Rick Mantei Partners with Operation Christmas Child to Bring Joy to Children Worldwide
Rick Mantei is honored to support Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child, a global ministry that shares the message of God’s love through gift-filled shoeboxes for children in need. This year – through the generosity of Rick Mantei – he helped in giving out 500 Operation Christmas Child boxes, each filled with toys, hygiene items, and […]
Spreading Hope This Christmas: Supporting Operation Christmas Child
This holiday season, Rick Mantei joined in the mission of Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child, handing out 500 shoeboxes to be filled with gifts for children in need around the world. Each shoebox is more than just a collection of toys, it’s a tangible expression of God’s love. Packed with items like soccer balls, dolls, […]
Advocating for Veterans: Supporting Gary McCracken’s Fight for Recognition
Rick Mantei remains deeply committed to supporting veterans and ensuring they receive the care and recognition they’ve earned. Recently, Rick Mantei accompanied Vietnam-era veteran Gary McCracken to meet with Congressman Joe Wilson, advocating for the benefits and justice Gary has fought decades to secure. Gary’s story is one of courage and perseverance. After suffering a […]
Tri-City Aviation Flight Event – September 2025
Tri-City Aviation Event 350 Aviation Dr, Blountville, TN 37663(Go to Tri-City Aviation, not the commercial terminal) September 20, 2025 – Tri-Cities Regional Airport Get A Sneak Peek We’re proud to announce the success of our recent Tri-City Aviation Event on September 20th, held at Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Blountville, Tennessee. Attendees had the rare opportunity […]
Remembering Maj. Gen. Thomas Frederick Rew (1922–2025)
A Life of Service, Faith, and Flight Rick Mantei joins the community in remembering the extraordinary life of Maj. Gen. Thomas Frederick Rew (USAF, Ret.), who passed away on October 12, 2025, at the age of 103. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1922, Maj. Gen. Rew devoted his life to service, faith, and family. […]
Rick Mantei Honors WWII Veteran Bruce Cook
Rick Mantei was honored to celebrate Bruce Cook’s 100th birthday, recognizing his remarkable service as a B-17 Flying Fortress turret gunner during World War II. Bruce recently joined the team at its Tri-City Aviation Event at Eagle Aviation, where he shared his experiences as a veteran and lifelong aviation enthusiast. His passion for flight and […]
A Perfect End To The School Year
‘A perfect end to the school year’ By Tyler Meister – There is nothing quite like fulfilling a dream. There is a swelling of pride as you fulfill your long-term goal, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment or excitement that fills your chest, accompanied by a fleeting bittersweet feeling of needing to move onto the next […]
Rick Mantei Flies To Tuscon For 91st Birthday Of Col. Storey To Present Picture Of His Life In Person
On Saturday, March 19th, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rick Mantei took a very special trip from South Carolina to Tuscon, Arizona, to visit a mentor he hadn’t seen in 46 years. That man is Lt. Colonel Thomas Gordon Storey, who not only instructed Mantei at the U.S. Air Force Academy, but who is also […]
Rick Mantei Provides Support To Veterans In Hospice
CHAPIN, S.C. (WIS) -November is National Veterans and Military Families month, and it is also Hospice Month. Here in the Midlands, one retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel gave his time to veterans in hospice – and giving back so much more. Rick Mantei and his 13-year-old daughter Sara Mantei volunteer with Homestead Hospice out of […]
Rick Mantei Supports Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Midlands
Lisa, Scarlett & Rick Mantei bought nearly 100 toys and stuffed animals, which were presented to about 75 child patients at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands at 7 Richland Medical Park on Saturday, December 24, 2022. Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands, located in Columbia, is South Carolina’s first children’s hospital and has more than 150,000 children’s visits […]