April 19 - United States Air Force Academy

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8 Academy Spirit FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 Academy receives Tree City designation By Academy Public Affairs The Academy was designated as a 2012 Tree City by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management on April 16. “It was an honor receiving the Tree City USA 20-year designation on behalf of the Academy from Mr. Andy Schlosberg of the Colorado State Forest Service and the Arbor Day Foundation,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Carley, the 10th Civil Engineer Squadron commander. “This two-decade designation clearly shows that the Air Force Academy is committed to a sustainable environment for our cadets, residents, workers and all who visit the Academy.” The Academy achieved its Tree City recognition by meeting the Arbour Day Foundation’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a treecare ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per-capita, and an Arbour Day observance and proclamation. “Everyone benefits when elected officials, volunteers and committed citizens in communities like the Academy make smart investments in urban forests,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbour Day Foundation “Trees bring shade to our homes and beauty to our neighborhoods, along with numerous economic, social and environmental benefits.” DIANE STROHM Cadets 2nd Class Brian Andre (left) and Kevin Wise plant Ponderosa Pine seedlings to commemorate Arbour Day on April 16, in the Douglass Valley burn area to replace pines that have died due to the area’s current drought conditions. The planting was part of the Academy’s Arbour Day activities.
Academy Spirit FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013 9 Lorenz on Leadership: A chance encounter Commentary by retired Gen. Stephen Lorenz As a leader, you must always be observant of what is going on around you. Literally you need to observe, listen and sense in a 360 degree circle in real time. To truly be effective, you need to have your radar up and running at all times because you never know when you can make a difference. Recently, I was walking to my car after a meeting with the Air Force Academy Director of Athletics and I chanced upon a cadet walking back to the cadet area. She seemed deep in thought and very preoccupied. I turned and asked her how she was doing. I could tell she was thinking, “who is this stranger and I don’t have time to talk to him.” I persisted and once again asked how she was doing. She said “fine”, but I could tell something was wrong. I introduced myself and reminded her that I had talked about leadership with her cadet class about six months before. She seemed to remember and then finally told me about her recent academic and discipline challenges. I listened carefully, paused and related to her some similar challenges I faced 40 years before when I was cadet. We talked about the struggles of having to study harder to make better grades, and that when you break the rules you must be a leader and accept the consequences of your bad decisions. I asked her what her personal goals were and she said she wanted to graduate from the Academy and be commissioned an officer in the Air Force. I remember all those many years ago when I was restricted to my room studying and serving confinements. I would get depressed and start feeling sorry for myself. To keep my motivation up, I would look at a picture of my class ring and remind myself why I was at the Academy. It helped me on my darkest days. This cadet was still a year away from ordering her ring, so I gave her my tie tack which had the Air Force symbol on it. I told her that she must never give up on her goal and that when she was down in the months to come, she should hold that small Air Force symbol in her hand and let it remind her why she was at the Academy. She took it, said thank you and said she had to get back to class. As she walked away, I realized that I never even got her name. I told my wife about this encounter and put this chance “The next time you are out among people, even if you are just walking down the street, take the time to notice each one as an individual. You may have the chance to make a huge difference.” meeting out of my mind. However, much to my surprise, two days later I received an e- mail from the cadet’s father. In part it said: “Hello Mr. Lorenz, I have not had the honor of meeting you, but… my daughter, though, has had the opportunity. You see, my daughter was the cadet you - Retired Gen. Stephen Lorenz came across two days ago outside Clune Arena. Although you may believe it was a chance encounter, she believes it was something quite different. Her exact words to her mother and I was that running into you was “a sign.” What you told her and said to her had a huge impact on her, one that she will never forget. You helped her to reaffirm her commitment to the Academy and why she went there. After a hard day with some difficult conversations and the normal struggles that most cadets face, she was starting to question whether she belonged at the Academy. Suddenly, you appeared, and were kind and compassionate enough to realize she was in need of a sympathetic person who could relate to her. Your conversation impacted her greatly, and she left your encounter more determined and intent on graduating because she received (your message) when she needed it most. Her mother and I live close to 