By Tech. Sgt. Elaine Wilson, USAF
Special to American Forces Press Service
America Supports You is a Defense Department program that spotlights what American people and the corporate sector do to show their appreciation for the nation’s men and women in uniform.
The booth was among others in a venue of an estimated 800,000 people who flocked to the banks of the Ohio River here today to celebrate “Thunder Over Louisville,” a weekend of activity that has kicked off the annual Kentucky Derby Festival for the last 17 years.
The Navy’s Blue Angels F-18 aerial demonstration squadron performed for an appreciative, sun-drenched crowd, with the precision aviators showing off their combat flying skills against the background of a brilliantly blue sky.
Besides the Blue Angels, Thunder Over Louisville features demonstrations or flyovers by a wide variety of military and vintage aircraft. The roar of the aircraft engines and what’s billed as the world’s largest annual fireworks display to culminate the day’s activities are what give the festival its name.
Louisville became an official America Supports You partner yesterday. Servicemembers were able to attend a Louisville Bats baseball game last night as guests of the city. The Bats are the top minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Allison Barber, deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, was a designated “Thundernator,” with the honor of starting tonight’s fireworks display. Barber heads DoD’s America Supports You program.
Messages signed at the booth will go through the “A Million Thanks” effort headed by 16-year-old America Supports You member Shauna Fleming of Orange, Calif. She has long since passed her initial goal of collecting a million messages of appreciation for servicemembers. She’s now gunning for 2.6 million, to represent a message of thanks for each man and woman serving in the nation’s active duty and reserve component forces.
No matter what their views about the terror war, booth visitors said they wanted the troops to know they’re behind them all the way. Many said they know someone who has served or is serving on one of the fronts in the global war on terror.
One visitor, though, might well have been the most grateful. “Thank you for Iraq freedom,” is all he wrote — first in English, and then in Arabic.
