Tracey Mann: “Zach Scheiman was a true patriot. Born and raised in Garden City, Kansas, Zach was a deep lover of freedom who embodied…”

“Zach Scheiman was a true patriot. Born and raised in Garden City, Kansas, Zach was a deep lover of freedom who embodied courage and service over self. Zach lived by these principles, and they guided him through his lifetime. Tragically, Zach passed away doing what he loved most, serving others. He gave up his life while fighting alongside the Ukrainian Special Forces, defending the principles he so greatly believed in. As a young boy, Zach fell in love with aviation. He could often be found helping with events at the Garden City Regional Airport or excitedly watching his father, Mike, in the air traffic control tower. Those countless hours at the airport made a lasting impact on him, and as a young adult, Zach answered the call to serving in the United States Air Force. Throughout his Air Force career, Zach served at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, and completed international stints in Iraq and Qatar. Zach also served with the Royal Air Force in Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. For the last 11 years, Zach served in his hometown once more as an air traffic controller at the same place where his love for aviation began, the Garden City Regional Airport. Zach did not keep that love of aviation to himself. He couldn't. He found joy in sharing that passion for aviation with student groups who visited the air traffic control tower, as well as with visitors and student pilots learning the field that he loved so much.”