650 miles away. We couldn’t be there for her at that moment, but we want to thank you for taking the time to stop and help someone in need. Taking time and having the patience to listen, be understanding, sympathetic, and impacting a stranger’s life forever. This is not an exaggeration, but a fact we feel strongly about. There was a reason you were there to help her and, for that, we will always be thankful to you. We just wanted you to know the influence you had on our daughter and that you made a difference in her life that day … Thank you again!” Let me emphasize that this story is not about me. I was just there and asked the cadet how she was doing. It is about observing those around you and making a difference when you least expect it. If you are observant, even chance encounters provide an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. So, the next time you are out among people, even if you are just walking down the street, take the time to notice each one as an individual. You may have the chance to make a huge difference. Echoes of an Air Force legacy: the story of ‘Falcon Fight’ Commentary by Airman 1st Class Kevin Cerovich Air Force Academy Band unit public affairs representative Getting to speak with the wife of the composer of the Academy’s fight song, “Falcon Fight” was an incredible opportunity. Discovering the man whose entire life embodied the heritage of the Academy as a professional musician and instructor was even more intriguing. What’s amazing is that retired Tech. Sgt. Forrest Ray didn’t realize until years later he had composed the Academy’s rallying cry for all graduates in the Academy’s long blue line. Since its inception in 1956, the Air Force Academy has evolved into the No. 1 regional college in the western United States. The long blue line has grown to 43,901 graduates since the 1959 class at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. Let’s travel back in time with an Airman who wrote the most beloved Academy song all those years ago. How did an Academy Band member seize the chance to compose the song that has lifted spirits and bolstered institutional pride? Forrest Ray’s wife, Virginia Ray, said “Because he was initial cadre at the Academy, he was privileged to be part of a close-knit group of musicians who dubbed themselves ‘The 55ers.’ The 55ers were called on to train cadets because there were no upperclassmen. There was a contest to get the Airmen to compose an alma mater and fight song. My husband came up with a fight song, but he missed the deadline due to the rigors of music composition and editing. Nevertheless, he did get it finished and turned in.” “A few months before his death, a salesman friend teased him about playing music for a living to which Forrest replied, ‘When’s the last time you turned on the radio to listen to a used car salesman?’” — Virginia Ray wife of Forrest Ray, composer of “Falcon Fight” Hearing nothing he liked better, the first Academy Band Commander Capt. Carl “Costy” Costenbader approved it to become became the Academy’s official fight song. Virginia Ray said. “Forrest never knew until some 40 years later when I was surfing the Internet and came across it,” she said. “ I asked him if he recognized the tune, and he replied that it sounded familiar. ‘Well,’ I said, ‘it says here you wrote it.’” Born Jan. 28, 1930 in Huntington, W.Va., Forrest Ray faced numerous challenges. After his father’s death, his mother was admitted to a tuberculosis sanitarium when Forrest was 10 months old, and he was placed in an orphanage in Ohio. Forrest Ray began playing various instruments but by high school was an avid tuba player. He later earned a job playing in the Army Air Corps in 1947. After assignments in Florida, Hawaii and Washington, D.C., Ray was transferred to the Academy Band. The Rays first met in Colorado Springs in 1961. “I landed a job teaching at Harrison High School; Forrest was stationed at the Academy,” Virginia Ray said. “Both of us were contacted by the pastor of a local church to assist with the music program. We were married in February of 1965.” Upon retiring in 1968 from the 9th Air Force band in Sumter, S.C, the Rays stayed heavily involved in their community. In addition to bringing military and civilian bands to Sumter for years, Forrest Ray helped start a 5k benefit run, still held today. After his death Feb. 9, 2007, Virginia Ray remained active in her community. Recently, she brought The Jazz Ambassadors from the Army Field Band in Washington D.C., the Wind Ensemble from The Air Force Heritage of America Band, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. and the U.S. Air Force Academy Band Falconaires to Sumter. Forrest Ray was always a strong proponent of the power of music to connect with people, Virginia Ray said. “A few months before his death, a salesman friend teased him about playing music for a living,” Virginia Ray said, “to which Forrest replied, ‘When’s the last time you turned on the radio to listen to a used car salesman?’” I draw inspiration from Forrest Ray’s story, both in breadth of career and ability to do what every musician aspires to do: change our world for the better. The next time you watch the Falcons play, listen for “Falcon Fight” and remember the man whose legacy echoes through the concert hall, a legacy that will now echo for generations to come.
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April 19 - United States Air Force Academy

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