Teens with the Friendship House of Jesus helped place flags at veterans’ graves in Oak City Cemetery Wednesday. — Shelby Farmer

Retired Colonel Ben Fuller was in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years. 

During that time, he served in the Vietnam War as a fighter pilot in a task force nicknamed the “Wild Weasels.”

“I flew fighters my whole career,” Fuller said addressing a group of teens at the Friendship House of Jesus. “To me it’s like the difference between flying a MAC truck or a motorcycle. Fighters are fun. Fighters are fast. Fighters are maneuverable. I wanted to fly the fasted thing the Air Force had at the time, and I was able to do that.”

Fuller addressed the teenage boys who were helping with a project, putting American flags at the Bainbridge graves of veterans.

The project was a group effort between the City of Bainbridge, Bainbridge Home Depot, the Friendship House and Live 109.9.

Bainbridge Assistant City Manager Roy Oliver took on the responsibility of locating and marking over 1000 graves of veterans buried in Bainbridge. Live 109.9, through a fundraiser last week, purchased small flags to put on the graves. Home Depot donated materials to help the flags stay in the ground longer.

Tuesday, teens at the Friendship House cut about 800 foot-long pieces of PVC pipe to place in the ground with the flags, helping them stay in the ground longer through differing weather conditions.

“If there’s going to be an American flag out there, it has to hang proudly, and that’s what you’re going to do, is make it hang proudly and not fall on the ground,” Fuller said.

Wednesday afternoon more than 20 teen boys took about two hours in Oak City Cemetery, hammering the pipes and placing the flags at the gravesites of Veterans.

“At the end of the afternoon it was emotional to look over the cemetery and see so many flags marking our Veteran’s graves,” Bainbridge Community Affairs director Julie Harris said in a news release. “We are off to a great start.”

Fuller also addressed the boys on the importance of staying in school.

“Education is extremely important for a career in the military or any career path you may ultimately choose,” Fuller said. “Stay in school. Get that diploma. If you want to go into the military you can if you want, but at least you have a diploma.”

Friendship House director Josh Paske echoed Fuller by encouraging the boys to make goals and plans for their futures.

“When I think of an American hero, I don’t think of Lil’ Wayne or LeBron James,” Paske said. “I think of Ben Fuller, a true American hero. Someone who put his selfishness aside and said, ‘I’m going to go fight for country.’”