Airplanes R Us

Imagine, joining the U.S. Cavalry in 1933… then (much later) retiring as a General in the U.S.A.F. This is not so much of an airplane story as a WW2 Soldier Story. I pass it on here mainly because of an officer & gentleman who was our neighbor when we lived in the Denver area, 1990’s. I have a little first-hand knowledge of his stories … and was more recently mentally refreshed as I Googled his name, confirming my recollections. Wayne O. (Sage) Kester was born in a sod house near Stockville Nebraska in 1906. He graduated from Kansas State Agricultural College as DVM in 1931 then joined the Army as a vet in 1933. It happened that Lt. Sage Kester became an officer assigned to Honolulu Hawaii … and was directing his cavalry troop in training exercises on the morning of December 7, 1941. As we all know, the day begat destruction from Japanese aerial attack around Pearl Harbor. Obviously, Lt. Kester and his troop charged back to Wheeler Army Airfield near Pearl Harbor where they surveyed and directed recovery efforts on horseback. There are many imbedded stories of heroism and chaos associated with this event but I do recall Sage Kester telling me that he liked to reflect that he was one of the last US Soldiers to go to war on a horse.

Moving the story along to July 1949, Brig General Sage Kester was assigned to the recently formed military branch, US Air Force. His job was Director of the USAF Veterinary Service, which was similar to his Pacific Theatre service during WW2. As best as I can determine, this job related to logistics of feeding the troops (good quality food delivered to the right places), especially meat and dairy products. Moving the story to the 1990’s, Sage Kester and his wife were neighbors of ours on Lookout Mountain, Golden Colorado (horse properties)… just west of Denver. Sage and some his Army / Airforce buddies had settled in this area during the 1960’s. They were all retired Generals and equestrians for as long as their bodies would allow. General Kester died in 1999.

For some additional information about Dr. Kester, click on this link:

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/mind-over-miller-remembering-dr-wayne-o-kester