Paid helicopter rides offered during Veterans Muster in October
By ALEX MCRAEalex@newnan.com
The program for the October Veterans Muster 2012 has been finalized and preparations are almost complete, according to officials of the Coweta Commission on Veterans Affairs, which organizes and presents the annual event.
Events at Muster III include paid rides on two different helicopters. Rides on the UH-1 Huey will be $50 per individual and $45 for veterans. Rides on an AH-1 Cobra helicopter will be available for $450 per individual or $425 for veterans.
The Theme for Muster 2012 is “Honoring and Remembering Veterans and their Families who served Post Vietnam War (War on Terrorism).”
Events will take place Oct. 11 — Thursday of Muster weekend — at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts on Lower Fayetteville Road and on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Coweta County Fairgrounds.
The following schedule of events was supplied by the Commission on Veterans Affairs:
• Oct.11, 7 p.m. — A stage production, “Letters Home” hosted by the Patrons of the Centre at The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts of Coweta County, 1523 Lower Fayetteville Road, Newnan.
“Letters Home” is a play presented by the touring company of the Griffin Theatre Company, Chicago. The production puts the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq front and center by bringing to life actual letters written by soldiers serving in the Middle East. For more information, go to: http://griffintheatre.com/letters-home/ and follow the link to: Griffin Theatre - Letters Home.
Admission is $10 general admission, and $8 for senior adults.
• Oct. 13, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Muster III activities at the Coweta County Fairgrounds.
Opening ceremony is 10 a.m. on the midway field and includes a parachute demonstration featuring combat veterans with the ceremonial flag, a flag presentation by Northgate Air Force JROTC and opening ceremony conducted by the American Legion and including students of the JROTC.
Starting at 10:30 a.m. there will be displays on the fairgrounds plaza and midway areas as part of the Student-Vet Connect program organized and presented by the Newnan High School History Department. The event will include displays of military memorabilia presented by area veterans who served from World War II until the present.
Drill Team demonstrations by students of the Newnan High Air Force JROTC and East Coweta Marine Corps JROTC will be presented 10:30 a.m. and noon.
Representatives of military service organizations will be on hand and military-related books by local authors will be for sale.
Static displays include UH-60 Blackhawk and Cobra helicopters. Military vehicles from all time periods will also be on display.
The helicopter rides will be available starting at 11 a.m. and lasting into the afternoon, based upon ride demand. The UH-1 Huey rides are $50 per individual, and $45 for veterans; and the AH-1 Cobra rides are $450 per individual, and $425 for veterans.
No rides will be offered during the times of ceremonies.
The helicopters are being made available by the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation ( http://www.armyav.org/ ).
From 2-2:30 p.m. there will be a Service of Remembrance ceremony honoring those from Coweta County killed in action, immediately followed by a closing ceremony conducted by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars organization.
At 2:30 p.m. the helicopter rides will resume.
