Titan II Missile Site

After traveling across the windy dry desert of west Texas, I found myself in Tucson, AZ. I plan to see several things while there for a week. At the top of my list of things to do was the Titan II missile Museum located about 30 miles south of Tucson. They are part of the Airo-Space Museum next door to the Bone Yard.






One of the first things we did on tour was take a look into the silo.





Then we went 30 feet underground to the Control Room. All the instrumentation panels were of 1960s vintage




Our tour guide spent 20 years stationed here at this site. He had two of our group sit at the controls. He gave them the special keys to use to simulate a launch. The lady at the console that had the buttons to push for launch could not read what the buttons were for because she did not bring her glasses. But the guide told her to just push any of the buttons.




Well, when the tour guide told them to turn the keys together and for her to push the simulated launch button, she got confused and pushed the wrong button.



Sirens went off and Red Lights started flashing and the place started shaking.




In about 10 seconds . . . . . .








WOOPS!!!

Fredricksburg, TX

After a month in San Antonio, I am heading for Tucson, AZ. I will be spending a week there enjoying the many attractions in that area. But first I am stopping in Fredricksburg to take in the National Museum of the Pacific War. What a wonderful museum!

They set you our on a self-guided tour through a maze of rooms that show you what happened in the various stages of the Pacific War. They start with "The Seeds of War" that covers the events before Pearl Harbor. Then as you progress through the museum, you are exposed to the chronological events of our march to Japan. One such event was the Doolittle Raid on April 18, 1942 with a group of B-25s that took off from an aircraft carrier in a storm. While you are in one of the rooms and are viewing film of the event. Suddenly a wall opens up and there before you is an actual B-25.

They have have several aircraft (what's left of them) displayed with lighting effects that are very theatrical. There were dozens (mostly men) of my age going through the museum and there was not a word spoken. You would have thought you were in a church somewhere. You could tell they were reliving those war years.

They had an actual Japanese sea plane in one of the rooms.

At another facility of the Museum, they take you into a simulated hanger deck of an aircraft carrier where they have displayed and actual Avenger torpedo plane.

I can certainly recommend this museum to anyone who lived though the time of WW II. Even if you didn't, you will be very impressed with their presentation. They even let you stand on a wharf next to a very real PT Boat that is getting ready to go out on a night mission. On and on it goes.

If you are ever in the Texas Hill Country, be sure and stop in Fredricksburg and take in the marvelous museum.

Battle of Flowers Band Fest

The most important event that I wanted to attend out of all 110 events that happen during Fiesta week is the Battle of Flowers Band Fest. This was held in the Alamo Stadium under cloudy skies that threatened to rain, but held off.

There were 32 bands from the area's high schools and Jr. high schools that participated in the competition. Of course to me the Number One band was the band that played for half an hour before the competition started. That was my old band that I played in for two years while in the Army. The 323rd Army Band or what is also called the Medical School Command Band still plays on. My seat for the event was high up in the press box area so I had a birds eye view of the action.



You will notice the camera man. They were all over the place. The event was broadcast on local TV that evening.





Here are a few pictures of one of the high shcool bands warming up.





Each band had 2 minuites to march in and perform their thing in front of the judges. After the compatition, all the bands assembled on the field to play several numbers in unison. WHAT A SOUND! Can you emagine several thousand bandpersons playing at the same time? Take a look.

River Walk

One of the things here in San Antonio that I found amazing is how they have developed what was less than a mile long "River Walk" in the down town area to a length of about five miles in length. They even have a dam and locks for the River Tour boats so they can navigate the upper reaches of the river. The last addition opened up for traffic less than a year ago.

I took the usual Tour but it only covered the older section of the River Walk. I went back a couple of weeks later an caught one of the Rio Taxis at the northern most location and rode all the way to the southern end of town and got off at the Tower Of The Americas. You can't miss the tower, because it is over 750 feet tall with a rotating restaurant and observation deck.

A person really has to take the tour in person in order to fully appreciate the beauty of the River Walk, but here are a few of over 300 pictures I have taken of the River Walk and tower. I have two slide shows with music on just the River Walk area.

Fort Sam Houston

Well, I have arrived in San Antonio, Texas. I will be spending the month of April in this town. There are two objectives for my visit. One is to visit Fort Sam Houston for the first time since I was serving in the Army at that post 1959-1961. I was assigned to the 323rd Army Band, which was attached to the Army Medical School that was part of the Brooks Army Medical Center. The other objective is to take in several of the events that will be taking place this month during the annual Fiesta Flambeau week. More on those events when they happen.

I did visit Fort Sam Houston and found where the barracks were that housed the band that I was with. The location is now a parking lot for a library. I found the current 323rd Army Band here on post and visited with them for an hour or so. Below is a pictures of their rehearsal room and equipment along with some of the members.

Part of the band was doing a dress rehearsal for a program they were going to put on so I sat in and listened.

I enjoyed my visit with the band and can now scratch one more thing off on my Bucket List.

One of the other places on the Post that visited was the Post Theatre No. 1. It has been out of use for a while, but just recently has been declared a National Historic Site. The Army is in the process of enlarging it and making it their National Headquarters for Theatrical Productions. They will be keeping the front as it was back in its prime when I attended events there.

Infamous Stringdusters Performance

One evening while at the Rally in Albuquerque, I went into town to this old theater.



My favorite bluegrass band just happened to be in town for a one night performance. (They were in Los Angeles the night before.) There was a good turnout to hear them.







The next and last evening of the rally brought the festivities to a close by us having a Balloon Glow demonstration after the Flying J Wranglers performed to a packed tent that was at the Balloon Festival grounds.

Sandia Peak

While in Albuquerque, NM, I took the tram ride to the top of Sandia Peak.

The tram is the longest passenger tram in the world, 2.7 miles. It takes about 15 breath taking minutes to reach the top station and the views are spectacular. Here are just a few:

Above is a view of downtown Albuquerque some 17 miles from the peak. The views from the top were spectacular no matter which direction you looked!