Mrs and I are going to hang out with some WWII vets Saturday

[Sailor]

And DD, you and your better half might want to consider it too.

The "vets" I'm talking about are both human and machine. The Virginia Beach Military Aviation Museum down in Pungo is having its annual "Warbirds over the Beach" this weekend. Aircraft on display (some of them FLYING) will include standard fare like a Stearman trainer, P-51D Mustang, P39 Airacobra (in Soviet markings), B-25 Mitchell and so on.

It will also include the worlds ONLY flying RAF Mosquito (actually RCAF), a replica ME-262, ME-109 (Spanish built), FW-190 (also Spanish) and a visitor from Canada, a Lancaster heavy bomber. Too bad the B-17 had to be sold, the two would make an interesting contrast parked side by side.

I understand that the loss of the B-17 is offset by recent but unnamed acquisitions that are currently undergoing restoration both here and at other sites around the country.

They also are planning to host a number of reenactors, allied and 'German' and one of the displays includes (planned) a German 88. THAT will be interesting.

The weather guessers are saying the forecast for the weekend promises sunny and temps in the mid-70s.

I fully intend to fill a couple of memory chips in the camera. I'll try to post some of them here if they turn out okay.

hamptonroads.com/2014/05/warbirds-take-back-va-beach-skies-weekend

www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/

[101ABN]

Awesome! I'd love to go to an event like that.

I'll look forward to the pics.

Have fun!

[peck]

I saw an amazing piece of history the other day.  I stopped into Wal-Mart to pick up some tylenol and I walked past an old man sitting on the park benches at the front of the building.  He was wearing one of those ubiquitous Veteran hats that describe them as a vet of this War or that, this ship or that.  I read it without much thought  USS Yorktown.  I kept walking because it didn't register immediately.  I grabbed my bottle of tylenol and my aching neurons fired and I realized what I had just read and rushed back to see him.  I asked him if he was truly on the Yorktown and he said he was, he was also part of the crew that helped piece it back together after it was bombed.  I sat down with him and had a nice conversation.  I was amazed at the detail he remembered about events that happened to him 70 years prior.  I felt lucky having met a true piece of history sitting in a Wal-Mart.  

[Sailor]

Wow. The things this gent did, the events that he took part in ...

Just, wow.

[peck]

I feel truly blessed because at his age, he could have been gone the next day!! I wish I would have gotten his number to try and get him to talk about it a little more. My kids will not get to meet these people like I did when I was young, listening to the stories and feeling that pride. I think this is why the US is decaying. There is no real pride in our wars today. The first gulf war had some pride to it, but the second war and afghanistan have been imbrued with the emotions of politics, I think forever destroying the pride Americans had at redemption for 9/11.
Kids will grow up with little information and be opposed to the necessity of battle because of the resonant disdain offered by parents and people older than them at this time.

A veteran of the USS Yorktown, may be the only thing we can hang onto as a reminder of the venerable and illustrious United States.

[dustdevil28]

Guess I should have come down here sooner. Thanks for the consideration, the wife and I will probably head down there today for the strawberry festival. We'll stop by and check out the museum.

-DD

[Sailor]

My son is planning on being in town next weekend and he has expressed an interest in visiting the museum so I think we'll spend a day going through the place. The regular admission is something like $12 for adults, well worth it IMHO.