UPDATE: 8-25-2011, Members of the Vietnam War Flight Museum met with Steve Brown and the executive board of the WOH air show on Tuesday night. Both sides expressed their views, and the decision to omit the Vietnam potion of the act was an economic one, based on trying to get a greater attendance at the air show gate. I am convinced that no one in the CAF or WOH board intentionally set out to dishonor Vietnam Veterans. They felt that after 3 years, the Vietnam portion needed to be dropped and replaced with another act, They will look at it on a year to year basis to see when or if the act will return and assured us that no amount of outside pressure will change their decision on how to run the show; however, we have and will always remain supporters of the CAF, It's goals and it's mission. They were, attentive and responsive, and Mr. Brown dedicated a lot of time to meet with us. Even though we may disagree on the importance of such acts in a CAF show, as compared to a commercial air show; we do not disagree on the importance of museums such as the CAF and the Vietnam War flight museum!

The Wings Over Houston Airshow (WOH) is one of the top airshows in the United States and has attracted millions in attendance over the years. Airshows help to preserve our country’s history and every season, countless aircraft and attendees show up to these airshows to remind us of our past and our future. Every year, WOH Airshow hosts a segment called “Air Power: A Historical Timeline” where numerous privately sponsored vintage aircraft show up at Ellington Air Field from both locally and from groups from all over the country sharing their aircraft with us in hopes we never forget. The segment showcases ground and air reenactments of American Air Power on center stage with a historical timeline that starts with Pearl Harbor and takes the audience through to Midway, to Flying Tigers, to Tora, Tora, Tora and ends at the Vietnam War.
This year, it was recently learned that the WOH Airshow Committee decided to remove the Vietnam segment from the Air Power Historical Timeline in an effort to make room in the show’s schedule for a new acrobatic team. Needless to say, the choice to delete the Vietnam segment has taken quite a few people [actively involved in this airshow] aback and begs to questions the purpose and mission of the Wings Over Houston Airshow. The decision was clearly poorly thought out and plays as a direct insult to the Vietnam Veterans of America. It turns its back on the majority of veteran’s alive today and in the Houston community and fails to recognize a major historical part of our air power history. It is a well-known fact that the Vietnam air war played a major role in the history of military air warfare. The Vietnam War changed the way all future air wars would be fought in the Twentieth century and deleting it from the airshow is a major blunder.
We write this letter with one simple request. If you believe that the WOH turned its back on the Vietnam era and its Vets, please take a moment and let them know that you disagree. We may not be able to change this year’s schedule but we will be heard for future years of the WOH Airshow so this blatant disregard never happens again. If you agree with this petition, then let your voice be heard.
Vets Don’t Forget and Neither Should We.