Military heritage forged in steel

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. David Tart and Airman 1st Class Nathan Maysonet
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Its sharpened blade is restored to its pre-Civil War luster, and the weapon, once hidden away, now rests prominently on display for its owner's pleasure.

The 150-year-old infantry saber still speaks of its legacy with a single glance and now 2nd Lt. Keely Yankie, a member of Class 13-01, bares the weight of the sword's history on her shoulders.

"This sword is something that ties all of our family together through the generations," said Yankie. "It's an honor to be the one who received this, and it is an honor to carry it into the future."

Yankie graduated from Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training from Laughlin Air Force Base Oct. 26. After the ceremony, Yankie's mother and father presented her with the sword to mark the achievement of earning her pilot wings.

"I was speechless and breathless when I received the sword," Yankie said. "I was thinking about how lucky I was to get the sword, and how it was not about me. It was about the 150 years of history and how this sword ties all of the family history together"

The anything-but-traditional family heirloom was carried into battle by Yankie's great-great-grandfather, Private Joseph Yankie, during the Civil War, she said. For years, the sword remained at the family home in Ohio where it sat among the family's collection of artifacts from the Yankie family's legacy of service.

Yankie's great-great-grandfather served in the 141st Ohio volunteers in the Civil War, her grandfather was a Navy lieutenant serving in the Pacific commanding a troop landing ship during World War II. Keely Yankie marks the third generation of Yankie's to have served by becoming a pilot in the Air Force.

Heritage, Yankie explained, is something people don't often talk about and is so often thrown away in today's generation.

"We are our heritage and this sword reminds us to focus on that," she said. "That heritage contains so much history that we can all pull lessons from."

According to Yankie, it was the lesson of putting it all on the line that interested her the most. Warfare has changed significantly since her great-great-grandfather served, but one thing has remained the same for all those who have worn the nation's uniform, their willingness to risk their lives every day.

"I just want the opportunity, like they did, to put it all on the line," said Yankie. "I want to fly as long as the Air Force will let me and stay serving for as long as I can."

Yankie will now go on to fly the C-17 Globemaster III at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. She hopes to keep flying airlift. She plans to keep the sword in her future office as a reminder of what she must live up to as well.

"I have wanted to serve since growing up next to Camp Pendleton, and now I have my chance. I can now add my own chapter to the history of this sword and will be able to pass it on to my family," said Yankie.