Snoopy and the Red Baron Arrives at the Museum
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The Membership Newsletter for The Military Aviation Museum Summer 2018 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Snoopy and the Red Baron Arrives at the Museum GMC Follow-Me Truck 2 New Guests at Jerrassic Park 2 USS Hornet Memorial 3 10 Years, What a Difference 3 The Fortunate Few, Pilots 4 Warbirds Photo Recap 4 Summer of Flight, A Big Hit 5 Flying Proms Photo Recap 5 In Memoriam 6 Summer Camp in Review 6 VIP Veterans at WWII Air Show 7 Military Aviation Museum www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org Virginia Beach Airport www.VBairport.com Fighter Factory Snoopy and the Red Baron, a traveling exhibition War I aviators genuinely traversed, stopping in www.FighterFactory.com on view at the Military Aviation Museum, from cafés to quaff root beers and flirt with French July 21st to October 14th, 2018, celebrates one mademoiselles. In everything he cartooned, Schulz Biplanes and Brews of Snoopy’s most recognized personas. Learn about strove for authenticity, a point made especially clear www.BiplanesandBrews.com this favorite storyline in Peanuts through high quality by his Flying Ace storylines. reproductions of original comic strips and discover Beyond the comic strip, Snoopy as the Flying Ace the rich World War I history Schulz used in nearly prompted the manufacture of countless memorabilia every strip. Visitors can also step into character as the items, including toys, games, music boxes, and puppets. Flying Ace by donning flying caps and goggles for a Fans dressed up their dogs in flying caps and goggles, photo-op next to Snoopy’s doghouse. and Air Force squadrons adopted Snoopy as a symbol When asked about the origins of Snoopy’s of their patriotism. This most famous of all Snoopy’s aviator role, Charles Schulz credited his son Monte’s personas continues to bring humor and nostalgic joy to interest in making plastic airplane models as his chief Peanuts fans all over the world. inspiration. Schulz described drawing a little helmet “I don’t think there has been an animal character in on Snoopy after seeing Monte’s World War I aircraft a long time that has done the different things that Snoopy models, and “suddenly got the idea for it.” He also has done,” Schulz once reflected. “He’s an attorney. He’s cited 1960s events that commemorated the start of a surgeon. He’s the World War I Flying Ace.” World War I, and movies such as The Dawn Patrol. In celebration of the exhibit opening, the museum He immediately recognized the potential of the Flying gave a flight demonstration of the Fokker DR1, the Ace, acknowledging, “I knew I had one of the best iconic aircraft of the Red Baron. The Military Aviation things I had thought of in a long time.” Museum is home to nearly 30 flight worthy WWI Throughout the decades, Snoopy comically era aircraft, making it one of the largest collections embraced his fighter pilot role for delighted Peanuts of its type in the nation. This exhibit is included with readers. As Snoopy envisioned himself soaring general admission and is free for museum members. through the clouds in pursuit of his nemesis, the The Military Aviation Museum is open every day infamous Red Baron, he sat atop his doghouse, 9am-5pm, with the exception of Thanksgiving and which he imagined to be a real British biplane Christmas. known as a Sopwith Camel (Schulz once said, “Can Snoopy and the Red Baron is organized and toured OCTOBER 6-7 you think of a funnier name for an airplane?”). by the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Brewing Passion for History, One Flight at a Time. He wandered through parts of Europe that World Center, Santa Rosa, California. q Join us for historic air show, Virginia craft brew tastings and live music. ANNOUNCING our updated Summer of Flight Schedule (PG 5) and Summer Fly-In (PG 6) PAGE 2 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 3 NEW AT THE MUSEUM 1952 GMC Two New Guests Arrive at the Museum Follow-Me Truck By Felix Usis, Volunteer Historian Two new guests. Recently the museum has had two new guests tons. However, most species of mammoth were quietly take up residency. Perhaps you have not only about as large as a modern Asian elephant. noticed them, yet. They were reported to be Both sexes bore tusks. A first, small set appeared roaming around the Fighter Factory, but I was at about the age of six months, 1 Pleistocene epoch informed that they will be moving soon to the and these were replaced at about 18 months by the entrance area. permanent set. Growth of the permanent set was They will reside in Jerrassic Park to be specific. at a rate of about 1 to 6 inches per year. One is quite small, and you might miss it, the other will