A MAJOR SURPRISE
September 1, 2022
Seldom do I ever really get surprised but a couple of weeks ago I was so surprised I was speechless! I have been spending all of my waking hours at the new Arkansas facility getting it ready to accept our first aircraft. Despite being so busy, I managed to sneak away for a few hours to be present at a special event at our KACC Ardmore facility. Prior to the pandemic, we at the Ardmore facility were honored to participate in what had become a summer tradition – hosting a group of Boeing summer interns, government employees and personnel from the Boeing Oklahoma City military group. The event was canceled the past two years due to COVID, but we began the tradition again and hosted the group this past August. The event in Ardmore is the first visit to an aircraft depot or maintenance and modification facility for many of the people in attendance. As part of the facility tour, they get to inspect one of the government’s aircraft that they support. I love watching the “word become flesh” as they get to see in real life, up close and personal, the asset that is behind lots and lots of paperwork and countless meetings for them and their co-workers. Their eyes open up big, their smiles are wonderful and the experience results in lifelong memories. We are so blessed to be a small part of the event.
Because of this great experience, I yearned to be present for the event, so I flew from Arkansas to Ardmore to attend. Before the scheduled arrival time of our guests, I went into my “vault office” for the first time in a while and was a little surprised but not shocked to see that there was an unopened Federal Express package on my worktable. Seeing the package was not a big surprise because periodically when I feel it in my heart, I ask military people visiting our facility if they want to take “my book” for a ride. I usually get the same questionable look and answer from the young military aviators in uniform that I approach, normally in the hangar: “Sure sir.” This answer and the questionable look is because they don’t know what I am talking about. I then take them into my vault office and show them a Bible on my table opened to the book of Isaiah, with Chapter 40 and verse 31 highlighted in yellow:
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
I ask them to write an entry in my book if they desire and tell them that they are free to read whatever is already in the book. I inform them that I will provide a return Federal Express envelope and all they need to do is put my book in the envelope and drop it off at a Federal Express site. I explain to them that I want to be with them and their crew in spirit and this is a way that I can do that. I have been blessed to witness young military warriors stop dead in their tracks many times and make me feel that they are honored that I would include them in my heartfelt and random tradition. I have even had them begin to whisper a prayer while standing there with me in the vault.
So now for my surprise story. I had forgotten that many weeks ago I had asked a new friend, a retired United States Air Force general (now an aviation special missions contractor) to take my book for a ride on a very, very special aircraft. I opened the Fed Ex package to find a three-page handwritten note from him. Words cannot express how I felt about this man taking the time to share one of his life stories with me. He stated that he learned a great deal as a young lieutenant from his very first squadron commander which he has used his entire life. Here are some of the words he shared:
“………it reminds me every day of some basic life lessons that tend to bear fruit. Show up on time, pay attention, study, work hard, and use your eyes more than your mouth. I owe my success to my first operational commander, and his outline for life was so simple. I use it in business every day.”
I am so very blessed to have crossed paths with this man and to consider him a comrade and friend. I was in total surprise that someone of his caliber would take the time to handwrite me such a wonderful and meaningful note! All I can say is “Thanks be to God, from whom all blessings flow” and continue to seek wisdom!
Written by KING AEROSPACE Founder, Jerry Allan King-Echevarria.