Photo by Bill Petzold • Travis Mills listens as Patrick Van Tiem, left, explains the significance of the inscriptions in the lining of a G-1 naval aviator flight jacket he presented to Mills on Saturday in Vassar. The jacket, which retails for about $1,000 (bushbomberjackets.com), is signed by President George H.W. Bush. Looking on are Travis’ wife Kelsey and his parents Dennis and Cheri Mills.
By Bill Petzold
Editor
VASSAR — Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills has accumulated quite an impressive list of admirers: Veterans of all eras, politicians, celebrities and especially his fans from his hometown of Vassar.
Add a former President of the United States to that list.
On Saturday afternoon, between speaking engagements and appearances at packed showings of Travis: A Soldier’s Story at the Vassar Theatre, Mills received a visit from Patrick Van Tiem at his family’s home on South Vassar Road. Van Tiem is friends with President George H. W. Bush, 41st president.
Van Tiem lives in Rochester and is the project manager who helped Bush produce 1,989 authentic G-1 naval aviator flight jackets, all autographed by Bush and featuring a commemorative lining honoring Bush’s military career. Bush enlisted in the U.S. Navy after Pearl Harbor on his 18th birthday, and became the youngest aviator in the U.S. Navy at the time. The jackets are made to exact World War II specifications.
Mills’ friend Aaron Schiefer, a Vassar native, works for a cable company in the Detroit area and made the connection between Mills and Van Tiem.
“(Aaron) was doing an installation at my house,” Van Tiem said. “He said have you heard of this guy from Michigan that was in Afghanistan? … And I said, ‘no.’ So he went over to my computer and punched in your website and everything and I said ‘Wow!’ Right then and there I knew what I had to do.
“I’ve been friends with President Bush for almost 20 years now … So I contacted President Bush’s chief of staff — they’re in Kennebunkport because he summers there, so I’ve been working with him for almost 20 years and most of the stuff that I do with him centers around autographs. When I first made my pitch to him … he understands that most people will never be able to obtain a president’s signature, so I convinced him, let’s do some private autograph sessions. So through years and years of doing this, he and I have formed a really nice relationship.
“I don’t know if you know his history, but he was a naval aviator and he was shot down, so he gets the whole program with war and one of the things that happened to him, most people don’t know is that the two other guys that were with him were lost, they were killed in action, and a submarine picked him up. … What most people don’t understand about (Bush), is the island he was shot down over is Chichijima. That island shot down eight other pilots during World War II, and they captured those guys, and they tortured them, and they eventually tortured them and then they cannibalized them. So Bush had good fortune that day, that didn’t happen to him. …
“For pilots, flight jackets … those things are like gold to those guys. It’s a badge of honor, and a lot of those guys will (bequeath) those to their family so they keep handing them down, especially the ones from World War II.”
Van Tiem presented Mills with two custom jackets which bear Mills’ name and the date April 10, 2012 — one to wear, and one to use for a fundraiser. Both are signed by Bush and include an embroidered lining that bears the names of the aircraft carrier he flew from and the submarine that picked him up, Bush’s flight hours, carrier landings and attack missions, the name of the group he flew with — and Bush’s World War II call sign “Avenger.”
“Did he get to pick his own name?” Mills asked. “Because that’s awesome.”
“All those pilots do,” Van Tiem said.
The jacket also is emblazoned with prominent letters spelling CAVU. CAVU stands for “ceiling and visibility unlimited,” an aviation term that Bush continues to use as a greeting.
The jacket itself is made of goat skin with a genuine mouton fur collar. The jackets presented to Mills include his name, the 82nd Airborne logo and the slogan “Never give up, never quit.”
“We want to give you a second jacket and we’d like you — if it’s OK with you — but we thought it might be a great idea if you maybe donated it to the Travis Mills Project as a fundraiser, and maybe you could have a raffle for the camp in Maine,” Van Tiem said.
Then Van Tiem read a letter he wrote which was approved by President Bush:
“Sgt. Mills, on behalf of President Bush it is my great honor to present you with this George Bush commemorative G-1 naval aviator flight jacket. President Bush is well aware of your story, and he is thrilled for you to have one. In addition, President Bush would like you to have a second jacket in the hopes that it can be used as a fundraiser for the Travis Mills Project in Kennebeck, Maine. As you know veterans in the state of Maine find a special place in his heart. …
“President Bush is familiar with the sacrifices and perils of war. He lived it and he breathed it. He is the real deal. … In today’s society the word hero is thrown around quite loosely: Hollywood stars, professional athletes, etc. There can be no greater hero than those men and women who lay it all on the line while protecting and serving our country. I can assure President Bush considers you his personal hero. On April 10, 2012, your life changed dramatically, and while your military missions have ended, God has given you a new mission in life. As spokesperson for wounded warriors across our great nation, this will assuredly be your most challenging and toughest mission ever. Many will be counting on you. Rest assured that President Bush keeps you in his thoughts and prays for your courage and strength. He has all the confidence that you will look back on your life many years from now and say, ‘Mission accomplished.’ …
“George Bush gave his entire life to this country, and he did so with much experience, faith wisdom, strength, courage, grace, conviciton and support. As referred to in his inaugural address from January 20, 1989, President Bush considers you as one of the many thousand points of light. The baton has been passed to you.
“On behalf of President Bush, we thank you for your service, and we wish you nothing but CAVU.”
“Wow, thanks a lot,” Mills said. “All from a cable installation, huh?”
Mills thanked Van Tiem for the gifts and presented him with a DVD copy of Travis: A Soldier’s Story. The DVDs are no longer for sale because of the amount of requests Fotolanthropy has received for a larger theatrical release, as well as the company’s intent to take the film to the Sundance Film Festival.
Bill Petzold is the editor of the Tuscola County Advertiser. He can be reached at petzold@tcadvertiser.com.