Photo By Staff Sgt. Shanice Ship | Lavenham residents wave from a military vehicle at the Vintage Weekend in Lavenham,...... read more read more
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48th Fighter Wing Airmen joined the Friends of Lavenham Airfield community group to commemorate the anniversary of the construction of RAF Lavenham and the heroic acts of the men of the RAF and the 487th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force, who served during World War II at Lavenham, England, May 20, 2018.
During the Vintage Weekend event, members of the 48th FW Honor Guard marched the town square along with key participants to honor and pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kelli Moon, 48th Force Support Squadron commander, gave a keynote speech highlighting some of the amazing feats of the RAF and 487th BG during the memorial wreath-laying ceremony.
“The 487th Bomb Group flew 185 missions from May 17, 1944 to April 21, 1945,” said Moon. “Today, we remember 233 Airmen who paid the ultimate sacrifice, their courage and honor in combat over the skies of enemy-occupied Europe, and their families back home who grieved and remembered their loved ones for the rest of their lives. Today, we salute you all.”
Rachel Handler, daughter of U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Abraham Oxen Handler who served at RAF Lavenham in 1944, shared personal memories of her father’s role in the history of RAF Lavenham.
According to Handler, her father completed 35 missions in four months before returning to the U.S. on December 5, 1944, narrowly missing an ill-fated Christmas Eve mission just three weeks later that claimed so many lives.
It would be 21 years later before he saw Lavenham again.
“I was nine years old and I’d never seen a village like this before,” said Handler. “Mom enjoyed the antique shops and dad stopped into The Swan for a beer for old time’s sake. It was important to my father that we visit Lavenham.”
Participants retreated to various historically treasured locations after the wreath-laying ceremony to share their own memories of those who played a part in the history of RAF Lavenham.
Dressed in 1940s attire with an air of prominence, some chose to visit the Old Bar in The Swan, renamed the Airman’s Bar. They hoped to get a glimpse into the experience of those who sat at the same location more than 70 years ago.
“There is still emotion and spirit that lives on through these remembrance events,” said Moon. “That is all we can ever hope for when our own time has passed and the generations after us tell our stories and continue to keep our spirit alive.”
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2018 08:33 |
| Story ID: | 281762 |
| Location: | BRANDON, SFK, GB |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Honoring World War II heritage, heroics, by SSgt Shanice Ship, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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