A Proud and Emotional Day….

 

     First of all, FYI, I will NOT be dashing outside in my nightly “uniform” with camera in hand to catch a sunset…At least not for the next 4 days…I am afraid I  would fit in a little TOO good here.  I look like just one of a cast of characters from a bad movie…sooo….if I get a sunrise, I will open the door and shoot!!

   Last night was cold and dreary, but we were warm and cozy inside our camper with our fireplace.  Hey…as they say, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade”..or …a Rum and Coke!! My spaghetti was killer, and Mr Grillmaster didn’t have to stick his nose outside for one thing…well, maybe a beer out of the cooler.

This morning was bright and sunny, and we grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out toward Tucson to the Pima Air and Space Museum..(the sooner the better for me.) The mountains in the distance were snow topped..and we soon found ourselves at the museum.  The backdrop of white tipped mountains were only made more exciting with the constant ascending military aircraft all around..This is where I want to be…I could stand and watch this forever…

We bought our tickets and decided to spend the extra $14.00 and take the “boneyard” bus tour at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.  This base was dedicated in 1927 by Charles Lindberg, and is named after a local flyer from WWI.  It is home to 3 squadrons of A-10’s, and 2 squadrons of C-130’s…also a new reconnaissance drone squadron carrying Hellfire missiles that go to Afganistan…being flown from this base…AMAZING!!!. I didn’t know that the DEA and Border Patrol also work out of here..

I am not going to go into every detail of our day, and I will now post some neat photos of the aircraft we saw…

 

This next plane was on the USS John F Kennedy, the same aircraft carrier our son was stationed on during the Persian Gulf War…Recognize this, Kel??

…by the way, he would LOVE this place!!!

 

I have to tell you I took 134 photos..and I had to write down and number them in a little notebook, or I would never remember the names….

The last place we went through the 390th Memorial Museum…very moving…The 390th Bombardment Group was one of 42 heavy bombardment groups in the 8th Air Force during WWII.  The 390th lost 670 airmen killed, 731 became POW’s and 200 bombers were lost in action or destroyed. Here is a brief explanation of their history…

Above its one of the B-17’s flown..notice what it says on the side of the plane…”I’ll Be Around”…

 

 

Den is looking a the gun turret from the top of a B-17…here is the history of this…

This museum impressed me immensely…There was a list of all the men who served with the 390th…they had some beautiful paintings on the walls….

They also had a mock up of the bombing of Berlin, with the voices and sounds from the cockpits of the US bombers as they dropped the bombs…

Below is a mural that was on the wall in the museum…..

    

We wandered around taking it all in…I have never seen so many military aircraft all in one spot…Dennis was in the Air Force, so he was very into this trip!!

 

clik on any pik to make larger…

I haven’t needed to say much…a picture, so they say, is worth a thousand words….or a million….So many lives sacrificed to keep our nation free..

OK, suffice to say that I LOVED this trip and it really left an impression on me…As for now, I am dog tired from walking, but loved every minute. We are back at our RV park now, (oh woopie,) and I think it is “happy hour”…Mr. Grillmaster is doing Cornish Game Hens on the grill for dinner, after being in my marinade all day….I am hoping tomorrow we can do another day trip somewhere…ANYWHERE!!!!….

Oh, and a word to Angela from RV Life Is Good…..No, you cannot ride up here in the front seat of the truck..I think you are getting a little spoiled, young lady….Your legs should be stretched from today’s trip…and I’ll hand you a barf bag if you are car sick……and…THANKS FOR FOLLOWING!!!