOP for breakfast. Yes, Grannie Annie and this old former cadet had returned to visit the Air Force Academy.

Our mission was two-fold last week. One of joy by gathering with former classmates in celebrating our first meal together; 306 of us on that memorable day back on July 11, 1955. Now a handful of old guys along with spouses and a few progeny plus family friends. Ah the memories (some even true) of our time together for service in war, military careers and life after retirement. Our meal that recent evening was much more relaxed with great food and better beverages than that first repast so long ago. A toast in memory and respect to all those who have gone on ahead to meet their maker.

Our second mission next day was to attend the funeral for Al Waters, Colonel USAF retired. Al and his family had been good friends in school and throughout our active duty. We kept in touch over the years as our families matured. With new babies Ann and his wife Janet exchanged babysitting duties while we husbands attended to military affairs, Al flying the RC-121 super Connies and I the lumbering KC-97 air refueling tanker off Otis AFB on Cape Cod. It was a good life.

Actually, Al had died in 2014 a victim of too many years of torment from Alzheimer’s disease lovingly cared for to the end by his wife Rn qualified Janet. In a continuing service to mankind Al and his family dedicated his body to medical science. At the end of that research his remains were cremated and so we had gathered to celebrate a life well lived and place his ashes into a columbarium at the beautiful Air Force Academy cemetery. Closure at last.

Having been a part of the Academy from its beginning it only feels natural to cast a wary eye on the current state of affairs at our beloved institution. This old guy is a bit uncomfortable with the recent selection of the new Commandant of Cadets who took office the first of July. The new one-star general is female and replaces a splendid one-star lady who has served well over the past few years. No doubt the new Comm is well qualified, an Academy grad and pilot flying many of the current airframes. She also served in several leadership billets in flying organizations. Somehow I am reluctant to endorse her as she is also married to another woman. For me, that is an abomination in my Christian beliefs—just not a great example to follow for the young cadet students she now commands. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. Time will tell the probity of her selection.

I have always been proud of the Air Force in how we handled the integration of our branch of the military service. President Truman in 1949 signed an order that there would no more segregation by race in the military. The Air Force got on board early and by the time that I served skin color was no longer a factor. Later on, about the time that I retired, women were to be allowed to serve in all facets of military service. Again the Air Force led the way and now women fly in combat and serve in all positions of leadership. A former tanker squadron mate and friend’s daughter was the first four-star general in the Air Force.

On our recent visit to the Colorado Springs area we had dinner with former McCook lady Linda Aldrich who was the first female to serve as a launch officer on a Minuteman crew, the nuclear tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles. Linda then went on to command a Minuteman Squadron out of F.E Warren AFB, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Now Colonel USAF retired Linda offered a bit of personal insight. She noted that in any pioneering role as she in missiles and earlier when I was in the first class at the Academy, individuals tend to get tired and frustrated at constant attention given by media and others. I got in trouble from a hometown newspaper interview in 1956 when I commented that we cadets sometimes felt like animals in a zoo with an endless stream of visitors coming by to look in on us. All we wanted to do was study and do the best we could as cadets. The Academy was not pleased and I was directed to mend my ways. As an aside former cadets even today refer to our old school as the “Zoo”. Linda noted the same feelings when she was uplifted as a “first” when all she wanted to do was to serve as the best launch officer possible.

Still, this old former cadet has concerns about the current effort of progressive civilian leadership to force gender and transgender training and acceptance of such individuals down the throats of our current military. Gay and transgender individuals make up a very small percentage of our military as they do in our civilian life. I am sure that most would welcome anonymity as they go about their daily duties rather than being made examples for those pushing what I consider a warped agenda. More power to Secretary of Defense ”Mad Dog” Mattis in delaying forced transgender training on my military brothers and sisters.

That is how I saw it.

Dick Trail