Wyomissing salutes, remembers the fallen at parade, ceremony
World War II veterans are honored during the Wyomissing Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)The Reading Buccaneer Alumni march during the Wyomissing Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)World War II veterans are honored during the Wyomissing Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)The Berks County Chapter of the Harley Owners Group rides during Wyomissing Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)Kaleb Kistler, 3, of Bernville waits to watch his dad Kevin march with the Sons of Liberty during the Wyomissing Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance Ceremony on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
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Business Insider
7 hours ago
- Business Insider
I visited the only B-2 stealth bomber on display in the world. Take a closer look.
The advanced warplanes, which cost around $2 billion each, can evade radar detection and drop tens of thousands of pounds of nuclear or conventional weapons. They were most recently deployed in Operation Midnight Hammer in June, dropping 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iran's nuclear facilities. All 19 of the US Air Force's operational B-2 planes are housed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where access is strictly limited. However, there is one place in the world where a B-2 is on permanent public display: the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. I visited the museum in August to see the one-of-a-kind exhibit. Take a look. The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit entered development during the Cold War, and the first plane became operational in 1993. B-2s were used in Operation Allied Force in Serbia in 1999, as well as in Afghanistan and Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in the early advanced stealth technologies that make it extremely difficult to detect by radar, a capacity to deploy nuclear and conventional weapons, and an ability to refuel midair for flight times that can exceed 30 hours, the B-2 is one of the most powerful warplanes in the world, and it has a very long reach. No other country operates anything comparable to the combat power and capability of the B-2 bomber. Technicians conducted over 1,000 hours of temperature testing at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and found that the B-2 could withstand temperatures ranging from -65 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To commemorate their work, the technicians painted a decorative "Fire & Ice" decal on the nose landing gear panel and signed their art was popular during World War II, when pilots and crew members would often personalize their planes with cartoons, pinups, or tallies of their missions. It's not as common on bombers in active service today. Air Combat Command prepares and equips Air Force teams to provide fighter power, intelligence, cyber operations, and support for combat missions around the shield-shaped emblem shows a downward-facing sword with wings spread on either side. The "509th" and "Follow us" reference the origins of the modern 509th Bomb Wing, which operates B-2 World War II, the historic 509th Composite Group was responsible for deploying nuclear weapons. The B-29 Superfortress bombers that dropped the first atomic bombs on Japan were part of this motto was "Follow Us, Follow Us, as we usher in the Nuclear Age," according to the US Air Force's official 509th was instrumental in the formation of Strategic Air Command and continues to support US nuclear deterrence. I found the B-2 to be one of the most memorable exhibits at the museum. The National Museum of the US Air Force features around 350 planes and missiles over 19 acres of exhibit space — among which were an Air Force One used by eight US presidents, Titan and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki — but seeing one of the world's most advanced warplanes up close was a memorable experience.
17 hours ago
Nagasaki marks 80 years since atomic bomb dropped
NAGASAKI, Japan -- Nagasaki is marking the U.S. atomic attack on the southern Japanese city 80 years ago and survivors of the attack are working to make their hometown the last place on earth hit by the bomb. Despite their pain from wounds, discrimination and illnesses from radiation, survivors have publicly committed to a shared goal of abolishing nuclear weapons. But recently they worry about the world moving in the opposite direction as the anniversary is commemorated Saturday. The atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, killed some 70,000 people, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima killed 140,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II and the country's nearly half-century of aggression across Asia. Aging survivors and their supporters in Nagasaki now put their hopes of achieving nuclear weapons abolition in the hands of younger people, telling them the attack is not distant history, but an issue that remains relevant to their future. Teruko Yokoyama, an 83-year-old member of a Nagasaki organization supporting survivors, said she feels the absence of those she has worked, which fuels her strong desire to document the lives of remaining survivors. The number of survivors has fallen to 99,130, about a quarter of the original number, with their average age exceeding 86. Survivors worry about fading memories, as the youngest of the survivors were too young to recall the attack clearly. 'We must keep records of the atomic bombing damages of the survivors and thier lifetime story,' said Yokoyama, whose two sisters died after suffering illnesses linked to radiation. Her organization has started to digitalize the narratives of survivors for viewing on YouTube and other social media platforms with the help of a new generation. 