𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿

Today, as we honor all who have worn the uniform, I reflect on the quiet strength, sacrifice, and lifelong service of my amazing dad, 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗚. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗼. I think about him and the lessons he taught me every day. But on Veteran's Day, I always feel it's important to pause and consider his impact a little differently... 

He was part of a proud, elusive brotherhood within the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗶𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 (perhaps today known as the 16th Air Force) – also known as the “𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀.” Their mission was so secretive and essential that the world rarely saw their contributions, even as those silent acts brought safety, security, and intelligence to our nation’s front lines.​

Growing up, I learned early that certain habits, like never sneaking up on Dad while he slept on the couch, were rooted in duties most could never guess. 

After his service (it seemed), I watched him work with mainframes and punch cards, never fully understanding what those late nights meant, just as I never truly understood the burdens he carried from his time in uniform. 

Despite his pride in earning the 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿, despite a life lived with the worry that exposure to 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 might impact me or my brother or sister, those years remained largely unspoken - classified by duty and sealed by honor.​

Like many from the USAFSS, Dad’s records were shadowed by the nature of his assignments, often making it nearly impossible to unearth documentation for medical needs. But long after his last Air Force day, he carried the core values our airmen and women hold dear:

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗲 𝗗𝗼.

Whether the world ever saw it or not, his life was a testament to these principles - quietly lived, fiercely felt.

So today, I honor all Veterans, but especially the Silent Warriors like my Dad, who carried the weight of secrecy, service, and sacrifice - often without recognition, always with unwavering dedication. Whether their contributions are stamped in public record or hidden in classified files, their impact, and their legacy, live on.

Thank you, Dad, for your lifetime of service, and thank you to every Veteran for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Dad & some of his Silent Warrior brothers at a reunion in 2007; Rest in Peace to those no longer with us.