catch your eye immediately. The little one is Woolly mammoths had several adaptations to an example of a saber-toothed tiger sometimes the cold, most noticeably the layer of fur covering referred to as a saber-tooth cat. The saber-toothed all parts of the body. Other adaptations to cold tiger represents a member of various extinct groups weather include ears that are far smaller than those of predatory mammals that were characterized by of modern elephants. Other characteristic features long, curved saber-shaped canine teeth. The large depicted in cave paintings include a large, high, maxillary canine teeth extended from the mouth even when it was closed. The saber-toothed tigers single-domed head and a sloping back with a high were found worldwide from the Eocene epoch to shoulder hump. the end of the Pleistocene epoch (42 million years The museum’s new guests will take up their ago to 11,000 years ago). Have you seen one of our newest additions to the new quarters as soon as the Fighter Factory gives Museum? No, it’s not an airplane, but thanks to a very Saber-toothed cats were generally more them a good cleaning (that means a new paint job robust than today’s cats and were quite bear-like in generous patron, Doctor Donald Kiesel, we are now to protect them from the elements). build. They were believed to be excellent hunters the owners of a 1952 GMC “Follow Me” truck. and pursued animals such as sloths, mammoths, Once in Jerrassic Park, these guests will join the Not too much is currently known about the truck. and other large prey. Evidence from the numbers growing group of dinosaurs that include examples Dr. Kiesel was driving along the road and saw it with found at La Brea Tar Pits (in the Los Angeles area) of the following: a 4-sale sign on the window. He drove a couple miles suggests that Smilodon, like modern lions, was a • Ankylosaurus down the road but turned back and on a whim, bought social carnivore. the truck. It was in pretty fair shape. He put some The second guest is considerably larger. It • Brontosaurus time, money and TLC into it and had it running like is a woolly mammoth. The woolly mammoth • Dimetrodon a champ. (Mammuthus primigenius) is an extinct species of mammoth that lived during the Pleistocene • Parasaurolophus Originally the truck had either a flatbed or no epoch, as well, and was one of the last in a line of • Pterodactyl bed behind the cab. A previous owner added a pickup mammoth species. Mammoths existed from the truck box bed covering the dually wheelbase and Pliocene period into the Holocene at about 4,500 • Raptors painted it olive drab green. Our museum’s volunteer years ago in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North • Spinosaurus gearheads will dive into the truck and get it up and America. They were members of the family running shortly. Elephantidae, which also contains the two genera • Stegosaurus of modern elephants and their ancestors. Doc Kiesel donated it to us on the condition that • Turtles it will be used… not stashed as a display. Right now it Like their modern relatives, mammoths were quite large. The largest known species • Tyrannosaurus Rex will be used around the museum for utility work and reached heights in the region of 13.1 feet at the plans are in the work to join our parade units for the • Tyrannosaurus Rex Eggs. shoulder and weights of up to 8.8 short tons, while q museum. exceptionally large males may have exceeded 13.2 • And even the Loch Ness Monster q VOLUME 11, ISSUE 3 PAGE 3 USS Hornet Memorial Plaque In 2017, a visitor to the museum approached us Hornet plaque to the Military Aviation Museum. Bill naval installations throughout the country honoring and asked if the museum would be willing to receive was also a member of that Association’s Board. the brave ship’s crew members, squadrons/air groups. and display a bronze plaque honoring the USS Hornet. In early June 2017, they placed the order for our plaque The USS Hornet Association is a private non-profit Knowing that we had a B-25 (like Doolittle launched and it was delivered to the museum in July of that year. organization governed by the Association membership. off the Hornet), Wildcat and Avenger warbirds in our Their objectives are, among others, to identify all former Fast forward to May of this year during the collection, all the same types of aircraft that had flown crew members (officers, enlisted) and all members Warbirds Over The Beach Airshow. John Foley, from the USS Hornet, we gladly accepted his offer. (officers & enlisted) of any Squadron or Air Group that Chairman of the USS Hornet Association, officially The only catch was that it had to be displayed where unveiled the USS Hornet Memorial Plaque where it is ever served aboard any of the Hornet designations.