CULLMAN, Ala. – Folsom Field/Cullman Regional Airport stepped back in time Saturday for a “sentimental journey” as Cullman Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2214 and the Cullman Elks Lodge hosted a busy and successful 2020 Cullman Veterans Day Celebration.
Anchored by WWII aircraft including a B-25 bomber and a C-47 troop transport that dropped paratroopers on D-Day, the display included aircraft and vehicles from that war through the current War on Terror. Living history reenactors portrayed military and civilian characters from WWII all the way back to the Civil War, while military historians put on impressive “show and tell” with uniforms and insignia, medical equipment, weaponry and other gear. In a celebration tradition, the Wallace State Community College Jazz Band entertained with hits of the Swing and Big Band Eras.
Visitors to the event numbered in the thousands, including a large turnout of veterans and their families. By noon, the crew providing free meals to vets and their spouses had already given out the 960 beverages it had brought, and had exhausted stocks generously supplied by two donor groups.
A brief rain shower before lunch did not dampen spirits, and only cooled the air to make the afternoon more comfortable for the crowds that stayed later in the day to watch the vintage aircraft take off and make low altitude flyovers before heading to their respective homes.
Col. Ken Brown of Cullman’s VFW Post 2214 told The Tribune, “I think we had a record crowd. This is the biggest event we’ve ever tried to put on for Veterans Day. We had some great vintage airplanes here from World War II; we had a bunch of World War II vets here. We got a little bit of a rain shower, but that didn’t seem to scare anybody off.
“We’ve still got a big crowd here at 12:30 in the afternoon. We’ve given away more meals to veterans and their spouses than we ever have before, and it’s just been a great, great event. Appreciate Cullman coming out and supporting it!”
For more on Cullman VFW Post 2214, including a promising new program enjoying remarkable success in helping veterans suffering from PTSD, visit www.facebook.com/cullmanVFWPost/.
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