Carrying on a family tradition

  • Published
  • By Airman First Class Anthony J. Hyatt
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Many people have a hero of some sort; either real or made-up. Some people may consider their hero to be a famous person or a professional athlete, while others would choose a fictional character like Superman, but my hero remains my dad.

My name is Airman First Class Anthony J. Hyatt and I am a staff writer with the 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. My dad, (retired) Chief Master Sgt. Richard R. Hyatt, was the 375th Communications Squadron superintendent at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Recently, I took leave to attend my dad's retirement ceremony Oct. 5, 2007 at Scott AFB. Our family, from all over the United States, knew the importance of this event and made sacrifices to make it to the retirement. The majority came from the state of Ohio; Grandpa Buzz - a retired chief master sergeant, Grandma Virginia, my dad's older brother Tim and his younger sister Holly. My father's younger brother, Chief Master Sgt. Paul B. Hyatt, 375th Communications Support Squadron superintendent, also at Scott AFB, had to travel the shortest distance. My mother's sister and her husband, a retired senior master sergeant, also made the trip from Nebraska. Obviously, I made the trip up from Florida.

When I was younger I really didn't understand or appreciate what my dad did. All I knew was that my dad worked with telephone lines.

As I got older and a little bit wiser, the time for me to start worrying about what I was going to do in the future began to get closer and my interest in dad's career grew. I was determined that my future would be either playing college baseball or joining the military.

Everyday I came home from class and my dad would ask me, "Did you see the recruiter today?"

I would stubbornly reply no - not ready to face the fact that maybe baseball wasn't going to be in my future.

My dad has always been supportive of what I've done and he's always been there for the entire family. When I played baseball and football for the base youth leagues, he was at every game. Nowadays, he manages to make it to my sister Rachael's football games, she's a varsity cheerleader at Belleville East High School, and even on occasion goes to bingo night with my mom.

I'm not playing short stop for the Cleveland Indians, choosing instead to serve in the military. I can thank my dad for that - he is a major reason for where I am today, definitely pointing me in the right direction.

As Lt. Col. Jeri Day, 375th CS commander, read off my dad's achievements at the ceremony, I didn't realize how much my dad accomplished in his 24-year career in the Air Force. No offense, but it felt like the ceremony would never end.

Colonel Day's speech mentioned one of my dad's most indelible memories while being in the Air Force - his training instructor days at Lackland Air Force Base. He was always one to help out the young Airmen, and there is no easier way to do that than to be a T.I. He had a record of guiding eight straight honor flights.

You may be asking yourself, "Your dad was a T.I.? He must have been strict at home?"

The answer is "Yes!" He was strict at home, but in a good way. He was always someone who didn't accept excuses, he was always on top of everything, and he was definitely a perfectionist.

I've always been the type of person to keep to myself, but when I really had a need for answers I usually turned to my dad. The best advice he has ever given to me is the time he told me about the word "integrity." I did something wrong and my dad questioned me about it. I, of course, told him the truth - that it wasn't me! He stared at me and then went into this story:

"A.J., the most important thing in the Air Force, and life, is integrity," said my dad. Keep in mind I was very young and didn't know what integrity was.

"I would rather have some lousy, clumsy, always-messing-up Airman with integrity than some super, hot shot, doesn't mess up, sharp Airman without integrity. Be honest, because once you lose someone's trust, it's hard to get back."

Most young Airmen are asked what their proudest moment is in the military. Most responses have to do with graduating basic military training or receiving an award from a commander, but my proudest moment was being there for my dad, like he's been there for me, at his retirement ceremony all dressed up in blues.

In the next couple years, my uncle Paul will most likely be retiring from the Air Force and I will be the last one left from the Hyatt family still on active duty. I was asked at the ceremony, "You will have some big shoes to fill, are you up to it?" With the values my father has instilled in me and the competitive nature of my dad, his two brothers and myself, of course I accept the challenge. Only time will tell.