Retiree Appreciation Day

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Retiree Appreciation Day

According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 372 WWII veterans die each day. In 2016, only 620,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII were alive. Dale Hendricks is one of them. He and his wife Madeline, seemingly inseparable during the event, have been married for 71 years and have known each other for 85. They took a moment to talk to retired Rear Admiral Lee Metcalf, who was the key note speaker for Retiree Appreciation Day. When Metcalf spoke to the couple, he told them how he'd been married for 43 years. Dale’s teasing reply: "That's a good start." Dale served as a staff sergeant during the war, enlisting in December of 1941, 10 days after Pearl Harbor. Dale credits his happiness to the support of Madeline. "Everyone has to have a touch point, and she has always been mine," said Dale. "I've known her for about 85 years and I still like her." "Well, I just chased him," Madeline said with a laugh. "Wherever he went, I followed." Dale's favorite part of the military was leading and being there for his comrades, but he said it still never took away from those pains of being away from Madeline. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jodi Martinez)

Related Imagery

U.S. Air Force Capt. Kyle Green, 458th Airlift Squadron, C-21 pilot, poses during a trip to Tuskegee, Alabama, Sept. 28, 2021. The group of pilots from Scott AFB, Illinois made history as being the first all-African American crew to land the C-21 at Alabama's historic Tuskegee Airfield. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Sam Eckholm)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Johnny Frye, 458th Airlift Squadron, C-21 pilot, visits with students from the Red Tail Flight Academy during a trip to Tuskegee, Alabama, Sept. 28, 2021. The group of pilots from Scott AFB, Illinois made history as being the first all-African American crew to land the C-21 at Alabama's historic Tuskegee Airfield. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Sam Eckholm)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Sidney Ganison, C-21 pilot, stands next to Staff Sgt. Rachel Kinsey, Aviation Resource Management NCOIC, Capt. Johnny Frye, C-21 pilot, Master Sgt. Shina Williamson, 458th Airlift Squadron superintendent, and Capt. Kyle Green, C-21 pilot, (left to right) during a trip to Tuskegee, Alabama, Sept. 28, 2021. The group made history as being the first all-African American crew to land the C-21 at Alabama's historic Tuskegee Airfield. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Sam Eckholm)

U.S. Air Force pilots and crew from the 458th Airlift Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, pose for a photo alongside students from the Red Tail Flight Academy, Tuskegee, Alabama, Sept. 28, 2021. The school’s campus is on the same airfield the legendary Tuskegee Airmen trained at over 80 years ago and trains new students pilots interested in building flight time and learning more about aviation. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Sam Eckholm)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Johnny Frye, 458th Airlift Squadron, C-21 pilot, leads a tour of the aircraft during a visit to Tuskegee, Alabama, Sept. 28, 2021. The group of pilots from Scott AFB, Illinois made history as being the first all-African American crew to land the C-21 at Alabama's historic Tuskegee Airfield. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Sam Eckholm)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Sidney Ganison, stands next to Capt. Kyle Green and Capt. Johnny Frye (left to right), C-21 pilots, 458th Airlift Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, during a trip to Tuskegee, Alabama, Sept. 28, 2021. The group made history as being the first all-African American crew to land the C-21 at Alabama's historic Tuskegee Airfield. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Sam Eckholm)

375th Civil Engineer Squadron Graphic. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Senior Airman Shannon Moorehead)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Samir Ragih, 375th Operation Support Squadron airfield management shift lead, and Tech. Sgt. Anthony Cooper, 375th OSS NCOIC of airflow manager operations, measure the distance between two C-130 on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois Sept. 8, 2021. The airfield management Airmen ensure that the Aircraft are properly placed to ensure that they utilize their space, while keeping the mission safe.(U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Isaac Olivera)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Cooper, 375th OSS NCOIC of airflow manager operations, and Senior Airman Samir Ragih, 375th Operation Support Squadron airfield management shift lead, evaluate the runway on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois Sept. 8, 2021. The airfield management Airmen have to ensure that they focus on the attention to detail aspect of their skillset when evaluating the runway to catch potential hazards, or emergencies. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Isaac Olivera)

Question Mark (below) and Douglas C-1 Refueling biplane, January 1929. (Courtesy Photo)

Crew of the Question Mark. (Courtesy Photo)

Tech. Sgt. Jodi Martinez
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