My father, Glen “Wheels” Wheless, is part of a group of retired naval aviators and service members who have spent the last three years designing, obtaining funding for, and seeking approvals to install a monument to the F-14 Tomcat at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. The four-paneled Tomcat Monument bears laser-etched images of the jet that gained many admirers as its distinctive swing-wing silhouette roared over the country between its first test run in 1970 and its final flight in 2006. An “In Memoriam” panel is also inscribed with the names and call signs of the 68 aviators who perished while operating the beloved F-14.

I had been looking forward to the Tomcat Monument’s May 13 dedication to pay my respects to one of the aviators, John “Yogi” Graham, whose name is etched on its side. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has both delayed the monument’s unveiling, which is now tentatively scheduled for late September, and stunted the influx of Memorial Day visitors to the area. For the benefit of those who might have passed the monument and reflected on the aviators who lost their lives in service to their country today, I share my own story about Yogi.