By RON COLQUITT
Air Force fighter pilots are the brave ones but their wives must be the strong ones, Dell Stone said.
kAmw6C 9FD32?5[ C6E:C65 p:C u@C46 r@=] #@36CE $E@?6 @7 p=6I2?56C r:EJ[ H2D 4C:E:42==J :?;FC65 H96? 96 H2D D9@E 5@H? @G6C }@CE9 ':6E?2> :? `hef] $96 DH62E65 @FE `g 52JD 2H2:E:?8 H@C5 @? 9:D 4@?5:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 >@E96C @7 E9C66 49:=5C6? D2:5 72>65 rq$ E6=6G:D:@? ;@FC?2=:DE (2=E6C rC@?<:E6 3C@<6 E96 ?6HD 23@FE 96C 9FD32?5]k^Am
kAm|CD] $E@?6 D2:5 :? 2 C646?E :?E6CG:6H E92E rC@?<:E6 5:5?’E >6?E:@? 96C 9FD32?5 3J ?2>6 5FC:?8 9:D %' C6A@CE @7 E96 :?4:56?E] rC@?<:E6 925 :?E6CG:6H65 %@?6J w2?D@?[ E96 96C@:4 }2GJ >2? H9@ 96=A65 C6D4F6 $E@?6 7C@> E96 ;F?8=6 2?5 H9@ C646?E=J G:D:E65 E96 $E@?6D 2E E96:C 9@>6 @? {2<6 |2CE:?]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D D9@E 5@H? @? yF=J E96 D64@?5[ 2?5 E92E ?:89E (2=E6C rC@?<:E6 H2D @? E6=6G:D:@? 2?5 x H2E4965 :E 3642FD6 6G6CJ @?6 @7 @FC 7C:6?5D H6C6 36:?8 D9@E 5@H?[ 36:?8 <:==65[” |CD] $E@?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(6 H2E4965 :E 6G6CJ >:?FE6] %@?6J H2D @? E6=6G:D:@? E92E ?:89E H:E9 (2=E6C rC@?<:E6 2?5 96 H2D E6==:?8 23@FE E96 A:=@E 96 925 A:4<65 FA[ 2?5 96 H2D 2=:G6 2?5 4C:E:42==J :?;FC65[ 3FE ?6G6C D2:5 9:D ?2>6]”k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE 52J[ |CD] $E@?6 D2:5 D96 8@E 2 E6=68C2> :?7@C>:?8 96C E92E 96C 9FD32?5[ |2;] #@36CE t] $E@?6[ 925 366? D9@E 5@H? @G6C }@CE9 ':6E?2> @? yF=J a 2?5 96 925 366? 4C:E:42==J :?;FC65 H:E9 2? F?56E6C>:?65 AC@8?@D:D]k^Am
kAm“p?5 7@C `g 52JD[ 9:D AC@8?@D:D H2D F?<?@H? E@ >6[” D96 D2:5] “x 5:5?’E <?@H H96C6 96 H2D @C H92E 4@?5:E:@? 96 H2D :? @C H92E H2D 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6? E@ FD[ 2?5 x 925 E9C66 49:=5C6?[” 286D `a[ h 2?5 d]k^Am
kAm|CD] $E@?6 7C2?E:42==J 3682? 42==:?8 p:C u@C46 7C:6?5D 27E6C 96C 9FD32?5 H2D D9@E 5@H? @G6C }@CE9 ':6E?2>]k^Am
kAm“p 7C:6?5 H2D 23=6 E@ 4@?7:C> 96 H2D :? s2 }2?8 W$@FE9 ':6E?2>X 2?5 96 H2D 36:?8 D6?E E@ r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 E96? E@ (2=E6C #665 W2 >:=:E2CJ 9@DA:E2= :? (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r]X[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm|:=:E2CJ @77:4:2=D =2E6C E@=5 96C $E@?6 H2D 36:?8 EC2?D76CC65 E@ 2 9@DA:E2= 2E z66D=6C p:C u@C46 q2D6 :? q:=@I:[ |:DD:DD:AA:[ 23@FE 2? 9@FC’D 5C:G6 7C@> |@3:=6]k^Am
