Windham's James Mannette soars after graduating from U.S. Air Force Academy

By Andrew Wing

A number of Windham High School graduates have gone on to accomplish great things in the world, and James Mannette plans on doing just that through service to the nation after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy on May 25.

Korean War veteran Jerry Black, right, introduces 2nd Lt. 
James Mannette of Windham to World War II pilot Carroll
McDonald of Windham, left. Mannette is a 2017 Windham
High School graduate who just completed studies and 
earned his degree at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is
home on leave before heading to pilot training in Oklahoma.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Mannette, a 2017 Windham High School graduate who excelled both academically and athletically, attended a fall semester at Northwestern Preparatory School in Crestline, California after graduating from WHS. Northwestern Preparatory School is a semester-long civilian preparatory school devoted to developing students for entrance and success at a U.S. service academy. Following his studies there, Mannette returned to Maine and completed his spring semester at Southern Maine Community College.

He received an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in March 2018, and entered the school in Colorado Springs, Colorado in June of that year.

Mannette said he knew from an early age that he always admired and looked up to veterans and it led to his desire to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“I was intrigued by their stories and inspired by their courage and the impact they had on our great nation. I wanted to be just like them,” said Mannette. “Many of my high school instructors were veterans who encouraged me as well, and as I researched the process of becoming a military pilot, I talked to a lot of my teachers and coaches at the high school, and they all encouraged me in my research.”

During his four years in the U.S. Air Force Academy, Mannette had the privilege of doing many amazing things. He said his years at the academy are filled with powerful memories, incredible experiences and unbelievable opportunities.

“I can’t even begin to describe how many things happened in four years, but my three highlights were joining the academy’s Cadet Drum & Bugle Program, participating in the Powered Flight Program and enrolling in the academy’s skydiving class,” said Mannette. “I had an absolute blast traveling the country and supporting the academy’s football team in the band. It was an incredible feeling flying the aircraft alone in the flight program, and I completed five solo skydives and earned the Parachutist Badge.”

There’s no denying that Mannette had a lot of great experiences at the academy but says his biggest takeaway from attending college there is simple.

“My biggest takeaway from the Air Force Academy was to never give up,” said Mannette. “And to never forget that there is always someone out there who has your back.”

Ever since Mannette decided that he wanted to be a military pilot in the U.S. Air Force, he has had countless conversations and relationships built with veterans whom he learned a lot from, but one special veteran that Mannette has built quite the relationship with is Jerry Black.

Mannette first met Black, a U.S. Navy Korean War veteran, while at Windham Middle School when he had a snow shoveling job at the Little Meeting House in North Windham. Since then, the two have spent countless hours working alongside each other whether it be in landscaping, wood stacking or other odd jobs, and Mannette says that he is extremely grateful for the relationship they have built.

“Jerry is a man with an incredible amount of knowledge about many subjects and the kindest heart. He has a vast inventory of stories about all life experiences that I have been fortunate enough to hear,” said Mannette. “Because of him I am now a member of the American Legion Field-Allen Post 148, and most recently participated with him in the Memorial Day Parade.”

He says Black has inspired him to take on bigger challenges in his life.

“Jerry has been an incredible role model to me in that he is like a second father,” said Mannette. “My father passed away when I was in high school, and Jerry helped me learn things that my father would have taught me if he was here.”

After graduating from the Academy in May, Mannette will take the month of June off before he reports to pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, on July 27.

There he will try and earn his pilot wings by first completing Initial Flight Training which is known as the “Gateway to Air Force Aviation” before beginning a nine-month program called Undergraduate Pilot Training.

All in all, Mannette said that he is very excited for his next step, happy to be back home for a while, and beyond eager for what is to come in his Air Force career. <