To soar into the wild blue yonder,
Is a thought about which he had often pondered.
He had often dreamed on sleepless nights,
What it would be like to someday take flight.

In his youth, much time he would spend,
Thinking about that exciting end.
Would he be able to ever realize
The fulfillment of flying into those blue skies?

As he into the teen years entered,
This thought was still not completely splintered.
Although he figured it would never be,
He still hoped that realization he would possibly see.

As young adulthood for him began,
He saw in his life a change of plans.
A duty he sensed, so enlistment was started,
And into a military career he departed.

The “job” that he did for much of his career,
Did not include that which was, to him, still dear.
To be a flyer had, in his mind, faded away,
It was for a much earlier day.
  
Late in his career, as an “old man”,
An amazing thing happened, and a changed plan.
An opportunity to fly was to him presented,
And pursuit in that venture he never relented.

Much training was required for this position,  
And into this world he was ready to transition.
As an aerial gunner in the “Special Operations” world,
He found himself suddenly hurled.

The training was very tough, no doubt,
But this was what he had dreamed about.
He never lost sight of reaching that goal,
Even though considered, by many, too old.

The many missions he was privileged to fly,
All over the world into that blue sky,
Brought to him much joy indeed,
He was able to experience that for which he did plead.

The excitement that he still to this day knows  
Increases more as the older he grows.
You ask how I know about this joy,
It is really quite simple – I was that boy.