Flights will be available Saturday on a Bell UH-1 “Huey” helicopter. / Photo courtesy vietnamhelicopters.org
CULLMAN – This Saturday, Nov. 4, Cullman will honor its veterans with a full-day celebration at Cullman Regional Airport. Last year’s event focused on World War II; this year’s celebration will focus on the Vietnam War. Whatever the emphasis, all veterans are welcome and will be honored.
The event will officially open at 9 a.m., and will close at 5 p.m. CARTS will provide transportation from the parking area to the event site. Admission and parking are free.
The Cullman Veterans Day Celebration is always held the Saturday before Veterans Day so that the approximately 7,000 county veterans can participate in the Birmingham or Huntsville Veterans Day parades. Cullman Elks Lodge 1609 organizes and puts on the event, which is financed through donations from the City of Cullman, Cullman County, the Cullman County Community Development Commission (CCCDC) and our local businesses.
Said organizers, “This is a family event designed in every way to tell the story of our veterans and the sacrifices they made to keep our nation free. All citizens are encouraged to come out to remember and honor our veterans on this special day of tribute.”
This year’s guest of honor is U.S. Army Capt. Gary Michael “Mike” Rose, the newest recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration. Rose just received the medal on Monday, Oct. 23 from President Donald Trump for actions he performed as a Green Beret medic serving with the 5th Special Forces Group in Laos during the Vietnam War.
From the official proclamation:
“From September 11 through September 14, 1970, while his unit was engaged with a much larger force deep in enemy-controlled territory, then-Sergeant Rose repeatedly ran into the line of enemy fire to provide critical medical aid to his comrades, using his own body on one occasion to shield a wounded American from harm.
On the final day of the mission, although wounded himself, Sergeant Rose voluntarily exposed himself to enemy fire while moving wounded personnel to the extraction point, loading them into helicopters, and helping to repel an enemy assault on the American position. As he boarded the final extraction helicopter, intense enemy fire hit the helicopter, causing it to crash shortly after takeoff. Again, ignoring his own injuries, Sergeant Rose pulled the helicopter crew and members of his unit from the burning wreckage and provided medical aid until another extraction helicopter arrived.”
For a full transcript of remarks by Trump and his military aide about Rose at the decoration ceremony, including a detailed description of the mission, see here.
This year’s Veterans’ Celebration will also include:
- Soldiers from Cullman’s Company C of the 1st Battalion, 167th (“4th Alabama”) Infantry, Cullman area JROTC cadets, and Sons of Liberty Riders motorcycle club will participate in the opening ceremony
- Vietnam-era bunker, constructed with 1500 sandbags by Cullman County JROTC cadets, along with representations of the Pleiku field hospital and a USO field canteen
- Free lunch for veterans and their spouses, served by Cullman Elks
- DJ playing music of Vietnam-era Armed Forces Radio
- Vintage Ford automobile show
- Skydiving demonstrations
- Vietnam and Civil War reenactors
- Climbing wall for kids
Of course, the big reason this event takes place at the airport is so organizers can bring in the aircraft! This year’s display collection will include:
- Bell UH-1 “Huey” troop transport helicopter, flown by the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation. Flights available.
- Bell AH-1 “Cobra” helicopter gunship, also flown by the AVHF. Flights available.
- CH-47 “Chinook” cargo helicopter
- OH-6 “Cayuse” / “Loach” observation helicopter
- O-2 “Skymaster” forward air control aircraft that flew in Vietnam
- L-19 “Bird Dog” forward observation plane
- C-130 “Hercules” cargo plane
Schedule of events:
8:45: Army National Guard / JROTC, Sons of Liberty Riders in main tent
9:00: OPENING CEREMONY, main tent
Sons of the American Revolution color guard
Invocation by U.S. Army Chaplain Robert Nay
National Anthem
Opening remarks from Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, Cullman County Commissioners, and members of the Cullman Elks Club
9:30: Huey and Cobra rides begin on the flight line
USO Canteen open to veterans for coffee and donuts
10:00: Continual displays open
Ford Tri-Motor film in the terminal lounge, each hour until end of event
In the Vietnam display area: Pleiku Field Hospital, fortified bunker, USO field canteen, uniforms and weapons display, Huey static display, Vietnam Chaplain worship site, military vehicles, Vietnam period reenactors
Vietnam-era aircraft static display on the flightline
1920s movies, music, dance and reenactors in the terminal lounge
Vintage Ford car show in the car display area
DJ plays period hits of Armed Forces Vietnam Radio from 10-2 on the flight line
Civil War living history camp and artillery display on the access road; artillery firing each hour
Climbing wall and game area for kids
11:00: Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient Mike Rose interview in the main tent
11:30: Elks serve lunch to veterans and their spouses
Food vendors serving lunch to the public
Vietnam F-105 fighter pilot John Caspar interview
12:00: Vietnam Huey pilot interview
12:30: Vietnam Marine Bill Korwatch interview
1:00: All veterans introduced
2:00: Parachute demo jump by Skydive Alabama on the flight line
2:30: Aircraft aerial demonstrations on the flight line
5:00: EVENT CLOSES
Rain or shine!
There are concerns about Saturday’s weather forecast, but planners insist that the event will take place, rain or shine.
Said event coordinator Col. Ken Brown, “You can enjoy lunch with our veterans, including a Medal of Honor recipient, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., inside the big double tent, and out of the weather. We will have three large, covered exhibit tents, a 1920s movie and music show inside the terminal lounge, and a DJ with 60s favorites under cover as well.
“Also, unless it is a steady rain all day, we are going to make every effort to fly riders aboard our Huey and Cobra Helicopters.
“Please don’t let a little rain spoil our Veterans Celebration this Saturday. Be brave and come out to thank your vets. They were brave for us, and, they did it in all kinds of weather. See you Saturday!”
Event sponsors include the City of Cullman, Peoples Bank of Alabama, Cullman County Commission, Cullman Savings Bank, CCCDC, Eva Bank, City of Hanceville, Randy Johnson, Premier Bank, Town of West Point, Merchants Bank, Bill Smith Buick, Alabama Coal Cooperative, VFW, Mitch Smith Chevrolet, Catoma Dermatology, Eckenrod Ford, Basch Brothers, Tri-Green Tractor, and Basch Brothers Power Sports.
For more information, or to purchase tickets for flights (walk-up tickets will be sold as available), visit www.cullmanveteransday.com or www.facebook.com/Cullman-County-Veterans-Celebration-358938820972320.
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