High-flying feat: Air base, community revel in shared endeavors

There is something about the sound of a jet flying overhead that makes hearts in Wayne County beat just a little faster.

While watching so many arrive and practice for this weekend’s Wings Over Wayne show, it was hard not to be just a little more proud than usual about being a military town and hosts to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

Every day there are thousands of airmen across the nation and overseas making sure they are ready just in case they are needed to defend their country. And over the past couple of years, there have been more than a few instances where U.S. Air Force personnel have been called to duty in the Middle East and elsewhere as this nation continues its war against terror.

And while they are serving, their families wait at home for news, pray for their loved one’s speedy return and try to keep their daily lives on track. They serve with as much dedication and dignity as the men and women who are actually in the planes and on the ground crews.

Seymour Johnson officials touted this weekend’s show as a chance for the base to say thank you to the community for its patience and support over the years.

But Wings Over Wayne was our chance, too, to say thank you to the men and women who risk their lives every day so we can go about our business with the security of knowing that we are protected both at home and abroad.

The airmen who are based here, and their families, have contributed much to this community in other ways, too. Their community service, different perspectives and hometowns and willingness to make Wayne County their home have made this a much stronger community.

Wayne County has been and always should be proud of the relationship it has fostered with Seymour Johnson and the support it has given to the men and women who live there and in the surrounding communities.

This weekend’s show was a chance for us all to take the time to celebrate and to enjoy each other’s company — neighbor to neighbor.

What better way could there be to cement an already strong friendship?

Published in Editorials on November 5, 2005 10:06 PM