It's a point of pride for Mainers that our state has one of the highest populations of veterans in the country — as of 2024, there were nearly 100,000 people in Maine who had served in the military, comprising almost 7 percent of the state's population.

That's one of the reasons why it's not uncommon to find multiple generations in Maine families with military service, often with several within the same generation. One can even find legacies of service in Maine that stretch as far back as the Civil War, and with nearly 11 percent of all Mainers serving during World War II, it's easy to find people with a history of service in their families.

That's definitely the case for Brewer resident Edward J. Vanidestine III and his extended family. When he starts to list off all the members of his family who have served, it reads like a novel: two grandfathers, three uncles, a sister and a brother-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins and soon a son, all of whom have served or are preparing to serve in either the Air Force, the Army or the Marines.

"Serving others and protecting our freedoms is something we are extremely, extremely proud of."— Edward J. Vanidestine III

"It's an incredible legacy to be a part of. When I think about the examples set by my grandfathers, who both served in World War II, and then to think about the upcoming generations serving, it feels really meaningful," Vanidestine said. "Serving others and protecting our freedoms is something we are extremely, extremely proud of."

The smell of jet fuel

Vanidestine joined the Air Force in 1996, where he spent four years on active duty as an airborne surveillance operator while completing his degree at Oklahoma State University. Upon graduation, he attended pilot school and officer training, and in 2001 returned to Maine to serve in the Maine Air National Guard, stationed in Bangor, where he flew the KC-135 and raised a family with his wife, Tina — Grady, now 21, and Lauren, now 19.

The long history of the Air Force in the Bangor area had a big impact on Vanidestine growing up — from the historic days of Dow Air Force Base, to the current Air National Guard Base and the Maine Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility, home to the 101st Air Refueling Wing. As is often said in the area, "the smell of jet fuel is the smell of freedom."

"I had grown up watching the tankers flying. Maine Air National Guard is a great unit and has a history of being one of the best tanker units in the country," he said. "Being able to raise a family where we grew up was the biggest reason [we wanted to come back to Bangor]."

After retiring from the Guard in 2019, Vanidestine began training to be a commercial airline pilot. He now flies for American Airlines, flying routes all over North America.

The next generation

The next generation of family service is already well underway — Vanidestine's niece Abby was just selected to fly KC-46s for the New Hampshire Air National Guard in Portsmouth. Meanwhile, his son Grady did Air Force ROTC throughout his time at Brewer High School and is currently in school at Endicott College in Massachusetts. Upon graduation, Grady is planning on going into officer and pilot training so he too can become a pilot and continue the Air Force legacy in his family.

"I remember when he was a little kid putting on my pilot's helmet. I think just being exposed to me and my sister and brother-in-law, all of whom were in the Air Force, made him develop an appreciation for the military, and understanding the sacrifices that our family makes," Vanidestine said. "Service is kind of a family tradition for us."

Families serve, too

While there are four generations in his family who have served in the military, Vanidestine says those aren't the only sacrifices that are made.

"The sacrifices the families make are just as important to recognize. A lot falls on them, especially the spouses, in picking up the slack while we're deployed or away," he said. "My wife was a rock star, holding the family together, picking up both roles as mom and dad, managing the household and providing stability for the family. They serve as well, just in a different way."