Cadets honor hometown hero ahead of tournament

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Today, the pages of history books came to life, as cadets got to meet the sister of a hometown hero.

Cpt. Lance Sijan received the highest military award, posthumously, for his selflessness and courage in the Vietnam War.

"I often say this is a love story that happened to take place in the time of war," said Janine Sijan.

Janine Sijan says right from the start, love for his fellow airmen, led her brother Cpt. Lance Sijan to call-off the rescue team that had come to pull him out of enemy territory, for fear they would be captured.

"They know much of this, but to hear it from a human being that had a connection to lance, it makes all the difference in the world," said Sijan.

Sijan's spending time with the U.S. Air Force hockey team, ahead of the "Kwik Trip Tournament" that brought them to Milwaukee.

"So just that grit and determination and the strength that he had is kind of a symbol for the air force academy," said Chris Hedden, Cadet 3rd Class from Michigan.

Down time is important too, and the hockey team spent some free time Wednesday at the Harley Davidson Museum.

Jumping on and off Harleys of all eras and looking ahead to the big game Thursday against Wisconsin.

"There's no team out there that's gonna be more bonded and more physically prepared so," said Owen Dubois, Cadet 4th Class from Madison, Wisconsin.

For players who grew up in Wisconsin, playing the Badgers is a little surreal.

"Yeah, my family had season tickets growing up, so I went to a lot of those games," said Dubois.

"Ever since the schedule dropped at the start of this year, I've been excited and looking forward to this game in particular, going against the Badgers," said Mason McCormick, Cadet 3rd Class from Verona, Wisconsin.

The Air Force team's part of the Atlantic Hockey Association. Non-conference games have taken them to Alaska, Arizona, and now, Milwaukee, but this stop and getting to meet Janine Sijan's left a lasting impression too.

"If he could do that, then I can do this and I often say, what is your "this?" said Sijan.

"His whole story is just incredible, just the resiliency and everything he embodied, that's something we'll definitely be taking with us," said McCormick.

Thursday's game is at Fiserv Forum at 7:30p.m. Thursday. The winner of the Air Force vs. Wisconsin will play the winner of the Northeastern vs. Minnesota Duluth game.