The High Sky Wing

Due to a scheduling conflict with Museum Fly Day on June 23rd and other issues, the scheduled Museum Tour to Big Spring has been changed to Saturday, August 11th. (It was originally scheduled for June 23rd, and then changed to June 30th) Please check the events calendar for specific information.

The next Museum Fly Day will take place on Saturday, June 23rd, beginning at 11:00 a.m. in the CAF Hangar.  The Midland RC Club will participate, the Desert Squadron will sell drinks, and HSW will sell hamburgers.

We will have a new member sign-up table set up, and will be offering free rides to new members.  They will coordinate with Drew Diggins, and MAY get their ride that day.

Fly Day events will conclude at 2:00 with a presentation by Ed Gunter about the Ravens, the pilots who participated in covert operations for the CIA during the Vietnam War.  The book is available for purchase in the CAF Museum Gift Shop.

All HSW members are urged to show up and lend a hand.

On Saturday, May 26th, our first Museum Tour took place at the 12th Armored Division’s Museum in Abilene.  While this museum is dedicated to the 12th Division, there are a number of displays depicting the overall history of World War II and the German and Japanese opponents.

It is a privately owned museum and depends on volunteers and donations.  They are in the process of expanding the museum from two floors of displays to three, which will incorporate six more life-sized dioramas about the 12th Division.  No completion date was given.

Sherman Tank on Display at the 12 Armored Division Museum. While not as powerful as the German Tiger tanks, the lighter, faster, Sherman was produced in such large quantities that we more than held our own in tank battles.

Former tank platoon leader H.A. Tuck records some tanker's gear for his memory book.

The 12th Armored Division's Wall of Honor, saluting those division members who gave their lives to insure our freedom.

After a final review by Museum Director Autumn Hicks, the HSW Speaker’s Bureau is ready to begin making presentations to inform the community about our organization and solicit memberships and donations.  We have acquired a projector, speakers and a portable desktop projector screen, and the CAF DVD and our own PowerPoint presentation are finalized.

A demonstration will be given at the next Wing Meeting, scheduled for Thursday, May 24.  If you have not seen the CAF DVD, it is very professionally done and is certainly worthy of viewing.

We will be anticipating contacts from the community to make presentations, and we will also solicit from the community, especially from those who might not know that we will come to them.  If you know of any community organizations that would benefit from learning about the missions and purposes of the CAF and HSW, OR if you would like to be a volunteer speaker or assistant, please inform Greg Gutting (ggutting@earthlink.net or 210-326-5983).

Please respond to me by email @ b58ahustler@yahoo.com if you can make it to the Fire Extinguisher training on Tuesday, May 8th at 7:00 pm at the Comm Center.  I need to know if we have enough people for training. Need to know by Saturday.

Thanks,

Paul “Buffy” Cooper – HSW Safety Officer