From the young age of nine years old, Colonel Paul Arland Barber, USAF, Retired, loved airplanes and the wonder of flying. He was raised on a wheat farm during the Great Depression in South Haven, Kansas. Times were tough and life was difficult. Paul’s hard-working parents modeled for him that everything you do in life, you do with excellence.

In 1943, the first class of aviation cadets from the Strother Field began low-level flying runs over Kansas heading to a bombing range in Oklahoma. As part of their training, these cadets would use the Barber’s big red-and-white painted barn as a navigational checkpoint. When Paul would hear the roar of the engines of the Vultee BT-13 Valiants and P-47 Thunderbolts in the distance, he would quickly climb to the top of the barn’s open hay loft to wave and cheer them on.

These young pilots would often wave back at Paul and tip their wings as they buzzed by the barn. Simply thrilled at the concept of flying, he often daydreamed that he was piloting one of the planes. Those pre-teen years had a profound impact on Paul’s life, and eventually led him to Kansas State University, where he received his Air Force commission.

After graduating with honors from pilot training and further developing his skills, Paul was promoted to Senior Pilot of the KC-135 mid-air refueling tanker. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he stood “Cockpit Alert,” prepared to launch his aircraft if President Kennedy ordered a retaliation strike on the Soviet Union.

During the Vietnam War, Paul flew over two hundred combat support missions, refueling B-52 bombers and other aircraft in mid-flight. Joining two aircraft together with a 40-foot refueling boom required great precision and skill. Adding variables such as bad weather, turbulence, and darkness further heightened the danger of an already difficult maneuver.

As a SAC Squadron Commander, Paul knew his crew had to operate at the highest level on every mission to return home safely. As each mission prepared to launch, he would challenge his fellow pilots and crew members with these words:

“Today is another day in which to excel!"

While commanding the 99th Air Refueling Squadron in Blytheville, Arkansas, Paul’s unit completed hundreds of missions without loss, earning the Outstanding Unit Award. He was a decorated Command Pilot with over 5,000 hours of flying time—again, without loss. Paul attributed much of that success to his upbringing on the farm in Kansas and the spirit of excellence that was instilled in him at an early age.

If Colonel Barber were here today, there’s no doubt that he would look you straight in the eyes and say,

"Today is YOUR day in which to excel!"