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Air Force Museum Foundation honors veterans and dedicates the Legacy Data Plate Wall of Honor
Posted 5/25/2012 Updated 5/25/2012
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by Lin Erickson
Air Force Museum Foundation
5/25/2012 - DAYTON, Ohio -- Stories of Airmen, patriots and loved ones were shared during the dedication and public opening of the Air Force Museum Foundation's Legacy Data Plate Wall of Honor at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
Keynote speaker Col. (Ret.) Thomas Moe, Director, Ohio Department of Veterans Services, asked those gathered for the ceremony to remember the men and women who have bravely served our country, especially those who died in war.
He described his own experience. After flying 85 combat missions in Vietnam, in 1968 his plane was shot down. He was captured and then served the next five years as a prisoner of war. Eventually he was released in 1973 as part of Operation Homecoming. Moe got to come home, but many of his comrades did not. He thanked guests who had purchased data plates to ensure that the stories of their loved ones endure for future generations.
"Service in war was very emotional for me and many others," Moe said. "My story is preserved in the museum. I am humbled by the investment each of you has made to honor loved ones and preserve in perpetuity the stories about their heroic actions and dedicated service."
Col. (Ret.) Susan Richardson, also a speaker at the event, spoke of her father, Lt. Harold Patton, who was a Korean War pilot and Air Force Museum volunteer. She also honored her son, Derek, a Cedarville University AFROTC cadet, who died in a car accident at age 19 and was never able to start his Air Force career.
"These data plates are as much for me as for those men I am honoring," Richardson said. "The Wall of Honor is a place I can visit and remember and a place I can bring family and friends to tell the stories of my father and my son".
Also speaking at the event was Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Dick Reynolds, Chairman of the Foundation's Board of Managers. He asked guests to remember veterans and the sacrifices they have made on our behalf. A ribbon cutting marked the official of dedication of the Legacy Data Plate Wall of Honor, with Reynolds, Moe and Richardson doing the cutting. Each section of the wall consists of 95 4"x8" stainless steel plates constructed to replicate the data plates which are used to identify aircraft. Plates and additional sections of the wall will be added as more people are honored.
To view stories of the honorees on the Legacy Data Plate Wall of Honor or find out about how you can honor a loved one with a Legacy Data Plate, visit the Legacy Data Plate website at www.legacydataplates.com or contact Lin Erickson at lerickson@afmuseum.com or (937) 408-6119.
The Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc. was established in 1960 as a philanthropic, non-profit organization to assist the Air Force in the development and expansion of the facilities of the National Museum of the United States Air Force® and to undertake and advance programs and activities supporting the Museum. For more information on the Air Force Museum Foundation, visit www.airforcemuseum.com. |
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