Dear friends,
Attached is a pdf file version of an invitation to the 4th Annual
Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame induction dinner, which will be
held Saturday evening, November 18 at the Varnum Armory in East Greenwich, RI. If you are unable to open the attachment, the invitation is also available on our web site at this address:
http://www.saratogamuseum.org/misc/riahfdinner06.pdf
This event will honor the four Rhode Island women who served as WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during World War II. Phyllis Marsden Paradis, who was raised in Saylesville, is coming down from Maine to represent her fellow WASP.
Our principal speaker is retired Air Force Colonel and North
Providence native Joseph Zinno, flying veteran of three wars who
designed, built and flew America's first human-powered aircraft. He is flying in from Seattle to accept his induction in person.
Also elected to the Hall of Fame this year is Norman Prince, an early flier who was one of the founders of the famed Lafayette Escadrille, the American squadron that flew for France in World War I before the United States entered the war. Prince was killed returning from a mission in 1916. (In the movie "Flyboys", the character of Briggs Lowry [played by Tyler Labine] is a composite of Norman Prince and several other Escadrille pilots who came from privileged backgrounds.)
Zinno and Prince will be joined by three other inductees, including
an "Early Bird" and two aces from World War II. Announcement of the additional inductees will be made later this week.
We look forward to seeing you on November 18.
Frank Lennon
Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame
401-831-8696