How a WWII and Korean War veteran’s wish became reality in a day

When a humble military veteran expresses a wish, especially when he typically does not ask anyone for anything, people move mountains to make the request a reality.

This was recently the case when World War II and Korean War veteran Ben Shove told his recreational therapist at Tomah VA, Heather Sangl, that he would love to see a military flyover.

After Sangl learned of Shove’s desire to see a military flyover, she immediately contacted several Tomah VAMC departments, including the Chief of Center for Development and Civic Engagement, Jennifer Conzemius, who reached out to Command Sgt. Major Travis D. Skowronski of Volk Field. The combined group cared enough about the veteran to ensure his wish would come true.

On Aug. 13, Volk Field staff rolled out the red carpet for Shove, who was accompanied by Sangl and his nurse, Toni Johnson, to experience Northern Lighting, a tactical, joint training exercise conducted annually.

Shove had a front-row seat to experience military jets flying over close enough to follow them through the sky with his finger. Volk Field service members and a half-dozen airmen made Shove’s experience even more memorable by bringing him out on the tarmac, shaking hands, thanking him for his service and presenting him three patches and a service coin.

Shove was very grateful to be part of Northern Lighting saying, “It was very cool to be a part of that. It was a good day.”

He spent the remainder of his time at Volk Field sharing stories of his military experiences with current service members.

Sangl recalls Shove’s excitement while they were returning to the VA.

“He smiled the entire ride back to the VA and displayed tears of joy in thanking us for making this happen for him,” she said. “Words cannot describe how excited and grateful I am for being able to make this happen for him. It was a true joy getting to see the younger generation of service members listen so intently to his stories and then treat him like the hero he is."

Shove’s wish turned into a reality within a 24-hour period all due to the Tomah VAMC and Volk Field staff’s dedication to veterans and the desire to make one WWII and Korean War veteran’s wish come true.