ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
"Wow!" was the only word that little Gian André Valentin-Fontanez,' 4, could utter as the U.S. Thunderbirds went roaring overhead at the 2009 Joint Service Open House. The son of Tech. Sgt. Ricardo Valentin and Alma Fontanez-Serrano dreams of being a pilot one day - a dream that sent the Valentin family to this weekend's JSOH several times.
"We go every day and every year," said Ms. Fontanez-Serrano. "He loves to see the helicopters and the planes fly overhead. It's like Disneyland for him. He was in absolute awe."
The Fontanezes were three of more than 186,000 visitors from around the world, including the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Japan, China, Australia, Korea and the United Kingdom.
At the JSOH opening ceremony, Col. Steven M. Shepro, 316th Wing commander, welcomed the thousands of visitors.
Colonel Shepro's morning remarks drew the biggest applause from the crowd when he joked, "The weather shop tells me that the weather will indeed improve, but of course, they said that I needed to talk to the base chaplains, as the weather shop takes care of marketing, while the chaplains take care of production."
Whether it was the base weather shop's marketing or the chaplain's production, the clouds did indeed lift over the airfield in time for the air show, as perfectly orchestrated and timely as the Thunderbirds themselves.
Colonel Shepro thanked the JSOH crowd in attendance for their support. "We are especially honored to have you all, the greater community of the Washington D.C. area and beyond, here as our guests today."
In his remarks, Colonel Shepro noted that Andrews is now a joint base.
"We span all the services and we are a total force team with Active, Reserve, and Guard components," he said. We are 'all in' the fight down range and our critical mission here, supporting and defending the National Capital Region. Over 1,500 Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardmen and civilians are behind the scenes of this JSOH's success. They have looked forward to showing you our best and to thanking you for your continual support for our servicemembers."
Colonel Shepro also underlined this JSOH's commemoration of the 65th anniversary of D-Day and of its numerous veterans who were in attendance. "These are heroes of the greatest generation who made a day like today possible." He introduced Mike Ingrisano, a part of the 316 WG's D-Day heritage, as one of, "the faces of courage behind the now legendary triumphs, like Operations OVERLORD and MARKET GARDEN."
The Open House provided hundreds of thousands the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the country's military might.
"JSOH is a snapshot into what America's sons and daughters are doing in the armed forces," said Chief Master Sgt. James Davis, 316 WG command chief.