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New WWI Monument Coming to NMUSAF

By Robert Kasprzak, President, Military Heritage Chapter, League of World War One Aviation Historians 

March 6, 2018

The League of World War One Aviation Historians was formed in 1985 to elevate the study of military aviation to the level of a true academic pursuit. Membership in the League is open to everyone. Currently, the League consists of over 300 members in the United States and abroad. League members include historians, authors, lecturers, artists, and WWI aviation enthusiasts. The Military Heritage Chapter of the League serves the local Dayton/Columbus/Cincinnati area. It is the only local organization with a focus on educating and preserving the contributions of our early military aviators. Towards that end, the Chapter routinely provides educational briefings to local organizations such as libraries, historical societies, and military-related groups.

In the fall of 2016, the Military Heritage Chapter conducted a tour of the National Museum of the United States Air Force (NMUSAF) Memorial Park. During the tour, the Chapter noted there is no monument to the U.S. Airmen who served at the Front during World War I. Given the fact we are commemorating the Centennial of WW I, the League wanted to establish a monument at the NMUSAF in memory of the Airmen who formed the foundation for today's United States Air Force. The monument would inspire and motivate current and future generations to study the evolution of military airpower during the Great War. The League's Board of Directors enthusiastically accepted the proposal.

The initial monument design was slightly modified and subsequently approved by the Air Force Historical Research Agency and the NMUSAF on 7 June 2017.

Since this year marks the final year of the national and international WWI Centennial activities, this project will not only honor our WWI Airmen but also recognize today's modern air warriors whose legacy they uphold. It will be the perfect blend of the past to the present.

The monument will be dedicated on Friday, 21 September 2018 at the Memorial Park of the NMUSAF near Dayton, Ohio.   The 21 September 2018 dedication date was chosen because the NMUSAF will conduct their biennial Dawn Patrol during that weekend. The Dawn Patrol features a number of events including flybys by replica WWI aircraft.   Literally, thousands of people attend the weekend event and it's a wonderful opportunity to commemorate the conclusion of the Centennial. Planned monument dedication activities include a flyover by WWI replica aircraft as well as a flyover by a modern B-1 bomber. Since many of our Airmen served w/our Allies, officers from our Allied countries (including France, Belgium, England, Canada, Australia, and Italy) have been invited to represent their nations. In addition, the daughter of Lt Stephen Thompson (who was the first American Airman serving w/the U.S. Air Service to shoot down an enemy aircraft) will represent the Airmen of WWI. Today's Airmen will be represented by the Commander of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The Invocation will be given by a Canadian minister (who is also a re-enactor Chaplain), an Honor Guard of WWI re-enactors and an Honor Guard from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will post the colors, Taps will be played, and a 21-gun salute will be provided by a local Post of the VFW. The monument's dedication will end our Centennial events in a truly moving fashion and provide a vehicle for promoting continued educational and research interest in America's early military aviation legacy. The League is proud to spearhead this memorable event!

Currently, the League has raised over $14,000 (of the $26,000 required) for monument construction, installation, and perpetual maintanance. All contributions are fully tax deductable. Should anyone (or any organization) wish to contribute, please visit the League's website at the following link:  

https://www.overthefront.com/about/news/ww-i-monument-article

Once on the site, you are also invited to view a short video about the monument. Should you have any questions and need more detailed information, please contact the monument's Project Officer, Robert Kasprzak, via e-mail at: tokasprzak@gmail.com

We believe the monument will be a lasting testament to the early pioneers of military aviation...including ground support personnel as well as those who actually flew operational missions. It would bridge the cultural gap between WWI and the USAF Memorials of later conflicts and reinforce the legacy between those early Airmen and the Airmen of today. We hope you'll join us!