'It's all for the vets." Appreciation Day is Saturday at Ashland County Airport
ASHLAND - Imagine you're in a UH-1 Huey Greyhound getting ready to take off for the ride of a lifetime.
You won't have to if you attend Saturday's Veterans Appreciation Day at the Ashland County Airport, where anyone can ride the military helicopter for $125.
Yankee Air Museum in Michigan is bringing the aircraft to the ninth annual event for veterans and anyone else who wants to show their appreciation to vets for no admission, a free meal, musical entertainment and fireworks.
Flying on a Huey is kind of like the ride Veterans Appreciation Day has taken since it began as a half-day event on a rainy August day at the old Children's Home in Ashland.
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Just as riders are not quite sure what to anticipate as they sit in a UH-1 with the blades spinning right before liftoff, the original organizers of the event weren't sure what to expect as rain welcomed them that first year.
As a member of the Mental Health and Recovery Board, Pam Mowry, one of the original organizers, discovered through a MHRB program listening to vets' concerns that many were experiencing a disconnect in civilian life. She said there was a general sadness that people don't realize what veterans and their families give up when they put time in the military.
"So it came as an idea that we had to do something," Mowry said. "We wondered if it would work, if it would be the thing that could help."
What happened was an exhilarating experience, much like the start of a Huey ride.
"What amazed us was, as nasty as the weather was, the people kept coming," said another original organizer, Ashland Vietnam veteran Bob DeSanto. "We kept thinking, 'Why are they coming?'
"We discovered they really just want to be with each other," added DeSanto, who still is part of the event's planning committee.
DeSanto and Mowry agree that Mike Goschinski, owner of Fin Feather Fur Outfitters, was key in getting the event off the ground. The now employee-owned Fin still is a major sponsor, as well as many other businesses, organizations and individuals.
"About 130 veterans came, fire departments came, Mansfield Lahm (Regional Airport, which is home to an Air National Guard base) sent some equipment," Mowry said about the inaugural event. "It was very grassroots. What we found was the feedback from it was amazing.
"The committee grew and the excitement grew and we ended up moving it to the Ashland County Airport," added Mowry, who co-chairs the planning committee with her friend, Jenny Whitmore. " We decided 'Let's go big with the planes and the fireworks that second year once we realized the participation we had.' "
Veterans Appreciation Day doesn't take long to take off — kind of like a Huey
And the event started humming along like the UH-1 Huey in flight.
"The growth it has experienced is incredible," said Adam Boyce, Ashland County Veterans Service Commission director. "The amount of veterans we see in attendance has steadily risen. Each year we also see more and more vets from our surrounding counties in attendance."
No other event Boyce attends allows as much interaction with veterans as Veterans Appreciation Day. He said his office was able to meet, talk to and answer questions about Veterans Affairs benefits with at least 400 veterans last year.
Advertising through billboards donated by Lind Media throughout Ashland, Richland and Wayne counties has helped draw as many as about 5,700 people in 2019 before COVID and over 4,000 last year after the pandemic canceled 2020, said Mowy, who added great weather nearly every year also has helped, as well as the many donors and volunteers.
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The airport will open to the public at 10 a.m. Saturday and the opening ceremony will start at 11 a.m. followed by the all-veterans photo.
The morning is geared for veterans who normally aren't out and about, said Mowry, who added that Aerohio Skydiving will be parachuting in flags like it has the past few years and Legion Riders will ride their motorcycles in with flags like they have every year.
A free cookout lunch for everyone in attendance will begin at noon with Pheasants Forever members serving hot dogs, hamburgers and other food donated from many businesses, organizations and individuals.
Another original organizer, Brooks Whitmore, will give Jeep rides, musical entertainment will be offered and there will be some food vendors throughout the day. Military memorabilia and planes on display are popular, too.
"People enjoy seeing any kind of aircraft, especially the old stuff," said Denny Baum, Ashland County Airport manager. "The crew that puts on the event does an outstanding job. It's all for the vets."
Many other organizations with helpful information for veterans will have booths at the event. No political booths are allowed.
Because his performance was so popular last year, Stan Davis, who grew up in Ashland and lives in Cleveland, will perform with his group, The Rat Pack, from 2 to 2:30 p.m. and then return at 7:30 p.m. with a Motown group, the Bottom Line Band, to play until the fireworks. The Old Enough to Know Better band will perform from 4 to 7 p.m.
Attendees will want to bring lawn chairs to enjoy the entertainment, Mowry said.
Like any ride, there are sometimes a few bumps along the way. That was the case last year for both Veterans Appreciation Day and the UH-1 Huey.
"Last year the Huey had to cancel at the last minute," Mowry said. "They had flown the week before in Michigan and detected an oil leak after landing it at Yankee Air Museum. Like all things you're disappointed beyond words, but you don't want to fly on aircraft that's not ready. They are professionals, so they would never fly an aircraft that isn't mechanically sound."
Mowry and the rest of the committee are expecting a smoother experience with the UH-1 Huey this year.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Veterans Appreciation Day will feature UH-1 Huey helicopter rides.
