Written by Dabney B. on Monday, August 27th, 2012
Air Force Week just came to a close, ending a seven-day celebration of America’s dedicated airmen. People outside of New York City missed out on all the fun, unfortunately. I was able to dig up a few videos that captured the excitement from some of the events, but a lot more has happened since Monday. We’ve seen aircraft demonstrations, keynote speakers, band performances, and plenty of New Yorkers warmly welcoming these brave Airmen into their city.
The Big Apple is one of the most diverse places on the planet, and the US Air Force is no different. The USAF welcomes people from all walks of life and unites them under the common cause to serve this great nation. To commemorate this beautiful intermingling of people, the Air Force has put together this video gallery of guys, gals, foreigners, locals, children, couples, civilians, servicemen, veterans, and just about every type of person you could possibly imagine.
The big guy himself, Chief Master Sgt of the USAF James A. Royce, spoke with civic leaders during a Heroes Luncheon that was sponsored by Operation Homefront on Tuesday. The luncheon celebrated 20 Airmen who had been selected as part of Portraits for Courage, a program that focuses on individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. You might have caught a few of these Airmen on the Today Show when Al Roker spoke with these bonafide heroes.
During an interview before valium buy the luncheon, Roy said, “Our Airmen do fantastic work around the world and this is a way to let the American people know what their military does for them. They get to know them personally, get to know them by their first name and get to know what they do each and every day. It gives the community a chance to come together and learn a little more about their United States Air Force.”
Speaking of getting in touch with the community, many Airmen report that they were deeply touched by the support that they received from the citizens of New York.
Master Sgt. Charles Kramer, first sergeant of the 732nd Airlift Squadron at McGuire, said, “The response has been amazing (from the New Yorkers). You know folks have been coming up to us out on the streets thanking us for our service.”
As if having strangers come up to you and ask to shake your hand wasn’t heart-warming enough, many of these Airmen got a poignant reminder of what’s worth fighting for. Airmen jumped at the chance to visit the 9-11 Memorial. It falls to people like Kramer to make sure that America doesn’t suffer a similar attack at the hands of terrorists. He added, “It is an incredibly moving (experience), the exhibit halls are incredibly moving. Being able to see the faces of the victims, being able to see pieces of the actual World Trade Center and the stories that folks that left behind … it’s incredibly touching and moving.”
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