JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) —
Reserve Airmen with the 433rd Airlift Wing, 960th Our on-line world Wing, 340th Flying Coaching Group and twenty third Intelligence Squadron participated in San Antonio’s 74th annual Fiesta Flambeau Parade, the most important illuminated evening parade in america in accordance with the official Flambeau group web site April 9.
Considered one of three parades and a number of Fiesta occasions, the parade started in 1948. With the phrase Flambeau that means “tall, adorned candlestick,” in French, members used their floats and outfits to light up the evening in the course of the celebration.
This yr’s parade theme was “Celebrating Literary Classics.” The consolidated group represented the Air Pressure Reserve by making a float spotlighting retired Senior Grasp Sgt. James Bynum, an area Tuskegee Airman who served throughout World Struggle II.
“We determined to focus on the Tuskegee Airmen,” mentioned Lt. Col. Timothy Wade, 433rd AW public affairs officer. “They’re an incredible a part of our historical past. We’re showcasing not solely what they’ve accomplished previously, however how their groundbreaking of the Air Pressure and Division of Protection led to models such because the 433rd Airlift Wing, 960th Our on-line world Wing and the twenty third Intelligence Squadron.”
Attributable to unexpected circumstances, Bynum was not capable of attend the parade. Nonetheless, the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland’s Airman Heritage Basis loaned an genuine WWII uniform to a parade participant to keep up the spirit and accuracy of the time interval in addition to Bynum’s legacy.
“In honor of him, we determined to maintain urgent ahead,” Wade mentioned. “That’s the reason I’m dressed as an genuine Tuskegee Airman by utilizing historic belongings from our Air Pressure museum. We wish to make sure that we get it proper and inform that story to everybody.”
After a two yr pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reserve unit members got here collectively for the primary time to not solely create the float however to indicate camaraderie post-lockdown by strolling within the parade collectively.
“That is the primary yr that 340th Flying Coaching Group, the 960th Our on-line world Wing and the 433rd Airlift Wing all participated collectively,” mentioned Chief Grasp Sgt. Christopher Howard, 340th FTG senior enlisted chief. “After we discuss COVID, we not solely introduced everybody again collectively, however we introduced wings collectively underneath this explicit occasion.”
In keeping with the Fiesta San Antonio Fee, 750,000 spectators attended the parade. As they cheered and waved whereas the float rode by, Howard spoke of his pleasure and pleasure of being part of the San Antonio group, particularly throughout this annual occasion.
“I haven’t been a part of a group like San Antonio earlier than that basically embraces the army,” Howard mentioned. “The sensation of strolling down that parade route with all the group popping out and their outpouring of help is wonderful.”
