Darien resident Ray Zemke, a Korean War veteran, sits during the Geneseo Airshow in the 1945 Jeep he restored. A dedicated volunteer at the 1941 HAG Museum in Geneseo, Zemke has written his memoirs of serving in Korea. By Virginia Kropf/The (Batavia) Daily News
GENESEO — There’s much more to an airshow than just watching the exciting acts performed by a variety of airplanes.
An airshow is a chance to learn about and become a part of history.
I attended my first airshow at Geneseo with my husband Al about 22 years ago, and I don’t think we’ve missed a year since. It would hard for his appreciation of warbirds not to rub off.
I’ve heard veterans say there’s nothing like the sound of a radial engine, and believe me my first ride in a B-17 blew me away. All I could think about was the young soldiers who would have sat in those windows where I was sitting, a machine gun in front of them and nothing but that piece of Plexiglass for protection.
Becoming a member of the National Warplane Museum and then the 1941 Historical Aircraft Group at Geneseo has afforded some pretty spectacular opportunities to ride in historic aircraft and meet some incredible individuals.
I still get goosebumps when I think of meeting General Charles Sweeney, the man who dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. I was privileged to hear his story first-hand how he got up that August morning, a young man of 23, and prepared for that historic flight. He told of the problems encountered enroute to Japan; he described dropping the bomb and the circumstances surrounding its detonation; and how a shortage of fuel forced a landing at Okinawa, instead of back at Tinian.
If there are veterans out there with stories to tell, I’m ready to listen. Call me at 948-9779 or e-mail me at kropf1@2ki.net.
Complete article will appear in our July 23 print edition.