By Senior Airman Hailey Haux, Secretary of the Air Force
Public Affairs Command Information
WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force maintains a special
portrait display in the Pentagon as part of its commitment to honoring the
devotion and service of veterans. Volume VI will replace volume V of the Veterans
in Blue project this November.
The project started in 2010 as a way to honor pioneers of
the Air Force, and has continued to honor Airmen like former Capt. John M.
Hayes, now the 24th Congressional District of Texas military and veterans
affairs liaison, who recently toured the display.
“It’s pretty impressive and amazing to be part of this
group,” Hayes said. “It brings back a lot of Air Force memories -- the training
and leadership and a lot of values that actually last through today.”
The project, run by the Air Force Public Affairs Agency, is
in its sixth year and has told 144 Air Force veterans’ stories. The 1st Combat
Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, will debut this
year’s program.
Volume VI will feature leaders in government, multiple
industry CEOs, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, as well as veterans from World
War II, the Korea and Vietnam wars, and many others who continue making an
impact on society long after their Air Force careers are finished.
“Veterans in Blue is a program which connects the past with
the present,” said Larry Clavette, the director of the Air Force Public Affairs
Agency. “This year’s program will also feature many veterans telling their
stories via video to compliment the classic photo and biography each veteran
has had in the past. It’s a truly unique program which shows our Airmen, both
past and present, they are and were part of Air Force history and contributed
to making our organization great. This program is a guiding path for future
generations of Airmen to remember, and honor, their past.”
Displayed in a busy corridor of the Pentagon, the Veterans
in Blue selectees’ portraits often gain the attention of passersby who read the
short stories of a few veterans.
“I’ve read a lot of the stories and they are really
informative of all the significant things these people have done,” said Army
Col. Linda Kotulan, an Army service representative to the Defense Business
Board. “All these people aren’t all generals or senior leaders, but that’s
important because it shows the breadth of the Air Force population.”
The Veterans in Blue mission states the legacy of veterans
continues to grow to this day as the Air Force builds a future Airmen will be
proud to lead and serve in.
“This is very important, not only for Air Force publicity,
but it’s also good to recognize the veterans who are a big part of my life now,
too,” said Hayes, who served in Vietnam, flew 166 combat missions and earned a
Distinguished Flying Cross. “We can’t do enough for our veterans, especially
when you emphasize the Air Force part in these veterans’ lives … and in mine.”
Past Veterans in Blue selectees include Airmen such as Buzz
Aldrin, the second person to set foot on the moon; World War II veterans like
Doolittle Raider Richard Cole; and Medal of Honor recipients such as George
“Bud” Day.
Also among some of the finest and most courageous are
veterans such as retired Maj. Suzanne LaForest, medical; retired Senior Master
Sgt. Peter Karpawitz-Godt, supply; and former Tech. Sgt. Tap Gaoteote, aircraft
armament systems.
“I’ve wanted to see this for a long time,” Hayes said,
taking a quick glance at his portrait on the wall. “Looking at it on the
computer is something different than actually seeing it in person. It’s very
impressive, and I got to visit the Pentagon and as a military veteran’s liaison
for my congressman, it’s always important for me to visit with my contacts
here. But this is just a special treat to see this.”
Although nominations for Veterans in Blue Volume VI have
already been submitted, this is an annual project. Nominations for Volume VII
are now open and will be submitted next year through Air Force public affairs
offices around the world.
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