DAVID KAPASKA
IMPROVING RURAL CRITICAL CARE WITH TELEMEDICINE
1949 • CATEGORY MEDICAL
• HOMETOWN SIOUX FALLS, SD •
NOMINATED BY BOBBI THURY
Dave Kapaska heard the call to service early on in life. Accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy at the height of the Vietnam War, Kapaska rapidly adopted the code that governs the conduct of our nation’s military officers: Duty, Honor, Country. He embraced those sacred words and the accompanying pledge of service before self. That pledge of sacrifice for the greater good came to define his career and life. Born July 18, 1949, in Sioux City, Iowa, to Lyle and Sue Kapaska, he grew up in nearby Sac City with younger siblings Marc and Jana. He was blessed with the opportunity to enjoy school, sports, and church activities, all of which provided encouraging teachers and mentors.
22 • 2021 HONORS CEREMONY
At the Air Force Academy, Kapaska and his fellow cadets were challenged to live every moment at the highest level of achievement – a transformational experience that prepared him for future leadership. Kapaska first thought it was a joke when an Academy mentor, Col. Pete Carter, suggested he consider medical school after graduation. But the idea was planted. That advice from Carter – later, Dr. Pete Carter of Aberdeen would become a reality a decade later. After graduation, Kapaska trained as an Air Force pilot and began flying C-141 Cargo Jets around the world. For the first time in his life, he was introduced to a variety of people and cultures. The final days of the Vietnam War in 1975 presented an opportunity to live out the Academy’s call to service before self. Kapaska
