Camp Hearne living history day 2014

Saturday was a lovely day for a road trip, so Mom, Dad, and I went out to Camp Hearne to their World War II living history day.  Dad and I went last year.  I paid a $3 donation to crawl around inside a B-25 Mitchell bomber.

This year, we didn't even make it into the museum.  When we arrived, we found that the Graham-Paige car club was there.  Graham-Paiges were only made between 1927 and 1940.

There were only eight cars but one of them was a Blue Streak.  The 1932 Graham-Paige started the trend both in enclosed fenders and in shield-shaped radiators.  The black and silver car also has an 8-cylinder "Blue Streak" engine:


I'm not sure specifically how rare this car is, but my father claims he can "die happy" now that he's seen it.

The Graham-Paige Flickr set is here.

The Commemorative Air Force was back.  This year, they had the B-25 Mitchell again (although the line to go inside was really long) and a P-51 Mustang.  

The clouds were magazine-perfect, by the way. That picture was taken with a small Lumix point and shoot.  No frills.

Mom and I were standing in the shade, watching the Mustang buzz the crowd (yes, they flew it), when Dad ran up and said, "I know what you're getting for Christmas this year!"

What would that be, Dad?

"The last seat on the B-25!"

In retrospect, I'm not sure if they were trying to give me an awesome early Christmas, or trying to get rid of my by sending me up in a seventy-year-old airplane, but I got a forty-minute joyride in a World War II bomber.

They're not big inside, even if you're a six-inch crocheted chicken:


The outskirts of Hearne, Texas, if you were the nose gunner.


More here, including some short videos.

It's a little like flying in a school bus: Mostly like riding in a normal vehicle, only somewhat more rattly and with a lot more engine noise.  You wear radio headsets, partly to save your ears and mostly because you can't communicate otherwise unless you know sign language.  Also: I totally recommend it.  

I came home feeling I need to sew more 1940's dresses. 

Comments

Andrea said…
That does sound like a fantastic experience! Also, I had never heard of a Graham-Paige, though perhaps I have seen pictures of them without knowing what I was seeing.