Thank you SJAFB: The big names got the attention, but there were unsung heroes, too

It is hard to feel anything but patriotic and proud when you sit on a flight line and watch jets perform in the skies, especially when that team is the Thunderbirds.

It is even harder not to think how lucky this town is to have an Air Force base of the caliber of Seymour Johnson when the F-15E Strike Eagle Demo Team wows the crowd.

But even though the aerial acts, the VIPs and the others who were the stars of the show Sunday got a lot of applause for their efforts, there were others there, too, who gave much to make the 2011 show a success.

So to all those who had a hand in planning, executing and worrying about the 2011 Wings Over Wayne Air Show, congratulations. Although the weather did not allow you to best the record, your hard work was evident in every aspect of the performances this weekend. You should be proud.

There were hundreds of SJAFB airmen and women who gave up their weekend to staff security, to escort performers and to do the setup, cleanup and publicity for the show.

They did a remarkable job of making sure everything ran smoothly -- especially the parking.

Wayne County is lucky to have the chance to see this show every couple of years. And when we do, it is important to thank those without whom there could be no Wings Over Wayne. So, today, we do.

Published in Editorials on April 18, 2011 10:50 AM