kAm$E@?6 D2:5 96 C6BF6DE65 z66D=6C H96? 8:G6? 2 49@:46 @7 H96C6 96 H2?E65 E@ C64@G6C 7C@> 9:D >2DD:G6 :?;FC:6D]k^Am
kAmp7E6C =62C?:?8 96C 9FD32?5 H@F=5 6G6?EF2==J C64@G6C[ |CD] $E@?6 D2:5 D96 “H2D 2=:G6 282:?] x H2D C6?6H65 282:? 3642FD6 x 5:5?’E <?@H H92E x H2D 8@:?8 E@ 5@] xE H2D ;FDE G6CJ[ G6CJ 5:77:4F=E[ x 42? E6== J@F]”k^Am
kAm#@36CE $E@?6 yC][ H9@ :D ?@H ec 2?5 H2D `a H96? 9:D 72E96C H2D D9@E 5@H?[ D2:5 96 C6>6>36CD E96 52J 96 =62C?65 @7 E96 :?4:56?E]k^Am
kAm“*@F 925 2=H2JD 962C5 @7 E9:D <:?5 @7 DEF77[ 6DA64:2==J 2E E92E 286[” 96 D2:5 C646?E=J 2E 9:D A2C6?ED’ 9@>6] “(6 E2=<65 6?@F89 2D <:5D E92E J@F <?6H H92E J@F 4@F=5 A@E6?E:2==J 6IA64E]k^Am
kAm“x H2D :? H2=<:?8 5:DE2?46 @7 E96 D49@@=] p?5 DFC6 6?@F89[ E96C6 H6C6 EH@ p:C u@C46 42CD @FED:56] (6 =:G65 @? 2 9:== 2?5 E96C6 H2D 2 DE66A 5C:G6H2J[ D@ x C2? FA E96 9:==[ C2? :?D:56 E96 7C@?E 5@@C[ 2?5 E96C6 H6C6 8FJD :? >:=:E2CJ F?:7@C>D]”k^Am
kAm$E@?6 D2:5 96 56>2?565 E@ <?@H H92E 925 92AA6?65 E@ 9:D 72E96C]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ3@5J H2D D2J:?8[ ‘*@FC 525 :D ~z[ 96 H2D D9@E 5@H?]’ u@C 2 `a\J62C\@=5[ E92E H2D 23@FE 2D >F49 2D J@F 4@F=5 A@DD:3=J 4@>AC696?5]”k^Am
kAm$E@?6 yC] D2:5 E96 72>:=J 2?I:@FD=J 2H2:E65 |2;] $E@?6’D EC2?D76C E@ z66D=6C] (96? 96 H2D 3C@F89E :? @? 2 8FC?6J[ $E@?6 D2H 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 D2:5 E@ 9:D H:76[ “w6J 3236[ 9@H 2C6 J’2== 5@:?8n” 9:D D@? C642==65]k^Am
kAm$E@?6 H2D 2E E96 z66D=6C 9@DA:E2= 7@C 23@FE `_ >@?E9D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 9:D D@?[ H9@ D2:5 96 H2D 92AAJ E@ H:E?6DD 9:D 72E96C’D D=@H C64@G6CJ]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D FA 2?5 E2=<:?8[” $E@?6 yC] C642==65] “%96 C6DE 5:5?’E >2EE6C] %96 724E E92E 96 H2D 4=62C\6J65 2?5 4@F=5 DA62< E@ J@F[ <?6H H9@ J@F H6C6 2?5 96 H2D 2=:G6[ :E H2D :?DE2?E C6=:67]”k^Am
kAm$E@?6 yC] D2:5 96 H2D 23@FE `e J62CD @=5 H96? 9:D 72E96C G@=F?E66C65 7@C 2?@E96C E@FC @7 5FEJ :? `hfb] %92E J62C[ p>6C:42’D :?G@=G6>6?E :? E96 ':6E?2> (2C H2D D=@H=J 6?5:?8]k^Am
kAm~?46 282:?[ $E@?6 H2D DE2E:@?65 :? %92:=2?5 3FE E9:D E:>6 96 7=6H r\`b_ A=2?6D E@ E96 }@CE9 ':6E?2> 3@C56C] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 4@=@?6=[ E96 4C6H @7 E96 r\`b_ 5:C64E65 2:C DEC:<6D E9C@F89@FE E96 H2C\H62CJ 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
