Vance-trained pilot renews wedding vows 70 years later

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Michaela Prince
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Seventy years after saying “I do,” retired Air Force Col. Ryland Roy Dreibelbis and Peggy Bush Dreibelbis once again stood side by side to renew their vows in the same chapel where they were married in 1955.

The chapel at Vance Air Force Base was filled with the soft cream scent of pages from well-loved hymnals and the inviting warmth of sunshine streaming through the windows. It felt like the kind of morning where time seemed to pause; a place bathed in both light and memory. 

Laughter and quiet conversation drifted through the air as friends and family gathered, ready to witness a love story that had already spanned seven decades. 

The renewal ceremony, held Oct. 1, 2025, was designed as a reflection of their wedding day, a heartfelt echo of the beginning that started it all.

On the day of Roy’s pilot training graduation in 1955, the couple stood before the same altar promising to face whatever the future held together. This time, their promise was renewed not with the anticipation of youth, but with the steady confidence of a life well shared. 

The pews were lined with their most cherished witnesses; their two daughters, a son-in-law, and several of their grandchildren. For the family, watching their parents and grandparents take those familiar vows again was a powerful moment, rich with love and history. 

Peg and Roy once again joined hands, with U.S. Air Force Chaplain (Maj.) Kenneth Johnson with the 71st Flying Training Wing officiating, and promised to continue their journey together, forever and always. 

After the ceremony, the couple took time to share stories of their early years at Vance Air Force Base, recalling the friends, mentors, and moments that shaped their lives. They expressed heartfelt appreciation for the base and its community, whose efforts made their vow renewal feel truly special. 

As they posed for photos surrounded by family and sunlight, it was clear that the spirit of their first wedding day had never really left them -- it had simply grown stronger.