Into the wild blue yonder
Son of hometown girl admitted to Air Force Academy
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

John Travis Seaver

John Travis Seaver has spent a great deal of his life taking cues from others. In fifth grade Travis was the target of aggression for the local school bully in Whitesboro. This 10-year-old boy was regularly pushed around for little reason other than the bully needed someone to bully.

This continued until one day on a touch football field. The unnamed bully again knocked little Seaver to the ground, this time bloodying his knees; this finally pushed Travis to the edge.

Or what pushed him to the edge could have been the children circling around the two, demanding a response from Travis. At that moment Seaver curled his fists into balls of anger and gave the bully the best reason he ever got on why Travis Seaver is not a viable bullying victim.

However, Travis' mother, Pamela Seaver, said, this act of revenge was out of character for young Travis.

"He had a new principal that year, and this principal didn't know Travis very well," Pamela said.

Travis now faced expulsion as a result of finally snapping from the pressure of so many kids urging the boy to take revenge on the bully who was harassing him. What seemed most unfair of all was the bully got the same sentence.

Pamela had another idea.

"I told the principal when I wanted to punish Travis I would make him think about what he'd done," Pamela said. "We needed a punishment to make him think."

And so Travis was made to write a three page essay on why he did what he did, and at the end he concluded he punched his opponent not for revenge, or out of anger, but out of the peer pressure prompted by the children around them. Not only this, but he concluded striking the bully compromised his character.

Travis, now a senior nearing graduation at Whitesboro High School, has given his classmates reasons not to goad him to rash actions, but reasons to admire him.

A member of the Boy Scouts of America program in Troop 38 of Whitesboro, Travis achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at the young age of 15.

And he's quite the student on top of this, Ray Lea, Whitesboro superintendent said.

"Travis has been a special kid for quite a while to me," Lea said. "He invited me to his Eagle Scout Ceremony, and we work out together. A lot of the time it's just him and me in the gym."

Not many school superintendents share such a relationship with students, Lea said.

In addition to grades, Travis has been involved with school sports.

"I keep my body in shape," Travis said. "I've got a full schedule."

Travis got involved with varsity baseball, power lifting and the track team, as well as the Texomas student organization, which promotes the decoration of cities during the holidays and sets up appreciation lunches.

Travis has also prepared himself for higher learning with dual credit and AP courses.

But the current talk about Travis Seaver is where he will go following high school.

Ever since he was six years old, Travis has dreamt about going to the Air Force Academy, and soon he will get his chance. After a long, tense wait, Travis has been accepted into the academy.

"The Air Force offered me a scholarship," Travis said of a letter of appointment written on March 17. "This is my official acceptance, and I will go to the Air Force on June 26."

The date is just one month after Travis' May 26 birthday.

"I was a little shocked that it actually happened," Travis added. "But I was also ecstatic and thrilled."

The appointment notification came on the heels of a nomination letter sent by Texas Congressman Ralph Hall.

The news of Seaver's acceptance has thrilled his family, including his grandparents living in Chandler, J.D. and Madeline Yates.

"He wants to be an Air Force pilot in the worst way," Madeline Yates began, "I don't think it's going to happen because he's colorblind."

Air Force piloting standards are extremely strict in regards to eyesight.

"His mother and father have always worked hard to accomplish their goals, and they taught him the same," Yates continued. "He took it a step further and set a goal for himself he was determined to meet. I am a proud grandmother, and if there were more kids like him there would be more family oriented kids today."

While the career of pilot appears out of reach for Travis, pilot is just one of the crucial aspects of the Air Force.

Inspired by a story from the life of his great grandfather, Albert Seaver, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Travis is considering a career as a Special Tactics Officer.

During the Korean War, Albert Seaver's bomber was shot down in action and Seaver was captured. It was only after 18 months of being a prisoner of war missing in action that he was able to return to his family.

"Special Tactics Officers have to be the best," Seaver said.

If he achieves his dream, Travis will be responsible for rescuing downed pilots, possibly in the heart of a war zone.

When Travis first arrives at the academy he will go through a five week period of basic training. For the first two weeks he will be forbidden to contact anyone outside the academy, and will spend this time learning to adapt to the military lifestyle.

From the academy in Colorado, Seaver will then set out with the other cadets of the class of 2012 for Jack's Valley, where Travis will learn how to operate in more intense situations. It is here he will, for three weeks, operate in a mock war camp environment and learn to operate the M16, an assault rifle widely used by the United States military branches.

Travis is currently operating under a full schedule, and after graduation it will only get more hectic. However, this is what he has dreamed of since age six, and his family stands proud at his commitment.

Pamela Seaver said Travis always performed well when people believed in him. Soon, fellow cadets and airmen may well be relying on him.