Retired Iowa National Guard General dies
June 28th, 2024 by Ric Hanson
The Iowa National Guard says F-16 fighter jets will fly over West Des Moines this weekend to honor a retired Air Guard General who has died. Brigadier General Travis K. Acheson died June 21st after a year-long battle with brain cancer. General Acheson graduated from Valley High School in 1986 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The University of Iowa in 1990. He retired from the Guard after 33 years in September 2022.
He amassed nearly three-thousand flying hours in the F-16 and completed over 500 combat hours during five overseas deployments. He also had a career as a commercial pilot with American Airlines.
Acheson is survived by his wife Brooke and three daughters. There will be an F-16 flyover around 10:30 Saturday at Resthaven Cemetery following a celebration of life ceremony.