Story by Heike Dodge
Like many young boys back in 1997, 11-year-old Jake Heffron, a resident of Morrison County, had an interest in the military, aviation and survival. With his older brother already in Civil Air Patrol (CAP), it seemed natural for Heffron to also join, and he still remembers his first flight in a small airplane on an orientation flight through CAP.
kAm“%92E >6>@CJ @7 9@H :E 76=E =:7E:?8 @77 E96 8C@F?5 92D DEF4< H:E9 >6[” D2:5 w677C@?[ ?@H 2 >2;@C :? E96 rC@H (:?8 r@>A@D:E6 $BF25C@?[ H9@ C646?E=J C646:G65 9:D 46CE:7:65 7=:89E :?DECF4E@C WruxX C2E:?8]k^Am
kAmpD 2 4256E[ w677C@? =62C?65 E@ 7=J E9C@F89 r:G:= p:C !2EC@=] pE `g[ 96 C646:G65 9:D AC:G2E6 A:=@E =:46?D6] “x7 :E H2D ?@E 7@C rp![ x H@F=5 ?@E 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ 277@C5 :E 2E E92E E:>6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 :D 4FCC6?E=J 24E:G6 2D 2 >:DD:@? A:=@E 2?5 92D 7@4FD65 >F49 @7 9:D EC2:?:?8 @? E96 8C@F?5\D:56 @7 >:DD:@?D[ D6CG:?8 2D 2 8C@F?5 E62> =6256C 7@C D6G6C2= >:DD:@?D]k^Am
kAmw677C@? 92D 366? :?DECF>6?E2= :? E6249:?8 2:C4C27E 8C@F?5 92?5=:?8[ 7=:89E =:?6 >2CD92==:?8[ F?>2??65 26C:2= G69:4=6 @C:6?E2E:@?[ C6>@E6 4@?EC@= 2:C4C27E 2?5 @E96C 26C@DA246 E@A:4D E@ 4256ED 2?5 2C62 J@FE9 8C@FAD] w6 D6CG65 2D DBF25C@? 4@>>2?56C 7@C D6G6C2= J62CD[ 2D H6==]k^Am
kAm}@H[ w677C@? H2?ED E@ 8:G6 E92E @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ @E96C 4256ED]k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 2=H2JD H2?E65 E@ 8:G6 4256ED E96 D2>6 @AA@CEF?:EJ x 925 2D 2 E66?286C[ E@ 36 23=6 E@ 86E >J A:=@E’D =:46?D6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? a_`d[ 96 AC@G:565 >@C6 @C:6?E2E:@? 7=:89ED E@ 25F=ED 2?5 4256ED E92? ?62C=J 2?J @E96C rp! A:=@E :? |:??6D@E2] pD 2 rux[ 96 42? ?@H AC@G:56 E96 7=:89E EC2:?:?8 E@ 4256ED 2?5 25F=ED E92E H2D AC@G:565 E@ 9:>]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 A:=@E E92E 82G6 w677C@? 9:D 7:CDE 9@FC @7 7=:89E :?DECF4E:@? `d J62CD 28@ H2D :?DECF>6?E2= :? 96=A:?8 9:> 2EE2:? 9:D rux C2E:?8]k^Am
kAm“%@> !7:?8DE6? G@=F?E66C65 9:D E:>6 W@7X @G6C `__ 9@FCD[ 3J >J 6DE:>2E6[ E@ 96=A >6 244@>A=:D9 E9:D 8@2=[” w677C@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm!7:?8DE6?[ 2=D@ 2 >2;@C :? rp! 2?5 >6>36C @7 rC@H (:?8 r@>A@D:E6 $BF25C@?[ :D 2? 244@>A=:D965 A:=@E H:E9 @G6C e[___ 9@FCD]k^Am
