Wisconsin Guard Pilot Ryan Bucher Landed a Black Hawk at His Son Lincoln’s Greenville School on Veterans Day, Then Got Hugs From All the Boys

Lincoln Bucher had been talking about it for days, and on Veterans Day the wait ended on the grounds of his school in Greenville, Wisconsin. His father, Ryan Bucher, a Wisconsin Army National Guard pilot, set a Black Hawk helicopter down at St. Mary the Immaculate Conception School and stepped out to greet the students. “Nothing’s better than hopping out and getting hugs from all the boys,” Bucher said, according to WBAY.

A landing months in the making

The helicopter’s arrival on Wednesday morning, Nov. 11, was the centerpiece of the school’s Veterans Day celebration, WBAY reporter Grace Johnson wrote in a story published the morning of the event. Bucher planned it with school leaders for months, and his children attend the school.

Dozens of veterans, families and community members came for a program that also included patriotic music and a flag retirement ceremony. Students had a chance to meet veterans in person. The report does not give the number of students or the exact time of the landing.

WBAY called the aircraft a military Black Hawk and did not give a model variant, a unit designation or a tail number. The report also does not say how many of Bucher’s children attend the school, only that they do.

Bucher has visited his children’s classrooms every Veterans Day, WBAY reported. This year he said he hoped the helicopter would leave students with lasting memories.

What Lincoln and Principal Jim Brown said

Lincoln described what went through his head as his father climbed out of the aircraft, telling WBAY he felt love in his heart. The station did not report his age or grade.

Principal Jim Brown used the day to talk about what veterans have given the country. He told WBAY that the freedoms people take for granted every day exist because of veterans.

Bucher had a message of his own for the students: that background and experience matter less than following their hearts, since that can lead anywhere. WBAY included the message in its report on the visit.

What Veterans Day is meant to honor

The national observance falls on the same date every year. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says the Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on Nov. 11 at Arlington National Cemetery, and describes it as intended to honor and thank all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The same page features a poster that tells “the story of service, sacrifice and gratitude on Veterans Day.”

Bucher is a current member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and WBAY reported that the program at his children’s school brought veterans and families together.

Schools across the country mark the day in their own ways. Greenville’s version put a working military aircraft on the school grounds, with a pilot who is also a parent in the cockpit.

What a Black Hawk does when it is not at a school

The Army’s own fact sheet, reported by Army.mil, says the Black Hawk supports air assault, general support, aeromedical evacuation, command and control and special operations. The Black Hawk entered service in 1979, and the first UH-60A was accepted in 1978. The Army says the fleet has logged more than 9 million flight hours and counts more than 2,100 airframes, making it the service’s largest rotary-wing fleet. About 1,200 H-60 helicopters operate in 30 partner and allied nations, according to the article, which adds that the Army will replace its remaining UH-60A and L aircraft with 760 UH-60Vs.

The same Army.mil article describes a September 2023 training operation by the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. It says unit members regularly train at Fort McCoy and support training events there each year. It does not mention Bucher or the Greenville school, and the WBAY report does not name his unit.

The Wisconsin National Guard’s own news site carried the same account of the Fort McCoy exercise, dated Sept. 14, 2023 and reported Sept. 25, 2023. It quotes Army officials describing the Black Hawk as “the primary medium-lift, multi-role helicopter for the U.S. Army.” Neither that account nor WBAY says how the Greenville landing was arranged.

How military families can support children

Military OneSource, the Department of Defense’s family support site, says in its guide to supporting military-connected children that children need adults who regularly engage with them, check in and listen.

The guide recommends putting away distractions, making eye contact and responding thoughtfully to what children share. It also says simple encouragement, such as acknowledging effort, helps build confidence, and it suggests taking time to play games, read or do crafts together. The site adds that children often pick up on the emotions and stress of the adults around them.

That advice is general guidance for families with a connection to the military. It is not drawn from the Bucher family’s experience, and WBAY did not report any details about their routines.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock – Public domain/Wikimedia Commons