Veterans group makes final preparations for fly-in

ALBANY — The SOWEGA Veterans Coalition will hold its final preparation meeting Thursday for the weekend fly-in scheduled at the Dawson Airport.

The local veterans group, along with the Friends of the Army Aviation-Ozark organization, will show off, and provide rides, on a Bell series UH-1H Iroquois helicopter during the fly-in, which will be held Saturday. The helicopter series was used extensively during the Vietnam War, and that’s one of the reasons the veterans groups wanted to host the fly-in.

“This is something we have wanted to do for a while to honor those who served,” SOWEGA Veterans Coalition Chairman Paul Murray told The Albany Herald previously.

Helicopter rides will be available from 9 a.m. to dark Saturday, while planned fly-in events kick off with the delivery of a flag by a parachute team at 1 p.m.

While plans for the fly-in will be finalized at the Veterans Coalition meeting Thursday, the tentative agenda and plans for the event, according to notes from the group’s most recent meeting, include:

— Free admission to the airport;

— Parachute “Team Inertia” Skydivers jump with flag to raise at airport’s new flagpole at 1 p.m.;

— Guest Speaker: Siege of Khe Sanh Marine Vietnam Veteran Herman West;

— UH1H helicopter rides, $50 per person from 9 a.m.-dusk;

— Rare UH1 Navy “Sea Wolf” helicopter display featured in many movies available for photos; (Doug Taylor, who has the UH1 Navy Sea Wolf, lost his helper and may need some help for Saturday’s event, according to the Veterans Coalition’s notes. He is also bringing the Kiddie Kopter ride. His display just got back from being used in a Mel Gibson movie and is still in one piece!)

— “Kiddie Kopter” rides;

— The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will take part in the fly-in with numerous aircraft;

— Various military aircraft and vehicles will be on display;

— There may be additional rides in the Birdog or T-42 craft.

The SOWEGA Veterans Coalition started planning the fly-in two years ago with the Friends of Army Aviation-Ozark group. The coalition originally wanted the fly-in at the American Legion Post 30 facility on Gillionville Road, but the FAA would not allow it. A change of venue was proposed for the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport in Albany, but the costs there were prohibitive.

“We checked with the Dawson Airport, and the lady there is a retired Army nurse whose husband is a retired colonel, and they were all about it,” Murray said.

Coalition members also discussed the planned Marvin Mixon Scholarship Fund at their last meeting. Mixon, who was an active advocate of veterans activities and who, along with others, started the Field of Flags and Field of Crosses displays at the Albany Mall during Veterans Day and Memorial Day holidays, passed away earlier this year.

Staff Photo: Jon Gosa