casey Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 MANSFIELD, Ohio -- The Spirit of Crestline was unveiled Thursday, emblazoned with pride along the side of a C-130 Hercules at Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport. The emblem was painted over the aircrew door as a tribute from the 179th Airlift Wing to the village. "We are taking the airplanes and dedicating all eight of them to the local communities who have supported us all through our ups and downs," said Lt. Col. Patty Barr, the Maintenance Group Deputy Commander. Crestline is the seventh of eight communities in the area to be honored by the 179th. Mansfield, Lexington, Shelby, Ontario, Ashland and the Clear Fork Valley (representing Butler and Bellville) have all earned the tribute, too. On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., Galion gets its turn. A contingent of approximately 40 people, including citizens, veterans and members of the unit, attended the Crestline ceremony, which took place in hangar 102. A handful of members from Crestline's VFW 2920 braved the rainy conditions and sent up a cheer when their community's name was unveiled. "I flew, but it was in the Navy," said Dave Saurers, who completed two tours of duty in Vietnam (1965-66 and 1967-68). "All of the fellas from the Crestline VFW Post, we think it's special that they've honored us this way. Veterans and community members were later invited inside the enormous aircraft for a quick tour. Mayor David Sharrock also spoke at the dedication. "I lost a nephew in Iraq (Colonel Crawford graduate Justin Adams). He was in the Army and had two tours of duty. So this means a lot to me," Sharrock said. "We want to thank each and every one of these (service people) for all they do each and every day." View original article at richlandsource.com View full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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