11 April 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) — Serving for 8 years all over the globe in the Air Force, Jack Valliere would hone a vital skill that turned into a lifelong passion.
“I like my shop,” Valliere said. “I like just me and the cat down there. I have the ability to build this stuff. Half of my house is stuff I’ve built.”
Picking up wood working after his time in the military ended, Valliere spent nearly a decade in the service perfecting the skill that would lead him to his favorite pastime.
“When I enlisted in the military I didn’t think it was a very big deal, but boy was I wrong,” Valliere said. “It’s the most important thing I ever did in my life other than me getting married and having kids.”
Taking the mechanical career field, Valliere fixed airplanes day in and day out, serving in structural and sheet metal repair.
“I learned to work within thousandths of an inch when doing this,” he said. “Some airplanes didn’t matter so much, some you could just patch on an airplane, patch over the wing or whatever. Some of them were so sophisticated you know, high speed airplanes you just couldn’t put a patch on them. You had to know what you was doing.”
Over the years, he began realizing the real impact he made within that position.
“You developed comradery with other military guys, you developed your sense of pride,” Valliere said. “You look at that repairing airplane, I did that. I helped my guy be able to feel confident when he climbs into that airplane and straps it on, that he knows it’s going to work.”
Another way Valliere grows comradery with others is with the American Legion. He joined about 30 years ago, and has held nearly every role within the organization.