Warrior Connection - 08/25/13

"Family Tree"

The warrior's veins run deep,
His blood runs red and fast,
Shed for generations past,
Father, brothers, sons,
Freedoms' burden carried,
For all, and everyone,
Tradition passed along through DNA,
They fought back then,
They fight today,
Ask little they,
Each night they kneel and pray,
Dying willingly,
It's in the family tree,
Proud Americans, they stand their ground, and yours,
Their calling's always been,
Your dirty chore of war,
Coming home again, the cycle never ends,
One generation more to fight,
Horrid cries that last all night,
The same old tune,
Echoes decades, throughout every room,
A house of warriors, too proud to see the light,
One son gone to war, one briefly home once more,
As father proudly fades and dies,
Family pride runs high,
They ask for little back,
Perhaps a burial plot, beside the metro track,
Their souls can freely cry aloud,
Another death that's proud,
A flag remembers each,
The Reverend's lonely graveyard speech,
Duty proudly done by all,
The family tree stands tall,
Scars of war passed along,
To yet another son,
Tradition never dies, despite their anguished cries,
Duty and honor call,
The family's sacrifice is all,
The son is off to war again,
A family to the end,
Turn out the lights and lock the door,
For after him,
The family tree may be no more.

I served twenty years in the US Marine Corps, including service in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. I've seen the physical and emotional toll that warfare exacts 
on those who are involved in combat. TROOPER is a superb film that very movingly depicts the lasting human tragedies that so often follow America's 
warriors home from war. I was inspired to write "Family Tree" as a tribute to the countless numbers of American families who have sacrificed so much in 
defense of our freedoms. Perhaps one day we might see an end to war. But until that day comes it is vitally important that we never forget the debt we owe 
to those who pay such a high price for our freedoms. Please pledge whatever you can to help us get TROOPER into widest distribution.

Semper Fidelis,
David K. Winnett, Jr.
Captain, USMC (Ret.)

   Chanute Air Museum
A Division of the Octave Chanute Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Illinois
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Contact Information: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mark D. Hanson, Curator Chanute Air Museum Phone: 217-893-1613, ext. 20 E-mail: curator@aeromuseum.org CHANUTE AIR MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN Featuring CAF Red Tail Squadron P-5lC Mustang and Rise Above Presentation Rantoul, Illinois – The Chanute Air Museum is holding a CAF Red Tail Squadron event on Wednesday, September 11 through Sunday, September 15, 2013, featuring a flying P-5lC Mustang fighter airplane and Rise Above multimedia presentation. The Museum is proud to bring the Squadron to Rantoul for the first time. The event’s objective is to provide an educational opportunity for people, especially young people, to understand and appreciate the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II; the first African-American pilots and support personnel allowed into combat. The Red Tail Squadron’s, World War II-vintage P-51C Mustang fighter is a piece of living history representing the Tuskegee Airmen and the thousands of other African-American men and women who supported them. The P-51C will be joined by a customized 53' trailer with expandable sides that houses a 160-degree curved movie screen and seating for 30 in climate-controlled comfort. A 14-minute original movie called Rise Above focuses on what the Tuskegee Airmen -- pilots and their support personnel -- had to overcome to be allowed to fly and fight for their country during World War II. Visitors will hear and see how after training at the Chanute Field in Rantoul and Tuskegee, Alabama, the black pilots and crewmen were deployed first to Africa and then to Italy where they distinguished themselves in combat. The Tuskegee Airmen would later paint the tails of their fighters’ red to identify themselves, becoming known as “Red Tailed Angels” by the bomber crews who they were assigned to protect. Viewing the CAF Red Tail Squadron P-51C Mustang and Rise Above presentation are included with regular paid museum admission (Adults $10.00, Seniors (62+) & Military $ 8.00, Students (K-12) $ 5.00, Children (4 years or under) free. The event will run at the Chanute Air Museum on September 11-13, 2013, from 9:00am- 5:00pm (primarily reserved for school tours; availability may be limited), September 14, 2013 from 9:00am-6:00pm, and on September 15, 2013 from 10:00 am-5:00 pm. The primary mission is educating children. Cooperating with the Rantoul City School District and other local area schools, the Museum expects schools tours to bring an estimated 1,000 school children during the first three days of the event. In addition to the Red tail Squadron, many other things will be happening during the event. The museum will officially unveil the completed P-51H Restoration Project, a raffle is being held for a chance to win a history flight in the P-51C, tentatively Butch Schroeder’s F-5 variant
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of the P-51D and AirLife Medevac helicopter will fly-in on Saturday. Also on Saturday, the Rantoul Rotary Club will be selling concessions with the proceeds going to the Museum. The Chanute Air Museum, is one of the largest aerospace museums in Illinois. Opened in 1994, the museum is located on the former Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. Its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret aviation and aerospace artifacts. Special emphasis is directed to the life and accomplishments of Octave Chanute, the former Chanute Air Force Base and its technical training programs, and the history of Illinois aviation The CAF Red Tail Squadron, a volunteer-driven non-profit organization, is part of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). The Red Tail Squadron’s mission is to educate people – especially students – about the Tuskegee Airmen. To do that, it touches on World War II, general aviation history, different types of airplanes, and the modern day. The Squadron’s Rise Above educational program reflects not only the history of the Tuskegee Airmen, but also of the United States. It uses the red-tailed P-51C Mustang and the unique Rise Above presentation as tools to help people be inspired to rise above their own obstacles in order to reach their goals. For the most up to date information please check the Chanute Air Museum webpage at www.aeromuseum.com, visit the Museum’s Facebook page, or call Mark Hanson at 217 893-1613, ext. 20. Currently, there is a raffle to win a History Flight in the P-51C Mustang, and event sponsorships are available for local businesses, groups, or individual donors. Also, the Red Tail Squadron will be selling History Flight rides in the P-51C. For pricing and reservations email info@redtail.org or call 888-928-0188. ### Additional images available upon request.