The 15th Annual Palm Springs Air Museum Flower Drop and Air Fair was held on Memorial Day, May 27th. There were several flight exhibitions. Entertainment by the Heat Wave Jazz Band from the Boys and Girls Club, A live remote by KNEWS, food vendors, Face paintings for the children and re-enactment by the 82nd Airborne.
Forest Lawn Memorial Park underwrote the 3,000 carnations that were dropped from a Mitchell B-25 Bomber, a WWII aircraft in memory of those that lost their lives in the service of our country. The White Carnations depict the loss of servicemen from and prior to WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. The Red Carnations are for those we lost in more recent wars including The Persian Gulf, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan and other conflicts. ‘
Other aircraft that flew and were on display were the T-28. P-63, C-47 and the Stearman. People could get a close look at all these airplanes and show them to their children and then watch them takeoff and fly. Others reminisced about another time in their lives. The Missing Man formation was flown by the T-34’s.
Thousands came to pay their respects to our servicemen and the ones we lost. It was a time to show our young children a piece of history. Patriotic t-shirts, flags and other Red,White and Blue clothing were a norm. Displays were all over the Air Museum for everyone to look at and appreciate. There was a record crowd this year. People could be seen sitting across the street to watch the planes and witness the Flower Drop.
The B-25 flew directly over the Museum and the flowers were all over the tarmac area. Everyone scrambled to be able to pick up a flower to remember their loved ones. Children were proud to show their flower. It seems everyone was there for a different reason. Some to remember a relative or friend and others to pay tribute to those in the service and those that gave their lives for them.
