Hello to each of you. I hope you are all well and enjoying this beautiful day.
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I have exciting news to share with you. This past Sunday, June 8, my daughter Tena and my son-in-law Scott took me up to Beale Air Force Base to see our very own Oakdale Air Force Thunderbird in action.
SSgt Wyatt Bankus is the dedicated crew chief of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds.
Wyatt himself is a very humble hard-working young man. He has amazing knowledge and is one of the most friendly and compassionate young men you will ever meet. Wyatt blessed our family with VIP tickets to Sunday’s Beale Air Force Base Air Show. What a wonderful day we had.
We arrived at the Thunderbird VIP tent to find the most beautiful abundance of delicious food set up for our dining pleasure. Perfect barbecued steaks hit the spot and ice-cold drinks were plentiful. Comfortable seating in a huge VIP tent provided Thunderbird families and friends a cool retreat from the afternoon heat. The spacious tent was open wide in front so that we didn’t miss any of the amazing action. During the afternoon we watched the most magnificent planes fly and witnessed the most dazzling maneuvers in the bright blue sky. We saw the U-2 plane … it is known to fly so high the pilots have to wear astronaut suits. We watched as two T 38 Talon fighter jets flew alongside. We witnessed the amazing Osprey as it maneuvered out on the airfield, an amazing sight for sure. The F 18 Rhino Demo team was a magnificent sight to see and the C 35 Stratotanker did an in-flight refueling which was completely amazing.
We were excited to see Aarron Deliu, acrobatic and extremely talented pilot as he flew upside down and did amazing flying maneuvers in the air. Aaron would later come out into the Thunderbird area and shake hands, give high fives, fist pumps and hugs. He handed out posters and took pictures with the crowd. It was an amazing day for sure.
It was very special to everyone in the Thunderbird VIP area when our very own Oakdale Thunderbird, Wyatt Bankus, came out. Even the folks that were there to see other Thunderbirds were drawn to our Wyatt. It was a time to be proud. For me personally, I felt an amazing sense of pride and felt very much honored when our own Oakdale Thunderbird came out to greet the crowd.
For Wyatt, it was a special moment when he realized a very important person in his life had come to see him on this day. Oakdale High School ag teacher Isaac Robles had made the trip to Beale Air Force Base to see his former student. I watched with tears in my eyes as the two hugged and shook hands. It was a special moment between two men who have tremendous love and respect for each other. It was so heartwarming to see the admiration in Wyatt’s teacher’s eyes. Isaac Robles was joined by his son Dominic on this special day. Inside the VIP tent we met many of the family and friends of the Thunderbirds. One of the very youngest family members was just months old with sound proof headphones on. His little smile could light up the world. He and his beautiful mama were there to see their fighter jet pilot fly that afternoon … his mama was so proud as her husband later flew into the evening sky; she was thrilled as he flew high into the sky and then dropped down and made a low pass with his afterburners on.
Our day was made special once again when Wyatt came out one more time; he made sure our day was perfect. He joined us just before those amazing United States Air Force Thunderbirds came into view over the horizon. This time, he gave his Oakdale people the thrill of a lifetime. He handed us headsets in which we could hear everything said between the pilots in the sky and the ground control crew. I had never been to an air show … this will go down as such an exciting and definitely one of my most memorable experiences. Thank you, SSgt Wyatt Bankus for a very special day!
God bless our men and women in the United States military.
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As always you may reach me by email at winniemullins51@gmail.com or by text or telephone at 209-985-5233.
Until next time, “Happy Trails to All!”
