Annual flower drop provides local Gold Star families support
The Palm Springs Air Museum hosted its 20th annual Memorial Day Air Fair and Flower Drop.
Three thousand carnations were dropped from a vintage B-25 Bomber Monday afternoon in honor of all servicemen and women who have lost their lives defending the United States. The white carnations were in honor of those who fought in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The red carnations were in honor of those who died in more recent conflicts, including those in the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan, and Operation Desert Storm.
Ride inside the B-25 Bomber as it drops the flowers.
Prior to the symbolic drop of flowers, four fighter jets will flew overhead in the missing man formation. Hundreds of people braved triple-digit temperatures under the desert sun to memorialize those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, including Gold Star families.
“My brother, he sacrificed his life for America and this country so were here to remember him,” Allison Sun told KESQ News Channel 3’s and CBS Local 2’s Katie Widner.
Sun’s older brother, Army Private First Class Ming Sun, was a native of Cathedral City and died by enemy fire during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007.
Newly appointed Supervisor Manuel Perez and keynote speaker, Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz, were also in attendance.
“God Bless our men and women serving in uniform and God bless the United States of America,” said Ruiz to applause.
Check out photos from 20th annual event in Palm Springs
Ruiz presented the Congressional Gold Medal to a representative of the family of a World War II Doolittle Raider, 2nd Lt. Aden Earl Jones. Jones was a bombardier on the third B-25 to take off from the USS Hornet Air Carrier during the Doolittle Raid. The family then donated the medal to the museum. The outpouring of gratitude and support, clearly meaningful in many ways.
“It’s very heartwarming to families who lost their loved ones. It’s definitely like added support,” Ming said.
The event also included live music, food and drinks, and a number of vintage airplanes and military memorabilia on display.
