I surely misunderstood Mike Stohler. And he is enough of a gentleman to not holler at me.
In a Saturday morning entry a few weeks ago, I wrote a follow-up column to an article about his promotion to Brig. General May 14; he’s now in charge of all of the Indiana Air National Guard. We had talked about other Norwell High School grads who had become pilots and I’d thought he said there were only two — he and Bob Hartman, both of the Class of ’86. I am betting he thought I had asked about just that class.
Mike Gilbert, who retired as Norwell’s A.D. in 2005 (or thereabouts) dropped me a line that Travis Walton, who had served as an intern in his office, had also gone on to become a fighter pilot. It took a little detective work to track him down and then I had to put it aside for a week or so, but I finally got around to calling him this week. Flag Day. Perhaps no coincidence.
I’ve been on a roll lately, discovering or re-connecting with Wells County natives who have gone on to do neat things. DeAnna Ellenberger Pursai, Mike Milholland … and now Travis Walton.
“Yes, Mike was a mentor, I served under his command,” the 1999 Norwell grad said when asked about Gen. Stohler.
Mike Gilbert had also mentioned that Travis “has an interesting story about how his military career came to be.” Indeed.
It started in high school when he was able to arrange an internship at the 122nd Fighter Wing. He would drive up several times a week and help out in different tasks at the base.
“Mike was a captain at the time,” he recalled, talking about the man took him under his wing. Pun intended. Travis enrolled in the flight technology school at Purdue University and formally enlisted in the ANG while in college. Immediately after becoming a graduate Boilermaker in 2003 he was involuntarily mobilized to serve in Iraq. Although technically a member of the Air Force, he was an “augmentee to the Army,” and thus assigned to drive military vehicles in convoys.
As with too many convoys during that period, there was an ambush, his vehicle was blown up from underneath him, and there were injuries.
“I have some hearing damage and although I didn’t know it at the time, I had what they call ‘TBI’ — traumatic brain injury, although it was mild,” he said. He was medivacced out; there was a period of recovery.
“The leadership at the Fort Wayne base was amazing,” he recalled. “They got me home and got me treatments.
“I had had a slot in the pilot training program after graduating from Purdue,” he continued. “I was able to get medically cleared to fly and they made sure that slot was held for me.”
So, another Norwell grad became a fighter pilot. Travis flew the F-16 for several years and then the A-10. There were “five or six combat deployments,” he said, mostly in the Middle East but also deployments to Africa and Eastern Europe. He refers to his 21-plus-year career in the ANG as “a blessing. I was so privileged to serve with so many great people.”
Among his duties, he served as the director of operations at the Jefferson Proving Grounds, part of Camp Atterbury, and was the Indiana ANG’s COVID-19 coordinator for the Joint Force State Headquarters. Besides a Purple Heart, he is the recipient of six air medals including official Commendations from both the Air Force and the Army, among other decorations.
His military service is past tense since he retired as a major just last year “in order to focus on my family — be a better dad, be a better husband,” he shared. They now live in the Indianapolis area, but if you think his “retirement” has any resemblance to the common definition, think again.
He has become heavily involved in an outfit called the Veterans Treatment Corps, a non-profit dedicated to helping veterans who are struggling. He describes it as an alternative treatment in the court system for “vets who’ve gotten themselves into some trouble.”
He mentors vets one-on-one and has been a keynote speaker at the organization’s events. He feels his personal struggles can help them.
He’s also a full time commercial pilot for American Airlines. Based out of Chicago, he regularly makes long-distance flights to the two coasts. He’s also a mortgage originator for Trident Home Loans, specializing in getting mortgages for veterans. And he most recently added another title: “Wedding Officiant.” He says it’s non-denominational, something he does for friends, for fun.
And I think I’m busy in “retirement.”
“I just can’t tell you how blessed, how fortunate I am,” he shared, referring to his wife and three children, the opportunities that his military career brought to him, the people he’s served with, his parents (Tim and the late Vicki Walton) and where he was raised.
“I grew up in Ossian,” he noted. “Great little town.”
I was at the N-B in the mid-2000s when Travis was injured in Iraq. I just don’t recall the news and I can’t imagine Jim Barbieri not writing about it. So I am sure there were stories although I haven’t the time to go back through the old issues. The point is, we must not forget the sacrifices and experiences of our veterans. While a bit chagrined that I did not know or do not remember, I am aware now. And the better for it.
So there you go — another chapter for a book about Wells County products who have gone on to make a difference in this world. And another opportunity for me to listen, learn and share.
Do I have a great gig, or what?
Which begs the Flag Day week question: Is this a great country, or what?
miller@news-banner.com