'There are younger people who are beginning to take action,' Yokoyama told The Associated Press on Friday. 'So I think we don't have to get depressed yet.' Nagasaki hosted a 'peace forum' on Friday where survivors shared their stories with more than 300 young people from around the country. Seiichiro Mise, a 90-year-old survivor, said he is handing seeds of 'flowers of peace' to the younger generation in hopes of seeing them bloom. On Saturday at 11:02 a.m., the moment the plutonium bomb exploded above Nagasaki, participants are to set to observe a moment of silence as a peace bell rings. About 3,000 people, including representatives from 95 countries, were expected to attend the event at Nagasaki Peace Park, where Mayor Shiro Suzuki and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba were scheduled to speak. The twin bells at Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the bombing, are to ring together again for the first time. One of the bells had gone missing afer the attack but was restored by volunteers. Survivors and their families started paying tribute at the park, as well as at the nearby hypocenter park, hours before the official ceremony. Survivors are frustrated by a growing nuclear threat and support among international leaders for developing or possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence. They criticize the Japanese government's refusal to sign or even participate in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons because Japan, as an American ally, needs U.S. nuclear possession as deterrence. Nagasaki invited representatives from all countries to attend the ceremony on Saturday. China notably notified the city it would not be present without providing a reason. The ceremony last year stirred controversy due to the absence of the U.S. ambassador and other Western envoys in response to the Japanese city's refusal to invite Israel.
NBC News
17 hours ago
- NBC News
Nagasaki marks 80th A-bomb anniversary as survivors put hopes of nuke ban in the hands of youth
NAGASAKI, Japan — Nagasaki is marking the U.S. atomic attack on the southern Japanese city 80 years ago and survivors of the attack are working to make their hometown the last place on earth hit by the bomb. Despite their pain from wounds, discrimination and illnesses from radiation, survivors have publicly committed to a shared goal of abolishing nuclear weapons. But recently they worry about the world moving in the opposite direction as the anniversary is commemorated Saturday. The atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, killed some 70,000 people, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima killed 140,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II and the country's nearly half-century of aggression across Asia. Aging survivors and their supporters in Nagasaki now put their hopes of achieving nuclear weapons abolition in the hands of younger people, telling them the attack is not distant history, but an issue that remains relevant to their future. Teruko Yokoyama, an 83-year-old member of a Nagasaki organization supporting survivors, said she feels the absence of those she has worked, which fuels her strong desire to document the lives of remaining survivors. The number of survivors has fallen to 99,130, about a quarter of the original number, with their average age exceeding 86. Survivors worry about fading memories, as the youngest of the survivors were too young to recall the attack clearly. 'We must keep records of the atomic bombing damages of the survivors and their lifetime story,' said Yokoyama, whose two sisters died after suffering illnesses linked to radiation. Her organization has started to digitalize the narratives of survivors for viewing on YouTube and other social media platforms with the help of a new generation. 'There are younger people who are beginning to take action,' Yokoyama told The Associated Press on Friday. 'So I think we don't have to get depressed yet.' Nagasaki hosted a 'peace forum' on Friday where survivors shared their stories with more than 300 young people from around the country. Seiichiro Mise, a 90-year-old survivor, said he is handing seeds of 'flowers of peace' to the younger generation in hopes of seeing them bloom. On Saturday at 11:02 a.m., the moment the plutonium bomb exploded above Nagasaki, participants are to set to observe a moment of silence as a peace bell rings. About 3,000 people, including representatives from 95 countries, were expected to attend the event at Nagasaki Peace Park, where Mayor Shiro Suzuki and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba were scheduled to speak. The twin bells at Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed in the bombing, are to ring together again for the first time. One of the bells had gone missing afer the attack but was restored by volunteers. Survivors and their families started paying tribute at the park, as well as at the nearby hypocenter park, hours before the official ceremony. Survivors are frustrated by a growing nuclear threat and support among international leaders for developing or possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence. They criticize the Japanese government's refusal to sign or even participate in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons because Japan, as an American ally, needs U.S. nuclear possession as deterrence. Nagasaki invited representatives from all countries to attend the ceremony on Saturday. China notably notified the city it would not be present without providing a reason. The ceremony last year stirred controversy due to the absence of the U.S. ambassador and other Western envoys in response to the Japanese city's refusal to invite Israel.
