Latest news with #BlueAngels
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
On Reviving the Memorial Day Parade
Sherry Wyatt wanted a parade for Memorial Day. Growing up in rural Missouri, she remembers her aunts and uncles visiting from Kansas City for the holiday weekend. There was an uncle who served in Vietnam, and cousins who also served in the military. She remembered putting flowers on graves of family members, having a picnic with homemade ice cream, and then playing guitar, fiddle, and mandolin. When she moved to Columbia, Sherry wanted her two sons, Sterling and Chandler, to know what it means to be American, that our way of life does not happen by chance or by luck but by sacrifice. So, she took them to the Memorial Day airshow and parade. "It was true Americana," she told me by telephone. "They brought in vintage planes and gave rides. There was a big transport plane you could tour. Before the Blue Angels did their thing, the Golden Knights jumped out of planes and landed on Broadway Street downtown, right in between the stores." For 30 years, Memorial Day festivities in Columbia, county seat of Boone County and home of the University of Missouri, attracted thousands of visitors from across the state. The two-day airshow followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and veterans parade was the citys way to honor and remember those who fought for our country. It was the largest event of its kind in the state of Missouri and free to the public. Then, in 2019, everything stopped. "I didnt think much of it at first," Sherry said. "Covid came and went, but the parade didnt come back. By 2023, I thought, why doesnt someone do something? We should memorialize our fallen. When I woke up on Memorial Day last year, I told my husband I would restart the parade." Columbia is the fourth most populous city in Missouri, after Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield. Surrounded by farmland, the city proper is compact, modern, and youthful. Dozens of coffee shops and restaurants thrive in the downtown, which practically blends into the universitys campus and makes touring by foot the best way to experience the community. If you walk a half-mile from the edge of Mizzous campus through downtown, youll find the Specialist Sterling William Wyatt Post Office Building. From there, hop on one of Columbias many jogging trails and wend your way a few miles to the edge of a neighborhood at the top of a hill, where a grass-roots campaign resulted in the dedication of Sterling W. Wyatt Memorial Park in 2013. Sterlings parents - Sherry and his father, Randy - live just down the street, in the same house where they raised Sterling and Chandler. Like many of her generation, Sherry grew up in the country before moving to the city to pursue a career. She always considered herself patriotic - she recited the Pledge of Allegiance in school, respected the flag, and walked in parades. "But everything changes when you get the visitors to your door," she said. In 2012, thats how Sherry and her husband learned their firstborn son had been killed seven months into his first deployment to Afghanistan. An IED detonated under his vehicle. At the time, Sterling, age 21, was serving as an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. "The day I take my last breath is the last day Ill dream about him. Every holiday, every birthday, every family celebration, theres a loss. You cannot survive hurting like you did at first, so you make choices. Bitter and angry. Drugs or drinking. Or will I live a life worthy of my childs sacrifice?" She settled on the last option. Sherry established a nonprofit organization and recruited board members, sponsors, and volunteers from the same community that rallied around her after Sterlings death. Though there wont be an airshow this year, the first "Gold Star Memorial Day Parade" has been a labor of love. When the parade begins at 10:00 a.m. in downtown Columbia, visitors will see vintage cars and hotrods, marching bands, even the universitys prized "Missouri Mules" spiffed up in ceremonial hitch. Of Boone Countys eight Gold Star families from the post-9/11 wars, six will be grand marshals leading the parade. In reviving the Memorial Day parade, Sherry hopes to share some of her affection for Columbia with a new generation, and to thank the community for helping her family survive the unthinkable. For her, Memorial Day isnt just a three-day holiday but an occasion to be grateful for neighbors and country, to look on with awe and admiration at generations of young Americans who gave their lives, families, and futures for an ideal. "Our son died serving his country in the place where our country said he needed to be, and he did it to the best of his ability," Sherry said. "I think my son died for the ideal of America." John J. Waters is author of the postwar novel 'River City One.' Follow him at @JohnJWaters1 on X.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PHOTOS: Air Dot Show thunders over Harrisburg
Above: abc27's Allie Berube takes flight with the Blue Angels HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Air Dot Show tour thundered into Central Pennsylvania Saturday for the first day of the two-day event. It's the national tour's first stop in Pennsylvania and brings the U.S. Navy Blue Angels back to the Harrisburg area for the first time in decades. Berks native to lead F-16 Viper Demonstration Team at Harrisburg air show This is at the Harrisburg International Airport near Middletown. abc27 News Photographer Carmine Scicchitano was there and shares these photos: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Getting ready for the Central Pennsylvania Air Dot Show
