The museum galleries present military aviation history, boasting more than 400 aerospace vehicles -- many rare and one-of-a-kind -- along with thousands of historical items and powerful sensory exhibits that bring history to life and connect the Wright brothers' legacy with today's stealth and precision technology. It was incredible to see the evolution of planes. It was also neat to see the interpretive side of the museum as it relates to the planes' roles in various wars. They have a lot of volunteers on sight to explain things, too.
It was kite building day there, but Erica didn't want to build a kite with me.
Of special significance was seeing the planes that were used to haul hundreds of soldiers to other countries during war time. (Let's just say the accommodations make a 40 person Delta puddle jumper plane look like business class for an international flight.) On the same day we were there, we gave well wishes to my brother, Scott, who left for Afghanistan for his second tour of duty in Operation Enduring Freedom on Saturday. Although he wouldn't be flying in a plane on display at the museum, his thoughts, fears, and anxieties must be the same of the soldiers who traveled in those planes some 60 years ago. You could get a sense--however small--of the emotions surrounding the planes and memorabilia.
On another note, it was interesting to note the artwork depicted on the various planes and bombs. Most of the artwork was in good taste, depicting things like skeletons, American flags, and cartoon characters, but many were very disturbing as they degraded African Americans, people from other countries, and women. Here is an example:
So, if you're ever in the Dayton area, I recommend checking out the museum. But try to avoid kids day. It's hectic!
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