My mother walked down the center aisle in full Air Force dress uniform while the auditorium stayed completely silent. Admiral Hayes had worked with her during a joint training assignment years earlier, and when she reached the stage, he shook her hand before turning toward the students. “Colonel Rebecca Brooks is not only an F-22 pilot,” he said. “She has trained younger aviators and served on missions most people in this room will never hear much about.” Then he looked directly toward Mr. Dalton. “And her son told you the truth.”
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