If you’re a space fan and are in Ohio, stop by the Museum of the U.S. Air Force to see the Apollo Fifteen Command Module. It’s on loan from the Smithsonian and is by far one of the coolest things on display right now.
Apollo Fifteen was our fourth successful moon landing and the first to use a lunar rover so this mission was special back in 1971.
Made of aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and titanium, the command module carried three astronauts. It was named for the ship Endeavour that carried Captain James Cook on his famed 18th century scientific expedition.
It’s funny because it looks both modern and ancient like some kind of time machine meant to carry brave humans across both time and space. Something about the patina makes it appear even more unusual.
I like it.
Incidentally, we knew to look for it because we asked a docent about his favorite thing in that building. He said it was hard to choose as he pointed to an airplane down the way. He had flown one just like it for thirty years. Then he directed us to this piece of history, calling it “something special to see.”
Something special indeed.
If you haven’t been to this museum, it’s a good one and admission is free. I was there last Saturday and have written a series about it each day this week. Use their website to plan your visit. Here are links to the other stories this week.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force tells a number of unexpected stories. One of those is of this gentleman, a Holocaust survivor who came to America following the war.
Six million Jewish people were exterminated by Hitler and the evil ones who followed him. These people who died were normal people just like you and I. They were men, women and children. They were old and young. Rich and poor. They were successful business people, poor farmers, musicians, academics, shopkeepers,schoolchildren and most importantly, human. None deserved the fate that awaited them in Germany’s extermination camps.
Their neighbors turned a blind eye as they were dehumanized and then dragged from their homes because it didn’t affect them.
Six million souls lost because no one stood up to do the right thing.
But one who survived this atrocity is this gentleman, Henry Wyrobnik. Born in Lodz, Poland, Henry was put in the Lodz Ghetto along with his parents, siblings and other family members. The Nazis sent them to Auschwitz in August 1944. According to the sign with his picture, he and thousands of others were taken on a Death March as Allied Forces approached in 1945.
They were given small amounts of bread as they marched for two weeks, day and night. Anyone who walked out of line or who lagged behind was shot by the Nazis. They spent another two weeks on open coal trains with nothing to eat but snow. And when people in Czechoslovakia threw food to the trains, the Czech people were shot.
Henry said that 108 people were packed on his train but only 35 survived the trip. The story goes on and is grim. In fact, it’s unbelievable that humans could be so cruel. But it’s an important piece of our history that we badly need to remember as history does indeed repeat itself.
Despite the hatred and cruelty he endured, Henry lived. He lost his entire family but he made it out alive. When Gunzkirchen was liberated in May 1945, he went to a hospital for recovery and then to a Displaced Persons Camp at Feldafing, Germany. It was here that he met Dora, another survivor who would become his wife. They came to America in 1949 where he became a business owner in Dayton. Henry and Doris had three children and seven grandsons.
I found his obituary online and learned that he died in 2007. He was 86. Dora survived him after 61 years of marriage. I do hope they were 61 happy years.
There’s more to the Holocaust exhibit but Henry is the piece of the exhibit that I always focus on. I suppose because his face contrasted with that awful number tattooed on his arm is an unapologetic reminder that he was a human. The. Nazis dehumanizied these people because they were Jewish.
Henry was a Jew. He was a survivor. He was a Holocaust survivor who lived to educate us all and to lend a face to the six million souls who were not so fortunate.
Look for this exhibit and don’t just walk by. Stop and study the words and the faces. It’s important.
Last minute cancelled plans Saturday left me with nowhere to go even though I was dressed and ready to leave the house by about 7:30 a.m. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day so I asked my fella if he was interested in a different adventure than we had planned. We opted for a trip to the National Museum of the United States Air Force and some bookshopping, because well, bookshopping is what we do best. It was a true adventure day complete with an unexpected stop for a pre-museum snack at Tudor’s Biscuit World and lots of cool museum stuff to appreciate.
Dayton, Ohio is the well documented birthplace of aviation and the Dayton/Cincinnati region made quite the hub for the innovative technology that is necessary for aviation and aerospace development. We are fortunate to have so many cool aviation related spots in the Dayton area and the grandmama of them all is the Air Force Museum.
As many times as I go, I still stand in awe of some of these planes, missiles and artifacts. I still seek out the stories of the people who bring the legends of these great machines to life. I still become overwhelmed by the awesome amount of knowledge and inspiration accessible in one place.
And it’s no wonder. This museum dates to May 1923 and it is a world-renowned center for what the museum calls “air and space power technology and culture preservation.” Friends, there are 20 indoor acres as well as outdoor spaces to explore.
You know something? It’s all FREE. Admission, the parking, the tours – all free. There are ways to spend money – you can buy tickets for some simulators, you can buy food and there are museum souvenirs as well. But you can also pack a picnic to eat outside, skip the gift shop and make this the most extraordinary frugal adventure day you’ve ever encountered.
IF you like history and airplanes, of course. If you hang out here with me, I assume you like those things because I talk about them all the time.
Every time I go, I think I should spend a couple of hours exploring a single area of the museum like just early aviation or just Vietnam. It would be less overwhelming and I could absorb more information. Of course, I never manage to do that because I want to see everything! Plus, they do sometimes rotate items in and out so there’s a good chance there is something new to see when you only go occasionally.
I always look forward to seeing this fifties era experimental aircraft called the Avro Canada VZ-9AV Avrocar. It was part of Canada’s effort to develop a supersonic, vertical takeoff and landing fighter bomber and it looks like a flying saucer! Read more about that here.
Seeing this display of World War II era bomber jackets always makes me wonder what happened to the men who wore them. Did they make it home safe? Did they ever dream their jacket would be exhibited in a world renowned museum?
And then there are new things like the Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavour which is on loan from the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
Of course, I don’t always approve of their changes. I told you a few years ago about the Memphis Belle being permanently installed here. I took my dad and we had a fabulous day including the exploration of the Memphis Belle exhibit which included biographies and pictures of all the crew and a thought provoking explanation of why this plane is so important.
They seem to have taken away all of those extras and have downgraded to just a small sign that makes the Memphis Belle seem like any other plane. Hopefully they will rotate all that back in at another time because the story is important. Read more about that here.
I have written about this museum some here but there are a few specific stories I want to tell so I will spend this week highlighting some of them. Come back tomorrow to get started.
All the recent talk about planes reminded me of a fun day at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton.
I’ll make a note to tell you all about it soon. Meanwhile, I’ll let this picture do the talking. I loved both of these planes in a room that represents early aviation. If you’re in the area, this place is a lot of fun and well worth your time.
