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Show Ceremony dedicates Hill Aerospace Museum million to build the facility," he said, "and in 1991, by Frances Kosakowsky Hilltop Times staff On a balmy summer morning, nearly 250 guests attended an outdoor ribbon-cuttin- g ceremony to officially open the Hill Aerospace Museum Friday. To open the ceremony the Hill AFB Honor Guard raised the colors as Roger Arnold, 1881st Systems Group, sang a stirring a cappella rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." As the last notes of the anthem hung in the air, three from the 419th Fighter Wing flew over, underlining the relationship between air r Communications-Compute- F-1- 6s power and freedom. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, museum director John McCleary praised state legislators, local community leaders, and the many other people who contributed to transforming the museum from a dream to a reality. He also noted that the Hill museum is the only air museum to be contributed to by any state government. Lt. Gov. Val Oveson, the first guest speaker, said that while the economic impact of the museum and Hill to the state of Utah is very important, "I don't think we should ever forget the importance of this museum and this base to maintaining the freedom of this country and the peace that we enjoy because that's what it's all about." He also noted that the readiness of the Air Force is as important now as it has ever been and that the museum will contribute to people's understanding of that importance. "What you see here today represents the culmination of a lot of hard work and many thousands of volunteer man hours," said retired Maj. Gen. Rex Hadley, the second speaker. "Many of these airplanes did not fly here. They were disassembled and had to be hauled in by truck, by rail and by the Air Force," he said. "And when you start to dismantle an aircraft the size of the Globemaster, which was the largest piston-drivetransport aircraft of the '50s and '60s, C-1- n 66 This is for all peopleIt's for those people who flew those magnificent machines; it's for the people who maintained them; it's for those people who built them; it's for those people who remember them, and it's for those people who come after us to remember our heritage to remember what the Air Force has done for the United States of America. 99 Maj. Gen. Dale W. Thompson Jr. Ogden Air Logistics Center commander you are tackling one big challenge," said Hadley. He is at the told the audience that half of the 4 moment. Later this year museum in a big pile at the C-12- the other half will be transported and it will take three s to bring in the rest. "When it gets here, volunteers will put that aircraft together again," he said. "Imagine the herculean effort required to reassemble that aircraft..." Maj. Gen. Dale W. Thompson Jr., Ogden Air Logistics Center commander, said the museum would not have come about if it hadn't been for the people of Utah. "In 1988 and 1989, the state appropriated $3.7 C-5- gave an additional $300,000 to furnish the building and to complete the memorial park across from the museum. "What a magnificent setting! What a beautiful building!" Thompson said. "I'm prejudiced, of course, but there's no question in my mind that this is the finest Air Force museum outside Wright-Patterso- I' no t C-1- 24 P-5- 1 closure list. Thompson said that aircraft museums like Hill's represent a U.S. Air Force and Army Air Corps heritage that shouldn't be forgotten. "The hardware on display represents people, not just hardware," he said. "It's hardware designed, built and flown by people, and it is to those people we dedicate this museum. "This is for all people. It's for those people who flew those magnificent machines; it's for the people who maintained them; it's for those people who built them; it's for those people who remember them, and it's for those people who come after us to remember our heritage to remember what the Air Force has done for the United States of America," Thompson said. A photo of a Flying Fortress bomber was then presented to Oveson by Hadley, followed by the ribbon-cuttinceremony. Later in the afternoon an open house was held for the public. A local radio station provided a live broadcast of the event and a local beverage bottler provided refreshments for the 1,500 people who joined in the celebration. B-1- 7 g - -- sv jT m needs, vacations, etc. ORROW UP TO $200 INSTANTLY!! DasH for personal ID or Civilian ID and Post Dated Check is all t f.i f in-- imWQM&fGdshU Military i 4 you need. IF YOU NEED INSTANT CASH, COME SEE US AT Moving sooriUnLVill'gJ NexlV'WalMt...rv f 1 ArttofcCGEtjflLE.ST. FRI. i. jSpTWfe.tt.IP 5 m.JS4--- mi- (Inside Layton 100 MsK.r -s iiUYTlV '1AGZU8J Mini-Mai- l) wii wi ch oh. vnuH : n AFB, Ohio. "We have over 44 displays today and we have a lot more coming," he said. He said that in addition to the is due to come in later this aircraft, a hold on many aircraft in the a also summer. There is active Air Force inventory that are slated to come to the museum eventually, and as bases are closing, there is a possibility of many more additions. He added that Hill was definitely not on the base w---r- rv A 3 Hilltop Times July 1, 1992 rJS3fc.h Jt j aa.w I Vv' j o rr.i. ft 1 |