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Having served in the U.S. Army for 24-years as a nurse and doctor, I have personally seen both the physical and mental wounds that veterans endure in service to our nation. Many veterans are still living with those scars, and without proper care and treatment, mental health crises can make everyday life a struggle or even life-threatening.

(Ottumwa, IA) -- Three World War Two veterans were gifted a ride in a World War Two aircraft.

Bill Jones, Chuck Osing, and Allan Augustine served the United States in the Second World War.

The veterans from the Ottumwa area rode on a Stearman biplane, one of six such restored aircrafts touring the United States. They were greeted by community members and thanked for their service.

U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, interviewed by WHO 13, said:

OTTUMWA, Iowa (KYOU) - Monday morning if you saw a plane in the sky it could have been a World War II veteran. Dozens of people came out to Ottumwa Regional Airport to honor three veterans who served 76 years ago.

When U.S. presidential candidates campaign in Iowa every four years, one of the first issues they are sure to be asked by voters in the ag-heavy state is whether they would support continued federal subsidies for ethanol and other biofuels. 

Across the Mississippi River in Illinois, it's safe to say support is just as great. The state produces 1.8 billion gallons of ethanol and 168 million gallons of biodiesel annually, according to the Energy Information Agency. This makes it easily the state's primary renewable energy product.

Demand for ethanol is at best stagnant, and by some accounts in decline. This requires not looking at the immediate future and expanding coalitions to advance biofuels, shares John Coupert, executive director at the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center during a Congressional Biofuels Summit held Wednesday at the Farm Progress Show.