Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's 26th Anniversary WWII Weekend in Reading, PA June 3-5th (1 Viewer)

[theBaron]

More from the vehicle parade:





(sorry, that was off-center)



This scooter was held up as an example of American ingenuity:



It was built out of spare and discarded parts by an enterprising mechanic at some base on the Pacific. What a great piece!

Another jeep!



Combat car:





and yet another Jeep:



More to follow....

 

[theBaron]

The last of the vehicle parade. An M-8 Greyhound:



and more Jeeps:









and bikes:



...and Jeeps!





Gotta get back to work-more to follow later...

 

[Julie]

Nice pics Brad! Too bad you guys didn't stay later on Saturday. We hung out until about 730pm. Watched "FDR" arrive at the Hangar and give his speech. Paul hung out longer for the Searchlight but Larry & I were ready to head out, get some real food and sit down!

It is hard once the event starts to get shots without people but it thins out a bit after 5pm. I have some good shots from Saturday night I will need to post yet. Since I was in on Thursday night and it's only vendors and re-enactors at that point it is easier to get nice shots of what was set up already then.

Some other fun experiences I thought was the morning Reveille Bugle Call at 730am. Everyone stops what they are doing. There are less of us around at that time of day but still neat. Flag raising was in the afternoon with the National Anthem and I was amazed that everyone just paused and it was quiet and respectful for that segment.
The Missing Man Flyby in the late afternoons everyone also stopped. Very cool.

Julie

 

[theBaron]

Thanks, Julie! Yeah, one of these years, I'd like to stay for the later activities, too. This year, we stayed the latest that we ever have, though in the past, we'd leave by around 2PM, when my mother was still alive, because she wanted to go to church Saturday afternoon.

OK, here are more shots, more or less random. Over on the one apron, the B-25 "Briefing Time" was parked. Here's a shot of three aviators, a Tuskegee Airman, a WASP ferry pilot, and a USAAF pilot from the ETO:



Some photos, again, with an eye to building another B-25 kit some day:







and evidence that radial engines are notorious oil-leakers:



One of the P-51s spotted on the ramp, but not going up till later in the afternoon:



and the MAAM's SNJ, in USN Atlantic camouflage, taxiing in after touching down:



and another re-enactor, portraying a pilot in the Pacific theater:



More to follow...

 

[theBaron]

We always stop at the Seabees' encampment, because Dad's brother, my Uncle Bill, was a Seabee. He was drafted right out of high school in June 1945, and spent his time building and maintaining the runways on Guam. And on Mom's side, my Uncle Bernie was also a Seabee. He worked for a steel erector company in Bethlehem, so it seems like it makes sense that the Navy assigned him to the Construction Battalions. Every year, the unit has something new to add to their display. This year, it was this flatbed "draggin' wagon":





And in the Home Front area, this vintage hook-and-ladder truck was on display for the first time:





I looked to see if it was a Mack, because my grandfather, who was too old to be drafted, worked the graveyard shift at Mack Trucks during the war. But it's a White Motor Co. truck:



Much of the equipment is made of wood:





Look at those ladders!







More to follow....

 

[theBaron]

Back on the ramp, the P-40E "Jacky C":



This one was roped off, which made it a little easier to get shots with fewer people in the way.









and on the flight line, a group that re-enacts VF-11, Fighting 11, the "Sundowners":





Sorry for the fuzziness, I was on the move past when they struck the pose.

Over at the Pacific encampment, I met a gentleman from a group that re-enacts the Nationalist Chinese:



Not too many folks are aware of the details of the war in China. If you're not a student of the war, you might recognized the term, "Flying Tigers", but that's about it. And many who are students of the war may not know much about the war in China. A young kid, about 18 or 19, portraying a young Marine, told this re-enactor that he didn't know the Japanese ever wore grey uniforms. I corrected him, in 1940's style: "You knucklehead! He's Chinese! He's your ally!"

We talked about the Chinese theater, and how devastating it was for the Chinese, between the civil wars and the Japanese invasion. I asked if he knew of anyone who lived in that time, and he said he had an uncle, but he didn't make it.

He also said that his group had just formed a couple of weeks before the show, and that this was their first event. I thanked him for the chat and wished him and his group much success.

More to follow...

 

[theBaron]

Shots on the trainer flight line. I don't know who the little guy in the sort-of-a-zoot suit was, but he was everywhere:







The museum has a relatively large collection of trainers making their homes there. A closeup of a North American SNJ, in pre-war, "yellow wings" markings, albeit not accurate:



"6-F-1" would be the squadron leader's plane in VF-6, Fighting Six, stationed about the Enterprise. Their squadron emblem was a shooting star, however. The Felix-the-Cat insignia belonged to VF-3 from the Saratoga. But as someone once said of restored warbirds, "The owner can paint it any way he likes."

Another SNJ, in postwar markings for the training facility at Pensacola:



Another SNJ (or AT-6) in colors and markings somewhat like the Navy's camo in late 1940:



and another SNJ:



More to follow....

 

[theBaron]

On the other side of the ramp, a civilian trainer:



I can't remember if it's a Piper Cub or a Lycoming, I never studied them as closely as their fighting cousins, and they look very similar, in any case.

A Boeing/Stearman:



and in between, a beautifully-restored Packard sedan:





Look at that interior!







Back to work, more to follow later....

 

[Julie]

Excellent Brad!

I have posted a bunch more photos on the Treefrog Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/treefrogtreasures/
Is that accessible for people without me having to post them all here? I have captions there (at least on the 'people' photos so far). Notes to follow on the others eventually!

Other than Brad (I forgot to take a photo with you!) a few other people from this Forum popped up for the weekend. Here they are and a couple of my other favorites:


Andy Hufnell and myself.


Me and JFK with coconut!


Joseph (Day 2 outfit) from the Army Air Forces Historical Association tables behind us. He had a new look each day!


Larry with Kirk S. Lippold signing some books at his table. Took me some effort to get Larry to smile like that for the photo! http://forthehistorian.webstoreplace.com/


And finally the WWII Traveler Paul Traeger with me! I recommend following him on Instagram.

Julie