Medina Stackpole fluffed her pillow, then jammed it between her aching back and the headboard. She patted the empty spot on the mattress and whispered, “We miss you, Rick.”
The words of her eldest son, Ricky, echoed in her mind: “When I grow up, I’m going to serve my country like Daddy, both my grandpas, and like you did, Mom.”
Reaching down into the cherry nightstand, Medina grabbed a sheet of notebook paper and smoothed it before pressing her ballpoint pen to the blank page. In the 1980s and early ‘90s, before personal computers and widespread internet access, and during a time when long-distance phone calls were reserved for emergencies only, Medina may have penned something like this to her husband, Rick:
“Tonight, as I tucked our boys in bed, we talked about how you were born to serve and protect our country, just as their grandfathers were. After we finished praying for your continued safety and for you to come home to us soon, Ricky and Trevor both agreed they want to grow up and be just like their daddy.”
Pausing, Medina reread the last four words: “just like their daddy.” Patriotism was as much a part of her heritage as it was her husband Rick’s. Both were raised as Air Force brats, guided by fathers who had each spent 26 years in service before retiring as chief master sergeants.
Two weeks before their first son’s birth, Medina had received an honorable discharge, trading a military career for motherhood. Years later, while the Stackpoles were stationed in England for three years, Trevor was born. Rick had also been born in England, bringing the Stackpole family’s military journey full circle.
Each of Rick’s assignments lasted three years.
“The sacrifice is pretty deep,” recalled Rick. “I joined the United States Air Force in August 1975 and retired in August 1995. I spent most of my military career stationed in New Mexico. I also did two tours overseas — three years in England with family and two years unaccompanied without them. The biggest hardship on me was separation from my family, which could be from weeks to years. There are also a lot of long hours. Sometimes, more than 12, and you don’t get overtime pay.”
During his 20 years of service, Rick was a dedicated F-111D Crew Chief of the 27th Tactical Fighter Wing on the wing commander’s aircraft at Cannon AFB in New Mexico. He also acted as production supervisor during the first leg of Operation Provide Comfort while stationed in Turkey. Being chosen for an incentive flight on the aircraft where he worked was a highlight of his career, as well as being stationed at the same U.S. Air Force Base as his brother, Steve.
Rick and Medina are still dedicated to those who serve, or who have served. Their commitment to veterans continues through organizations like Veterans of Foreign Wars, Tunnel to Towers, and Disabled American Veterans. Medina, after years of nurturing their children, shifted her care toward others. After spending 33 years in nursing, she is now planning her retirement.
Medina said, “I served in the U.S. Air Force from February 1979 – July 1981 at Cannon AFB in New Mexico. My dad was a chief master sergeant there, and I was able to serve alongside him. Having grown up in a military family, this was all I knew. Growing up, my dad and our family had been stationed in England, Germany, and many other stateside bases. I met Rick when I was on a delayed enlistment, and we were married in August 1979. I have always had a sense of patriotism. I’m very proud to be an American.”
The principles the Stackpoles passed down to their boys echo the lessons learned from their own upbringing. Honesty, respect, hard work — values that carried their son Ricky into the U.S. Army and then into the Tennessee Army National Guard, where he serves as a lieutenant colonel. Trevor followed his own path, rising to technical sergeant in the Air Force, and is stationed in Nashville as a recruiter.
Decades have passed since Medina first sat down to write that letter, her words carrying well wishes across the miles. She once wondered if their boys would grow to understand the weight of service. Now, she watches them in uniform, following the same call.
Service remains at the core of all four of their lives — not just in uniform, but in the values they uphold each day. As for their grandchildren, Medina says it’s too soon to know which paths they’ll take. GN
