WEBVTT

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(lapping waves)

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(gentle piano music)

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- I am Andrea Heard.

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This is my husband Les Heard of 42 years

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and we live in Cape San Blas.

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We've lived here for 17 years and we love it.

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- We came back from our little stay in Guatemala

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to be at the Air Show here,

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where we're planning on being there for both days.

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We've been to the Tyndall Air Shows before.

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(gentle piano music)

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Jason is our oldest son.

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He got a Petroleum Engineering scholarship

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at University of Texas, graduated there

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and joined the US Air Force and has done quite well.

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- Growing up as a young boy,

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it was kind of always known he would go.

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He enjoyed Cub Scouts, I think he started as a Tiger Cub

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at like, five or six and went through the scouting program.

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- He received a Distinguished Flying Cross

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for some work he did in Libya

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and he did a Pentagon tour

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and so he's looking at his career,

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"Where do I go from here, how can I go upwards?"

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and he decided he wanted to be in the Thunderbirds,

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but not only in the Thunderbirds, but the Thunderbird,

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number one, the boss.

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So, he got down to the last three,

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we're talking on the phone and,

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"Jase, you gotta get it, you're gonna get it,

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"we just know you're gonna get it."

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He would be flying over our home town here

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on his 40th birthday.

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- On Saturday.

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- On Sunday, April 23rd...

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- So yeah, then when Les realized

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he was flying over Tyndall on his birthday,

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he said, "It's karma, you're gonna get it,

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"I just know you are.

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"We're gonna be here and watch you on your birthday.

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"fly with the Thunderbirds."

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So--
- Jase was always so humble.

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- they are now here doing that.

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(gentle, piano music)

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(plane engines rumbling overhead)

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- My Dad's always believed good things would happen

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and of course, I'm a part of this team.

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On my 40th birthday, I'll be flying here

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on the Sunday Air Show on my 40th birthday.

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It felt great to be able to fly here

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over Tyndall with my folks here.

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From the age I was young, my parents told me

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that you should shoot for your dreams.

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They encouraged me to do my very best,

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to have integrity and to work hard

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and I think all those things helped me

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be able to become part of this team

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and yeah, so very, very grateful for

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not only their support, but their example.

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(gentle piano music)

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(plane engines rumbling overhead)