Lester Elenga, retired Air Force MSGT, passed away December 23, 2006 from heart failure complications. Lester "had a good run" as he would always say. He was born August 22, 1924 in Kimball, Nebraska, one of nine children to Tena and Lammert Elenga. Childhood was spent on a ranch in Wyoming and a farm near Vesta, Nebraska. Lester attended high school in a schoolhouse built by his architect father. In 1941 Lester joined the Army Air Corps hoping to become a pilot, but because of color blindness became an airplane mechanic and was sent to Okinawa. Later Lester became a C-141 Flight Engineer with the 8th Air Force Military Airlift Squadron MAC, McChord AFB, flying many missions including medical evacuation flights from Vietnam for a total of 3673 hours/194.7 combat hours. He retired in 1973, and in 1975 from the reserves 313th MAS after proudly serving 26 ½ years. In 1948 Lester learned to pilot a private plane. He loved airplanes and reading about the great pilots. His favorite military memories included viewing the spectacular clouds in SE Asia from the cockpit and being in the flight line when the first Vietnam POWs returned. After retirement Les built a house on the Broadmoor polo grounds and operated a tree service business for 25 years. Lester was nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Heroism in 1959. He received the Air Force Commendation Medal and Lifetime Service Award. He participated in the Berlin Airlift, served during three wars, and was honored to be on the Air Force team invited to the Camp Perry shooting competition one year, reaching the second round. Lester loved life and making people laugh. He was optimistic, courageous, kindhearted, selfless, enterprising, and honorable. He was extremely independent and asked little of others. His fighting spirit kept him going through his illness. He loved his friend Ursula, children Dani, Glenn, and Robin, granddaughter Sofia, sisters Dolores and Gertrude and extended family. Lester was much loved and is greatly missed.