kAm“x 25>:C6 9:> E96 >@DE 3642FD6 96 H6?E 324< 2?5 4@>>2?565 E92E 3@>36C DBF25 :? %92:=2?5[” $E@?6 yC] D2:5] “%@ 8@ 324< 27E6C 2== @7 E92E[ 2?5 E@ DE2J :? 7@C 2?@E96C D6C:6D @7 J62CD[ E92E’D 565:42E:@?] %92E’D E92E 7:89E6C A:=@E >6?E2=:EJ]”k^Am
kAm|CD] $E@?6 2=D@ 925 E@ =:G6 FA E@ 96C ?2>6]k^Am
kAm“p:C u@C46 H:G6D 2C6 2=H2JD E96 DEC@?8 @?6D[” D96 D2:5] “*@F 925 E@ 2=H2JD 36 3C2G6[ ?@ 6>@E:@?D[ 2=H2JD =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5]”k^Am
kAmq6:?8 E96 H:76 @C 8:C=7C:6?5 @7 2 7:89E6C A:=@E :D?’E 2D 8=2>@C@FD 2D A@CEC2J65 :? 3@@<D 2?5 >@G:6D[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmpD<65 :7 D96 H2D 2EEC24E65 E@ $E@?6 3642FD6 @7 9:D 8@@5 =@@<D[ D96 =2F8965 2?5 D2:5[ “}@] w:D 56G:=>6?E[ x 8F6DD]”k^Am
kAm|CD] $E@?6 D2:5 D96 2?5 96C 9FD32?5[ H9@ C6E:C65 7C@> E96 p:C u@C46 2D 2 4@=@?6= 27E6C D6CG:?8 ag½ J62CD[ <?6H 6249 @E96C 7C@> E96:C D49@@= J62CD :? |@3:=6[ 2D E96J >6E :? E96 7:7E9 8C256 2?5 3@E9 2EE6?565 |FCA9J w:89 $49@@=]kDA2? 4=2DDlQpAA=6\4@?G6CE65\DA246Qm k^DA2?m p7E6C 8C25F2E:?8 :? `hd_[ D96 6?C@==65 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |@?E6G2==@]k^Am
kAm(96? E96J DE2CE65 52E:?8[ $E@?6 H2D 2 =@H\C2?<:?8 2:C>2?] %96J 8@E >2CC:65 27E6C 96 H2D AC@>@E65 E@ =:6FE6?2?E 2?5 62C?65 9:D H:?8D[ E96 2G:2E@C 32586]k^Am
kAm|CD] $E@?6 25>:EE65 D96 6?;@J65 E96 EC2G6= H9:49 H6?E H:E9 36:?8 >2CC:65 E@ 2? p:C u@C46 A:=@E]k^Am
kAm“x =:G65 E96 p:C u@C46 =:76 2?5 x H2D 2 G6CJ 565:42E65 p:C u@C46 H:76[” D96 D2:5] “x EC2G6=65 :>>6?D6=J H:E9 9:>] x =@G65 E96 EC2G6=]k^Am
kAm“x FD65 E@ 5C62> H96? x H2D :? 4@==686 E92E D@>652J x H@F=5 86E E@ t?8=2?5 @C v6C>2?J @C D@>6 A=246] x C62==J[ ECF=J =@G65 :E] x =@G65 E@ EC2G6=[ x =@G65 E96 32D6D 2?5 x =@G65 E96 >:=:E2CJ A6@A=6] x >256 =:76=@?8 7C:6?5D :? t?8=2?5]”k^Am
kAm|CD] $E@?6[ 2 C6E:C65 65F42E@C 7C@> y:> !62CD@? t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@=[ 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 6249 EFC? ge :? y2?F2CJ 2?5 92G6 366? >2CC:65 7@C ed J62CD]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m}6IEik^DEC@?8m k6>m%96 D6C:6D 4@?4=F56D 2D %@?6J w2?D@? C642==D CF??:?8 2H2J 7C@> 9@>6 2?5 @?E@ 2 A2E9 E92E AFE 9:> :? 2 }@CE9 ':6E?2>6D6 ;F?8=6 H:E9 #@36CE $E@?6]k^6>mk^Am