SharivilleLife stories from Shari

March 14, 2010  Sunday

Today we had a really fun and educational day.  We went to the Pima Air and Space Museum.  We had a guided tour to begin  with for the first hour and then we took an hour long tram ride out into the field to get the skinny on all the air craft outside of the buildings.   There were planes from all era’s from WW11 on to the present.  We got the lowdown on all the particulars.  There are some fab air craft at this museum…..There were a couple retired Air Force One’s.  One in particular was the plane that transported the Iranian prisoners home to the USA after 444 days in captivity. They were members of the American embassy, all 53 of them.   That started on Nov 4, 1979 until Jan 20, 1981. They were released from Iran just minutes before President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office.  Tell you anything? The flight home was designated as The Flight to Freedom.  It gave me goose bumps to hear that story told again, and to see the actual air craft that flew them home to freedom.  As an American I can remember how devastated I was to think that Iran had done this to Americans.

The plane that flew down to the antarctic and picked up the female scientist , who discovered she had cancer,  was on display.  It even had the ski’s under the plane, they flew in under extreme circumstances, weather wise  and flew out within minutes.

We also saw one of the planes that participated in the “ Berlin Air Lift,” that was another heart wrencher for me.  Seems like I have always been politically involved, with a true American heart.  America is everything to me, always has been.  I guess it reflects coming form a military family.  This museum made me so proud to be an American and to see the kind of power we have and the caliber of men and women who work with all their hearts  to keep us safe.  Stalin began the blockade in June of 1948 and lasted until Sept 1949.  It was the first confrontation of the “Cold War.”  It became a symbol against Communism.  It  was Russia’s attempt  to dominate the entire area.  It was a massive effort to supply 2 million people with food and fuel by the heroic efforts by the Americans and British.  277,000 flights were made, many at 3 min intervals.  By spring of 1949 an average of 8000 tons of food and fuel were being flown in daily. Then in 1987, there came the very famous speech by, once again,  President Ronald Reagan.  Mr Gorbachev, ” Tear Down This Wall.” Reuniting East and West Berlin.

We saw and heard about aircraft for Korea and Vietnam and the gulf wars and some planes currently being used.  Of course one of my favorite to see was the SR 71,” Blackbird.” The fastest plane ever used, that we know of.  Could fly across the USA in 63 minutes. Well hows that for a history lesson.  Hope you enjoyed it, I certainly did enjoy going to the museum and writing about it on my blog. 

When we left we went to a great Mexican restaurant for a combo plate and a dos XX  beer. Completing a really great day.

Hugs…….Shari and Jerry