Poet and painter William Blake once said, “The most sublime act is to set another before you.” His statement quite clearly reflects the overarching mission of the Texas Flying Legends Museum – sacrifice above self. Our organization strives to honor the legacies of those who have valiantly served our nation in wartime and the industries and families of those men and women; sacrificing their own ambitions, desires, and sometimes their lives to make the world safer and futures a little bit brighter. Through the stories of these brave men and women, we hope to evoke a spirit of patriotism and instill a sense of empowerment in the leaders of tomorrow. We give our younger generations a sense of what it truly means for one to sacrifice for others, and in doing so, show them that they can make a difference in the lives of those around them.
We’ve had quite an exciting year to date, and have no plans to slow down any time soon! In April, we presented our newest addition to the fleet – the TBM Avenger – to former President George Herbert Walker Bush in a private ceremony at Ellington Field. In May, we conducted an airshow at Ft. Hood, Texas, and we were honored to perform the flyover during the famous Air Force Academy Graduation in Colorado and made numerous stops on our way to Minot North Dakota. In July, we dedicated the “Flying Legends Wing” as part of the Dakota Territory Museum and capped the event with a patriotic music show performed by Music Doing Good and fireworks from the City of Minot. We also brought 11 War Birds to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to participate in EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh, the largest airshow in the world! We turned heads and inspired thousands as we highlighted the actions and lives of 9 WWII Veterans and their families. In August, three of our War Birds flew from Oshkosh to Wiscasset, Maine to participate in “Wings Over Wiscasset”, a family oriented airshow and concert, and collaboration with Music Doing Good. In August, our bomber and our Zero participated in events in North Dakota and Iowa. Meanwhile in Houston, with much pomp and circumstance, NASA utilized our hangar for the announcement of the 747 Space Shuttle Carrier Project. In September and October the museum partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the US Military to make a young boy’s wish of flight come true. Our P-40 attended the 2013 AVG Flying Tiger Reunion, and 6 of our planes flew the highlight performance for the Commemorative Air Force Air Show in Midland Texas. October 25-27 finds the museum on home turf, hosting numerous events, and three performances for the Wings Over Houston Airshow.
Looking forward to 2014, the museum has planned many events, which includes the completion of our world class documentary film “Sacrifice Above Self” by Adam White. We also look forward to numerous air shows, educational events, and corporate training. If you haven’t already, please sign up for our mailing list so we can keep in touch and let you know about all the wonderful happenings of the Texas Flying Legends Museum. We’ve done great work in a short amount of time, and we look forward to your support in honoring our veterans and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow!
All the best,
Tyson Voelkel
President, Texas Flying Legends Museum
