Honoring a Fallen Teammate
By Nicole Cox, USAFA Graduate Liaison
Members of the United States Air Force Academy’s Flying Team gathered last weekend to remember First Lieutenant Kenneth “KAGE” Allen. A memorial shadow box, paid for by members of the Class of 2017 will be displayed at the 557th Flying Training Squadron. The box includes Kage’s Flying Team patch, retired by the Flying Team members who gathered to remember him.
The Flying Team Parents Club also paid for and presented versions of the box to Kage’s parents and his wife, Hanna. Each of the displays show the T-51 and T-41 from his time with the Flying Team and the T-6 and T-38 from Vance AFB where Kage went through UPT. Kage’s actual F-15C from RAF Lakenheath, which he flew on that morning, is also featured. The artists, Joe Milich of Aviation Art, took it upon himself to redraw the F-15C with Kage’s actual tail number.
The Academy, the Class of 2017, the 557th Flying Training Squadron, and the Flying Team Parents Club remember Kage as a special young man. With these displays they honor his beautiful smile and playful spirit.
Hacia las Alturas
The Academy honors lost members of the Long Blue Line each year at the Homecoming Memorial Ceremony on the terrazzo. Memorials to fallen graduates can also be found in the squadrons in Vandenburg and Sijan Hall and across campus. If you have a memorial to honor a classmate in-mind but do not know where to begin, please do not hesitate to reach out to USAFA.GraduateLiaison@usafa.edu.