kAm“x H2D G6CJ AC@F5 E@ 92G6 9:> 96=A >6 7:?:D9 >J 8@2=] x 2> G6CJ E92?<7F= 7@C 9:>[” w677C@? D2:5 @7 9:D >6?E@C]k^Am
kAm“y2<6 :D 2 D@=:5 2?5 <?@H=658623=6 A:=@E] w6 A2DD65 9:D rux AC24E:42= @? E96 7:CDE 2EE6>AE[ H9:49 :D :>AC6DD:G6[ D:?46 23@FE fd A6C46?E @7 rxu 2AA=:42?ED 5@ ?@E[” !7:?8DE6? D2:5]k^Am
kAmr:G:= p:C !2EC@=[ E96 4:G:=:2? 2FI:=:2CJ @7 E96 &]$] p:C u@C46[ D6CG6D E9C66 AC:>2CJ >:DD:@?Di 6>6C86?4J D6CG:46D[ H9:49 :?4=F56D D62C49 2?5 C6D4F6 3J 2:C 2?5 8C@F?5[ 2?5 5:D2DE6C C6=:67 @A6C2E:@?Dj 26C@DA246 65F42E:@? 7@C J@FE9 2?5 E96 86?6C2= AF3=:4j 2?5 4256E AC@8C2>D 7@C E66?286 J@FE9] rp! @A6C2E6D 2 7=66E @7 dd_ 2:C4C27E 2?5 :D 4C65:E65 3J E96 p:C u@C46 #6D4F6 r@@C5:?2E:@? r6?E6C Wpu#rrX H:E9 D2G:?8 2? 2G6C286 @7 fg =:G6D 2??F2==J] %96C6 2C6 2AAC@I:>2E6=J ac[___ J@FE9 A2CE:4:A2E:?8 :? rp! 4256E AC@8C2>D 2?5 de[___ >6>36CD ?2E:@?H:56]k^Am
kAm“rp! 82G6 >6 D<:==D E92E x ?66565 E@ 2EE2:? 2 DF446DD7F= 42C66C] %96 D62C49 2?5 C6D4F6 D:56 @7 rp! 82G6 >6 D<:==D E92E x 92G6 FD65 :? >J ;@3 :? =2H 6?7@C46>6?E[” D2:5 w677C@?[ H9@ 2=D@ D6CG6D 2D 2 56AFEJ H:E9 E96 |@CC:D@? r@F?EJ $96C:77’D s6A2CE>6?E] $:EE:?8 @? AC@>@E:@? 3@2C5D 2D 2 4256E :? rp! 92D 96=A65 w677C@? 36 DF446DD7F= :? ;@3 :?E6CG:6HD]k^Am
kAm“x 2=D@ =62C?65 E92E G@=F?E66C D6CG:46 42? 36 C6H2C5:?8[ 2?5 J@F 5@ ?@E 2=H2JD ?665 E@ 36 A2:5 7@C D@>6E9:?8 E@ 36 4@?D:56C65 H@CE9H9:=6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw677C@?’D 8@2= :D E@ 8:G6 324< E@ 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm“rp! A:=@ED 2C6 2== G@=F?E66C D@ x 92G6 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ :?DECF4E 4256ED H9@ H2?E E@ 364@>6 A:=@ED 2?5 96=A E96> C6249 E96:C 8@2=D[” w677C@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm~7 w677C@?’D 56D:C6 E@ 8:G6 324<[ !7:?8DE6? D2:5[ “%96 :?< :D?’E BF:E6 5CJ @? 9:D rux 46CE:7:42E6 J6E 2?5 96’D 2=C625J 366? FA :? E96 2:C :?DECF4E:?8]”k^Am
kAmw677C@? 2?5 !7:?8DE6? 2C6 >6>36CD @7 rC@H (:?8 r@>A@D:E6 $BF25C@?[ H9:49 >66ED |@?52J 6G6?:?8D 2E E96 qC2:?6C5 p:CA@CE] %@ 7:?5 @FE >@C6 23@FE r:G:= p:C !2EC@=[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^8@4:G:=2:CA2EC@=]4@>Qm8@4:G:=2:CA2EC@=]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAm k^Am
kAm k^Am
Post a comment as anonymous
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.