COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Salute to Veterans Memorial Day Weekend Celebration Airshow has come a long way since 1989.
It began with a parade that featured flyovers of two World War II aircraft: A P-51 Mustang and a B-25 Mitchell. Prior to that, Memorial Day in Columbia was a small affair at the courthouse. It's a lot bigger now, as people will see this year over Memorial Day weekend.
When Columbia-local Mary McCleary Posner returned to her hometown from a corporate career in New York, she decided the airshow needed to grow. Her father was a WWI veteran who set an altitude record on Armistice Day in 1918 in a Curtiss Jenny. He had once told her if she ever figured out a way to say thank you to the men and women who had risked their lives to secure her freedom, that she should do it. The Salute to Veterans Corp. was founded because of that charge, and while it has grown in size and scope over the years, the mission has never changed.
The theme for the show this year is a reminder to everyone of that original purpose - "Three Decades of Honoring and Remembering." This year, it is also seeking to double the usual amount of military honored guests always headlining the show.
Starring in the airshow this year is the U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aerial demonstration team, returning from active duty to an airshow schedule for the first time in seven years. The last time this aircraft flew in Columbia was in 2010, just before they were grounded. The show is also welcoming back the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Black Daggers and the Canadian Armed Forces Skyhawks parachute jump teams. They will be performing during the two-day airshow weekend, as well as jumping into the Columbia College R. Marvin Owens Soccer Stadium during the Salute to the Armed Forces Celebration at the end of the Memorial Day Parade.
Also appearing this year: A WWII de Havilland Vampire, the T-33 "Shooting Star" jet, a breathtaking two-ship aerobatic performance of the Trojan Phlyers, and the 1948 Skyraider. This year's celebration also includes a Curtiss Jenny celebrating its 100th year of flight.
For a more hands-on experience, the P-3 Orion and the enormous P-8 Poseidon will be on display and open for tours throughout the weekend.
The show will be 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. May 26-27 at the Columbia Regional Airport. Admission and parking are free. Parking is limited, so guests are encouraged to use shuttle buses provided at the MU Trowbridge parking lot in Columbia or at the Jefferson City Airport. To close the weekend, the organization will host an annual parade in downtown Columbia on Memorial Day at 10 a.m. For more information and the latest updates, visit salute.org.