Jay Less

When Air Force veteran Jay Less received a letter from Jefferson Elementary second grader Mackson Holloway, it profoundly impacted him. At seventy-seven, Jay’s sharp as a tack and has led a full life. We talk for over thirty minutes; he shares countless stories, admitting with a grin that, reflecting, he wouldn’t change a thing.

Jay and Mackson were paired together last November as part of a class project to celebrate Veteran’s Day (and, more importantly, the men and women the holiday recognizes). Jay received a letter from Mackson, paying respect and thanking Jay for his service. But Jay’s response was different. Upon reading it, he said, “I’d like to meet that little guy.”

Jay grew up around veterans and understands the positive influence of strong male role models. Surrounded by several World War II veterans who valued service and sacrifice, Jay considered them heroes. His father was just such a man, as were his uncles. His dad’s brothers were veterans, and his dad’s sisters married veterans. Jay and his brothers grew up respecting their family’s choice to serve and eventually followed suit. While Jay’s brother joined the Navy, Jay selected the Air Force.

Wanting to ensure Mackson had a similar experience, he reached out to Jefferson Elementary, touching base with Mackson’s teacher, who in turn reached out to Mackson’s parents. Eventually, Jay chatted with Mackson’s mother, Ashley, who arranged for Jay and Mackson to transition from pen pals to an in-person interaction on Veteran’s Day.

While Jay, born and raised in Ottawa, never saw combat, he served four years during the Vietnam War, working for Strategic Air Command. He traveled to half a dozen countries during his service before exiting the military as a Staff Sergeant, returning to Ottawa in the summer of 1971. Jay is incredibly proud of his military service.

He almost always wears his favorite Air Force baseball cap, which he purchased at the local American Legon Hall. But despite this pride, Jay has complicated and sometimes conflicting memories of how his service is perceived. When asked what he feels it means to be a veteran today, he acknowledges that history hasn’t always been kind, making his letter from Mackson even more special.

“I grew up with my dad, his two brothers, and my two uncles, all veterans from World War II. It was the fifties and sixties; they were heroes. But when Vietnam showed up, and we got through that nine-year war, us veterans from that period got treated like dirt,” admits Jay, speaking matter-of-factly.

Jay shares that over the years, he’s seen sentiments soften and transition, crediting the tragic events on 9/11 as the last step in changing public sentiment. He doesn’t speak emotionally; he speaks pragmatically. He is glad that children such as Mackson look up to veterans, similar to how Jay grew up admiring his father. “In all honesty, I had more fun on those three bases than I would have in college,” Jay teases.

He adds, “When Max and I met up, it really tugged at my heart. He asked me, ‘Did you fly? Were you a pilot?’ I said no, but I did fly on a lot of different military aircraft”, chuckles Jay. He goes on to share, “I gave him one of my staff sergeant stripes I wore on one of my uniforms. I’m going to keep in contact with him. I want to see the young man grow up.”