For once the weather gods smiled on this event. The standard stiff winds prevailed over the weekend, but no rain storms this year and the temperatures during the day were quite pleasant.

As usual for this, one of our major annual events, LSMVPA made a creditable showing. Arriving early on Friday, Danny got us checked in and staked out our display area with his M37. As the afternoon progressed others arrived and set up– Madison with his M37 and display of all things military, Glen V with his jeep and tent, John K with his MB, JD H Sr and Jr all the way from South Texas with their MB, Clint D with his M38, Tim B with his M715, Steve E with his M725 and M35, John SS with his M820 w/M832 and Rory in the M813A1 w/M105. There were multiple other vehicles also, from the museum at Mabry and privately owned, including several M151s and an M113. Steve, Tim, Clint and Rory all had their kids in tow, so there were a lot of folks in our encampment!

Some Friday night highlights were the F-16 doing his noisy and impressive display of speed and tight turns, and after dark the glider doing his impressive aerial flare and fireworks display. This was followed by a splendid display of regular fireworks and a live concert by Aaron Tippin.

Something new this year was a Vietnam re-enactment on Saturday and Sunday. The appropriate LSMVPA vehicles portrayed a convoy that got ambushed by the VC. Air support was called in, provided by O-1 and O-2 FACS, UH-1 helicopter, A-26, OV-1 Mohawk, A-1 Skyraider, and an AC-47 gunship. The UH-1 and M113 brought in re-enforcements, the VC were vanquished, the convoy then continued on.

Special thanks to Tim B who managed and transported our squad of “Small Soldiers” (all the kids, appropriately dressed in Vietnam era gear) in his M715. Along with the M151 gun-jeep, they ably defended the convoy until the re-enforcements arrived.

The crowd enjoyed this event sufficiently that it is already on the schedule for next year.

On Sunday before the show, Rory had the honour of driving Sherb, a friend of John SS and a Pearl Harbour survivor, around the aircraft display in Clint’s M38 (thank you Clint! At 92, Sherb is sharp as a tack, but not as fleet of foot as he once was). In all his years, Sherb had never attended an airshow or seen the Tora Tora Tora re-enactment, so he was very interested in all the planes, particularly the replica Japanese ones. Sherb, a native of Hawaii, was a civilian island-hopper pilot before WW2 and flew into Pearl about 30 minutes before the attack (bad timing, as he says). As he talked of the events, the bombing, the turmoil, the rescues taking place all over, he paused for a moment then said "Yep, that was a busy day". I propose that as the understatement of the year!

When the airshow ended Sunday the members packed up their vehicles and departed for home. This show was definitely a success.

Scott’s past mastery of the grill was missed, now we know how spoiled we have been! .