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Kentucky by Heart: Locating U.S. Air Force Academy in Nicholasville could have been real game-changer


By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist

It sounds truly impressive: The United States Air Force Academy, Nicholasville, Kentucky. “Off we go, into the wild blue yonder…”

The city named is, of course, incorrect; the institution is actually at Colorado Springs, CO. But according to reports and a story from Byron Crawford in the Courier-Journal in 1987, a Jessamine County site near the Kentucky River, as well as one at nearby Mercer County and close to Shakertown, were investigated as locations for the military school in 1954.

Interestingly, the account shared by Crawford included an American aviation icon, Charles Lindbergh, along with a pretty important figure Crawford interviewed in the Nicholasville community, a funeral director by the name of Elesteen Hager, then 78.

An interior view of Polaris Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jasmine Reif)

An interior view of Polaris Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jasmine Reif)

Lindbergh, a member of the search commission, was chauffeured by Hager around the central Kentucky area to look at the proposed locations.

Hager recalled the circumstances, according to Crawford. “I guess the chamber of commerce here called me because, being in the funeral business, we had a limousine,” said Hager. “So I went to the Lexington airport and picked up Lindbergh, and we made the rounds.”

Crawford noted that Hager praised Lindbergh’s demeanor, calling him “nice to talk to; not a showoff, just as humble as could be.” Ironically, Hager was told by Lindbergh on that day that when he left, he was going to Colorado Springs—what we know today as the home of the Air Force Academy.

Merrill Meigs, site selection spokesman, reportedly said that the scenery in the Bluegrass region “is even more attractive than I have heard it described.”

Crawford wrote that “the site selection commission, unable to agree on one site, had recommended three sites to the Secretary of the Air Force. The other two sites were not disclosed.”

However, a recent perusal of the Air Force Academy entry in Wikipedia claimed that the other two sites were disclosed; it mentioned Alton, Illinois, and Geneva, Wisconsin as being in the final three, and that 582 places were considered.

The story involving Lindbergh, regardless, is an intriguing one, and especially for Kentuckians who have lived around the central Kentucky area for a long while. I remember, in the early 1970s, riding to Nicholasville with a college friend from the small town. It had a population then of about 6,000, a sleepy little rural town a few miles down the road from Lexington—a town quite a bit smaller at the time, too.

Today, Nicholasville is growing fast, with a population of about 28,000. Colorado Springs, though, has about 450,000 people. Imagine what the metropolitan area around Lexington would look like had Nicholasville been chosen as the Air Force Academy site.

Steve Flairty grew up feeling good about Kentucky. He recalls childhood day trips (and sometimes overnight ones) orchestrated by his father, with the take-off points being in Campbell County. The people and places he encountered then help define his passion about the state now. After teaching 28 years, Steve spends much of his time today writing and reading about the state, and still enjoys doing those one dayers (and sometimes overnighters). “Kentucky by Heart” shares part and parcel of his joy. A little history, much contemporary life, intriguing places, personal experiences, special people, book reviews, quotes, and even a little humor will, hopefully, help readers connect with their own “inner Kentucky.”

Byron Crawford’s column in the Courier-Journal is a part of his collection in the 2010 book, Kentucky Footnotes (Acclaim Press). Footnotes was preceded by similar collections in these other two books: Kentucky Stories (Turner Publishing, 1994) and Crawford’s Journal (Courier-Journal and Louisville Times, 1986).

He also worked in radio broadcasting in Stanford, Murray, Cincinnati, and Louisville, and hosted a television program on Louisville’s WHAS-11 called SideRoads, as well as hosting KET’s Kentucky Life.

Now in retirement, he still finds time to write the back page column in Kentucky Living, called “Byron Crawford’s Kentucky.”

From my perspective as a writer about Kentucky life—-and especially one leaning toward the positive and inspirational side of things—-Byron has been a great example for me. His love of the Kentucky common person and their story is authentic, spurred by his childhood growing up on a farm near Stanford in Lincoln County. He is soft-spoken, respectful, and has always possessed the insightful knack of seeing the story around those in even the most humble circumstances.

Byron is a Kentucky treasure who has fostered a sense of pride in our citizenry. I’m very happy to be acquainted with this fine man.

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I have always heard good things about the work that the Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, does. A few years back, a friend and Nicholasville resident, Connie Burton, wrote this nice tribute to the Markey Cancer Center medical staff after having a family member receive services there. I thought it worthwhile to post:

I have been at the Markey Cancer Center since 6 a.m. with my sweet parents. My stepdad had gamma knife surgery for a tumor in his ear. While his tumor is benign, we sat in the waiting room today with many people who have not been so fortunate. We sat and talked with many people who were waiting for radiation treatments or loved ones undergoing these treatments. It was a sad place to be, yet one filled with hope. The staff at the hospital was kind, compassionate and caring.

Everyone was greeted with a smile and kind words. The patients all spoke with each other asking about family and holiday plans. You could see that they had spent a great deal of time together. They watched with longing as one patient said her goodbyes since this was her last day of treatment; each of them waiting for that last treatment date to come. These people really touched me today, and I know God put me in that place at that time for a reason. I will be praying for these patients and the staff that provides such wonderful care! Thank you Markey Cancer Center staff!

According to the Center’s web site, Markey is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center in Kentucky and one of only a handful in the country. The Center’s clinical programs and services are integrated with the UK Albert B. Chandler Hospital. Further, it is “among the few institutions nationwide providing multidisciplinary care through Clinical Care and Research Teams (CCARTS). Major CCARTs include breast, gynecologic, gastrointestinal, head and neck, lung, brain, hematologic and genitourinary cancers.”

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Congratulations to my local morning coffee drinker friend Patrick Costello, who bought recent Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist as a weanling, then sold him as a yearling before he became the current darling of Thoroughbred racing.

The Irishman, now living in Lexington, operates Paramount Sales, and he is a true gentleman who I’ve known for years. I knew he was in the horse business, but he’s seldom indicated a need to tell me how successful he’s been in the industry.

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steve-flairty

Steve Flairty is a teacher, public speaker and an author of six books: a biography of Kentucky Afield host Tim Farmer and five in the Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes series, including a kids’ version. Steve’s “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes #4,” was released in 2015. Steve is a senior correspondent for Kentucky Monthly, a weekly NKyTribune columnist and a member of the Kentucky Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. Contact him at sflairty2001@yahoo.com or visit his Facebook page, “Kentucky in Common: Word Sketches in Tribute.” (Steve’s photo by Connie McDonald)


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