GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Air National Guard last night gave a statewide tribute to health care workers on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19.
Pilots flew over the hospitals, in several major cities.
Crowds came from across the state to take in the sight.
It’s especially meaningful to Nikki James and her son Yisrael, 6, who have family members on the frontlines.
“I have some family members that actually work right in this hospital. And then of course there’s not really a whole lot going to do right now. So we’re getting out of the house finally and we’re going to watch,” James said outside of ThedaCare Regional Medical Center Neenah.
It means even more to the workers being honored.
“I think we could all use a boost. This has been a very stressful time. Not only for healthcare but in the community as well. We’ve all really managed tro pull together. So this is really great way for people to recognize that,”Ken Nelson, Chief Nursing Officer at St.Vincent/St.Mary said.
The 115th Fighter Wing says the flight doesn’t have a big price tag.
“This flight is at no additional cost to the taxpayer. This was an already regularly scheduled training mission. That we’ve added training on in a different way,” Captain Leslie Westmont told FOX 11.
Westmont says you won’t pay extra for the jet fuel either.
“The 128th air refueling wing in Milwaukee is actually providing air refueling support and training through this flight so they don’t have to land and take off and get more fuel.”
Nelson tells FOX 11 the jets certainly did their job.
“People are really grateful for the recognition. Healthcare workers, we’ve been working so hard to care for patients.”
Milwaukee, La Crosse, Green Bay and Appleton are just some of the communities the F-16s honored by tipping their wings.
