Report From Congress (Wicker Notes Personal Connection To Air Force Memorial)
REPORT FROM CONGRESS
By Congressman Roger F. Wicker
WICKER NOTES PERSONAL CONNECTION TO AIR FORCE MEMORIAL
My son McDaniel and I watched on television with great interest as the U. S. Air Force Memorial was dedicated in the nation's capital amid tributes, solemn remembrances, and a flyover by aircraft spanning more than 90 years of military history.
I have followed the discussions closely as this long-overdue project developed over the past 15 years. Congress authorized the memorial in 1993, and site selection, design work, and fundraising began in earnest. The first site met with controversy when the Marine Corps objected to the location near its Iwo Jima Memorial. The dispute was resolved, and the result was a new and much more visible location adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery.
A WICKER TRADITION
The event had special meaning for the Wicker family. My father, Fred Wicker, served in the 9th Air Force of the Army Air Corps in Europe during World War II. Immediately following the war, the Air Corps was separated from the Army and became the U.S. Air Force. Uncle Ken Wicker served under General Curtis Lemay and others in the Strategic Air Command and retired after 20 years of active duty. I spent four years on active duty and then served in the Air Force Reserve, retiring in 2004. McDaniel is continuing the Air Force tradition as a second-year Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet at the University of Mississippi.
The dramatic fly-by in front of 25,000 spectators included a wide array of aircraft from antique World War I era warplanes to today's most sophisticated jets. The display provided an illustration of the advances in military aviation that have allowed the U.S. Air Force to maintain its place as the most powerful in the world.
LAST SERVICE BRANCH HONORED
President Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne were among participants in the dedication. Prior to this event, the Air Force was the only branch of the military that did not have a memorial in Washington commemorating its service to the nation.
More than 140,000 individuals and corporations made donations to make the $30 million effort a reality. The memorial features three stainless steel spires that curve 270 feet into the sky. The spires represent the image of the "bomb burst" maneuver of jets in flight. The three spires also symbolize the three components of Air Force -- active duty, National Guard, and Reserve. More than 54,000 Americans have died in combat while serving in the Air Force or its predecessor organizations. The memorial will stand as a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice as well as thousands of men and women who have served in this branch of service throughout our nation's history.
The site includes a bronze Honor Guard statue, consisting of an eight foot tall sculpture that is reflective of past, present, and future airmen and a glass wall depicting the "missing man formation," a final tribute paid to fallen airmen.
'A PLACE ON THE GROUND'
President Bush said, "A soldier can walk the battlefields where he once fought; a Marine can walk the beaches he once stormed; but an airman can never visit the patch of sky he raced across to defend freedom. And so it is fitting that...the men and women of the Air Force will have this place on the ground that recognizes their achievements and sacrifices in the skies above."
http://www.house.gov/wicker/airforce2.htm