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Tom Poberezny reads
the names of the inductees at Sunday's Memorial Wall ceremony. |
On a picture-perfect Sunday morning, EAA's
annual Memorial Wall ceremony offered solace and peace of mind to the
large crowd in attendance - larger than any other year since the wall was
erected in 1989, remarked EAA President Tom Poberezny.
"This is the one place at Oshkosh
where you can come and get away from the hustle and bustle and remember
those important people in our lives who have passed," he said.
"We've all lost loved ones, but this special place serves to keep the
love and memories alive."
In his opening benediction, EAA Chaplain Ed Riddick said, "Yesterday
is history; tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift."
As a military jet took off from Wittman
Regional Airport to the east, many heads turned to watch it. Poberezny
observed that that is exactly what most of the people whose names appear
on the wall would have done. "They would have looked up in the sky at
another noisy airplane," he said.
The solemn ceremony included a special
fly-by from the AeroShell Aerobatic Team, then the solitary sounds of a
trumpet playing "Taps." Poberezny read aloud all 101 names of
those inducted this year.
"In one respect, there's more sadness
this year than other years because there are so many names added to the
wall," Poberezny concluded. "But there's also more joy as we
remember all the good times…the joy, and the smiles of those who have
fallen."
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