Palm Springs Air Museum honors WWII victory in Japan with ceremony and flyover
The Palm Springs Air Museum honored the U.S. World War II victory in Japan with a livestream ceremony and patriotic air display Wednesday morning.
Did you see vintage planes in the air earlier today? The Palm Springs Air Museum celebrated U.S. World War II victory in Japan with a patriotic air display throughout the Coachella Valley #VJDay
— KESQ News Channel 3 (@KESQ) September 2, 2020
More Details: https://t.co/FE4LX8mdT0 pic.twitter.com/URNCJaCAeP
The flyover started at around 11:20 a.m. The ceremony was livestreamed here.
The ceremony featured Vice Chairman Fred Bell interviewing SSgt Robert McKee, a veteran of the war in the pacific. After the interview, three aircraft departed from the tarmac, making a pass over the museum before heading on their flights around the valley.
“What we're gonna do is do a livestream with Bob McKee, one of the greatest generation folks left, he was a radar operation on a B-29, he did 29 missions, combat missions out of Japan at the end of the war,” said Bell.
“And then we will put three aircraft, our C-47 Skytrain which is a World War II veteran, then two different T-28s that will fly in the valley around 11:20,” he said.
“Look up, if you see those airplanes, wave at them, Bob will be in the C-47 so we will give him a flight, we will go around and say thank you to the greatest generation.”
According to the museum, Wednesday's flight path is as follows: Yucca Valley Community Center, Desert Memorial Park, Sunline Transit Agency, Sun City Shadow Hills Community Association, Indio City Hall, Coachella Valley Water District, Jacquelyn Cochran Regional Airport, City of La Quinta, City of Indian Wells, Desert Holocaust Memorial, Eisenhower Health, Rancho Mirage City Hall, City of Cathedral City, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs City Hall and Desert Hot Springs City Hall.
You can watch the Live Stream on the museum’s Facebook page or Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/palmspringsairmuseum/live