So before I toss my summer notes away, I guess I want to revisit two particular stories that were among my favorites.
One happened on the first day of summer, Memorial Day. It involved the dedication of a Huey Helicopter over at the Ocean City Airport.
As a military history buff, I was emotionally tied to the Huey presentation. The Huey was known as a versatile vehicle, carrying men, equipment into danger and then going in to take them out.
That it was Memorial Day, made the afternoon even more meaningful. There, Sharyn O’Hare, co-founder of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines spoke in memorable words about the UH-1 Huey Helicopter.
She explained how the helicopter would fly into the most dangerous of battle zones to both extract the wounded and carry them to safety or to drop reinforcements and equipment in places never friendly to aircraft.
She added that the sound of the Huey was the “soundtrack of the war.” Of the 7,000 Hueys brought to the war starting in 1963, almost half were destroyed and 1,074 pilots lost. Still, these aircraft were for the soldiers, helicopters of hope.
The Ocean City Aviation Association restored the Huey at the airport.
Today, I just want to remind readers that the Vietnam War was a difficult, but important part of American history. Many of our living veterans came home from that war, and were not greeted with the same welcome and ceremony given to Iraq and Afghanistan war vets. The Huey is a reminder of the service that our veteran men and women gave. I believe we should all make it a point to take our children over to the airport to see the Huey and support its memory. It isn’t an object to dedicate and just leave. It’s is something to study, something to understand.
The other part of the summer that really wasn’t in my notebook, but was in everyone’s minds especially around Berlin was the success of the Intermediate Little League All Stars.
The players and coaches showed us how good sportsmanship; hard work and keeping the game fun could go a long way. The team fell just short of making the international rounds of World Series play. When one considers all of the Little League baseball teams in the world, and that Berlin got that deep into the tournament is a testament to the level of play here.
Right behind the Intermediate team, the 9-10 All Stars won the state Little League championship and advanced into the regionals before falling.
Many of these players will be back next year. And as we’ve reported on these pages the past couple of editions, a parade is scheduled for more than 500 Berlin Little Leaguers.
Lastly, I was walking into the Wall Mart when I saw a large box where school supplies could be donated. At the time (last Tuesday night), the box was hardly half full.
I’d like to urge all of you who can to find a way to donate school supplies, backpacks, lunch boxes, even computers if you can to area schools, Diakonia and even the Worcester County Board of Education. Children are often embarrassed, and it’s not their faults, if they don’t have decent school clothing or supplies.
If driving any distance is a concern for you, bring what you want to donate to my office at Ocean City Today/Bayside Gazette is closer, than I urge you to drop off any school supplies you would care to donate, and I’ll make sure they get to the right place.
One happened on the first day of summer, Memorial Day. It involved the dedication of a Huey Helicopter over at the Ocean City Airport.
As a military history buff, I was emotionally tied to the Huey presentation. The Huey was known as a versatile vehicle, carrying men, equipment into danger and then going in to take them out.
That it was Memorial Day, made the afternoon even more meaningful. There, Sharyn O’Hare, co-founder of the Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines spoke in memorable words about the UH-1 Huey Helicopter.
She explained how the helicopter would fly into the most dangerous of battle zones to both extract the wounded and carry them to safety or to drop reinforcements and equipment in places never friendly to aircraft.
She added that the sound of the Huey was the “soundtrack of the war.” Of the 7,000 Hueys brought to the war starting in 1963, almost half were destroyed and 1,074 pilots lost. Still, these aircraft were for the soldiers, helicopters of hope.
The Ocean City Aviation Association restored the Huey at the airport.
Today, I just want to remind readers that the Vietnam War was a difficult, but important part of American history. Many of our living veterans came home from that war, and were not greeted with the same welcome and ceremony given to Iraq and Afghanistan war vets. The Huey is a reminder of the service that our veteran men and women gave. I believe we should all make it a point to take our children over to the airport to see the Huey and support its memory. It isn’t an object to dedicate and just leave. It’s is something to study, something to understand.
The other part of the summer that really wasn’t in my notebook, but was in everyone’s minds especially around Berlin was the success of the Intermediate Little League All Stars.
The players and coaches showed us how good sportsmanship; hard work and keeping the game fun could go a long way. The team fell just short of making the international rounds of World Series play. When one considers all of the Little League baseball teams in the world, and that Berlin got that deep into the tournament is a testament to the level of play here.
Right behind the Intermediate team, the 9-10 All Stars won the state Little League championship and advanced into the regionals before falling.
Many of these players will be back next year. And as we’ve reported on these pages the past couple of editions, a parade is scheduled for more than 500 Berlin Little Leaguers.
Lastly, I was walking into the Wall Mart when I saw a large box where school supplies could be donated. At the time (last Tuesday night), the box was hardly half full.
I’d like to urge all of you who can to find a way to donate school supplies, backpacks, lunch boxes, even computers if you can to area schools, Diakonia and even the Worcester County Board of Education. Children are often embarrassed, and it’s not their faults, if they don’t have decent school clothing or supplies.
If driving any distance is a concern for you, bring what you want to donate to my office at Ocean City Today/Bayside Gazette is closer, than I urge you to drop off any school supplies you would care to donate, and I’ll make sure they get to the right place.