As we celebrate America 250 this summer, we’re honoring those who have protected our nation’s freedom. Veterans have been at the heart of this story from the beginning.
(above: Brent Larson in his U.S. Air Force uniform)
A Legacy of Service Begins with Brian Larson
Military roots run deep with Brian Larson, who recently celebrated 57 years with Sunderman Farm Management. Brian joined the Iowa Air National Guard in January 1957 as an 18-year-old high school senior.
“You had to do 6 years of service to meet your military obligation,” said Brian, who enlisted with two buddies from his hometown of Badger, Iowa.
Brian was based out of Fort Dodge with the 133rd Air Control and Warning squadron. The men served one weekend a month and were required to go to camp for two weeks each summer, from Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa, to a naval air station in Ottumwa, Iowa, to Virginia. “We were there in 1961 when the Berlin Wall went up,” Brian recalled.
Since he worked in the supply section, Brian organized tents and other supplies. “I remember one night at summer camp when we got 6 inches of rain. My suitcase was in 4 inches of water!”
Despite the challenges, Brian was fortunate to serve during peace time in a strong unit with great leaders. “Every day is a blessing to live in America,” said Brian, who was a 24-year-old staff sergeant when he completed his service in 1963.
Brent Larson Carries the Tradition Forward
This tradition of service has spanned generations. Brian’s youngest son, Brent, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in April 1993, shortly before he graduated from Manson Northwest Webster High School.
Like many kids growing up in the 1980s, Brent was fascinated by space travel. That curiosity led him to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, where hands-on learning sparked an even deeper interest in aviation. After completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas in 1993, Brent was an enlisted airman for two years. Next, he earned an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1995 and graduated in 1999. (The Academy introduced him to his future wife, Christine, a fellow cadet who graduated in 2000.)
Brent flew aboard E-3 AWACS radar aircraft based at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. After seven years of active-duty service, Brent transitioned to the Air Force Reserve, where he served from 2004 to 2022.
Brent was an instructor at the officer training school at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. “Freedom requires a well-trained, well-equipped military. It’s peace through strength.”
When Brent retired as an O-5 lieutenant colonel in December 2022, he had devoted nearly three decades (29½ years) to military service.
Three Generations, One Family Farm
Brent and Christine are grateful they’ve had the opportunity to raise their sons—Isaac, 22; Abram, 19; and Micah, 16—on their family’s farm near Fort Dodge. The Larsons are proud that Isaac, the newest member of the Sunderman Farm Management team, served in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Iowa State University.
The values of commitment and trust that inspire military service guide the Sunderman team’s commitment to agriculture and land management, Brent says. “We’re so blessed to have the freedoms we enjoy in America.”