The Nebraska Air National Guard’s 155th Air Refueling Wing will conduct its annual Memorial Day flying salute over 60 Nebraska cemeteries after a one-year pause.
According to Col. Rick Evans, commander of the Lincoln-based wing, a Nebraska Air National Guard flight crew has volunteered to conduct an aerial salute of the state’s fallen veterans on Monday, May 28, using a single KC-135R Stratotanker. The salute consists of ceremonial flyovers over 60 separate Nebraska cemeteries ranging from Lincoln and Omaha, to Northeast and Central Nebraska.
The flyover will include Elgin and Neligh cemeteries. The flyover is schedule to take place at Neligh at 10:49 a.m., then fly over West Cedar Cemetery at Elgin at approximately 10:51 a.m.
This will mark the first time that the Nebraska Air National Guard until has conducted a Memorial Day flyover since 2010. Last year’s planned flyover was canceled after the unit’s available aircraft were ordered overseas to support operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and other world-wide locations.
“We’ve very excited to have the opportunity to salute our state’s fallen veterans who have given so much in the service of their state and nation,” said Evans.
“We’re particularly proud to resume this annual tradition in 2012 after pausing last year due to our aircraft and personnel being deployed overseas.
“The unit in general and myself in particular were disappointed we had to sit last year out and are glad this year’s operations tempo allows us to resume flyovers.