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The Blue Angels are soaring into the Midstate this weekend. They're taking part in a huge air show at Harrisburg International Airport, making its way here for the very first time in more than 30 years. Training is going on Friday for this weekend's shows on Saturday and Sunday. Chris Dirato, who is doing PR for this event, says to expect 'lots of loud and boisterous action in the sky.' 'Of course, the US Navy Blue Angels are here as our headliner, first time in over three decades so everybody is excited to see the Blue Angels, but excited to have an air show back in Harrisburg,' Dirato said. The event also includes performances by a Viper team and parachutists. 'That's right, we have a whole, a plethora, of performers, how's that for a line,' Dirato said. 'But a combination of civilian, military performers. The F-16 Viper Demo pilot is of course from Berks County, so local guy.' If you are trying to score last-minute tickets, you're out of luck. 'We are basically sold out, so if you don't have a ticket, unfortunately, I wouldn't advise coming out to the airport,' Dirato said. 'All the parking areas will be loaded with cars. So yeah, we are sold out, and of course, next year, we already know the Blue Angels are coming back, so if you can't see them this year, you'll be able to see them next year.' Blue Angels visit Penn State Health Children's Hospital Make sure you get those tickets early though for next year if you can. 'That's right, as soon as they go on sale,' Dirato said. The gates open at 9 a.m., and performances kick off at noon. Dirato added that the Blue Angels go on at 2:30 p.m. For travelers who are wondering how they factor in flights with these performances. The airports work with airlines so if you have a flight there will be breaks during the show. For a lot of people attending, they have never seen the Blue Angels before since they have not been here in about 30 years, so we are getting spoiled with them coming to the Midstate back-to-back. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The pilots said they hope they inspire some young person to join the military and serve our country. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Blue Angels visit Penn State Health Children's Hospital
HERSHEY, Pa. (WHTM)– Patients at Penn State Health Children's Hospital got to witness an aerial spectacle Friday, courtesy of the United States Navy Blue Angels. According to a spokesperson from Penn State Health, members of the Blue Angels did a flyby past the Children's Hospital, and even touched down to meet with young patients, sign autographs, and take photos. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Penn State Health says Life Lion is on duty this weekend at the Air Dot Show Central Pennsylvania at the Harrisburg International Airport, but they aren't just there for safety reasons. While they will be providing emergency medical support if necessary, Life Lion will also be doing a demonstration of the Airbus H155 Helicopter, Penn State Health says. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
KABC's Ellen Leyva signs off after 30 years in moving final broadcast: ‘I'm really lucky'
News anchor Ellen Leyva's decades-long tenure with KABC has officially come to an end. During her final broadcast this week, she said 'I cannot believe my luck to be here for 30 years.' Leyva bid an emotional farewell on Wednesday to the KABC newsroom and the viewers she helped inform and entertain during her send-off. She announced her decision to retire in February, telling the audience at the time, 'I'm ready to make a move on and focus on my next great adventure in life.' During the broadcast, Leyva became a story subject herself, inspiring a tender segment that walked viewers down the memory lane of her tenure. Her retirement also prompted a sit-down conversation with her longtime co-anchor David Ono. Leyva, an Arizona native, came to the Glendale-based station in 1995 as a health reporter and later joined the anchor desk, moving from morning news to the evening news post, where she remained for 25 years. 'I didn't know what to expect, I just knew that I couldn't believe I was working at KABC,' she recalled to Ono. 'My biggest fear was I would not make it and I wouldn't be good enough to stay on the air.' Leyva, despite her concerns, managed to do just that and more. Over the years, she has co-hosted Oscars red carpet arrivals, flown with the Blue Angels and provided Angelenos with a steady on-air presence. Earlier this year, Leyva kept viewers informed during the destructive wildfires that ripped through the region, including the Eaton fire. She said Wednesday that she was displaced from her Altadena home during the blaze. Beyond the desk, Leyva represented the KABC newsroom at several Los Angeles parades, was a team leader for AIDS Walk Los Angeles and advocated for mental health services for underserved communities. 'I'm really lucky,' she said during the segment. The final moments of Leyva's bow at KABC saw her behind the desk, surrounded by newsroom staff, friends and family who applauded her. 'This place has been the most incredible place to work,' she said. 'I cannot believe my luck to be here for 30 years.' Leyva turned her attention to her viewers: 'It has been an honor and a privilege to be welcomed into your living rooms every afternoon. You always made me feel like a welcomed guest.' As she begins her retirement, Leyva said she is looking forward to being on the other side of the screen as a supporter and viewer of KABC. For Leyva, it seems breaking news is not her problem anymore — at least that's according to a cheeky retirement gift candle the anchor posted to Instagram. Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.
