The weekend started out cool and clear, and this was a sign of further things to come. There
was some rain in the dark of night, but it was the cold temps on Saturday that got people's attention. As it
has trended for most of this summer around here any way, Saturday was unseasonably cold, which caused a rush on the
vendors to find something warm to fend off winter's efforts to hang around, but as rain might have been a relative
show stopper, the cold didn't seem to deter many, and the crowds were strong for the entire show.
Last year's show saw the beginning of the Vietnam 70th anniversary commemoration, which continued this year, and was
aided in a big way by the appearance of the popular Huey 369 helicopter. The iconic Vietnam veteran chopper
based in Indiana, and its crew gave rides all day Friday and Saturday, to the crowds that never seemed to quit
lining up at their station. It was great to have this airborne piece of history jetting around the skies
overhead, and it was obvious that those riders were definitely getting their money's worth, as the little craft
would launch into the sky at an angle that made all onboard glad they had tightened their belts. It had to
be a great ride, and the pilot seemed to be emulating some "in-theater" maneuvers, and was definitely not just
"taking it easy". If it wasn't tied down, it was probably gone! Some may have been a little annoyed
by the noise, but I found it to be exhilarating every time it flew by.
