Palm Springs Air Museum Hosts Annual Memorial Day Flower Drop

PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – Thousands of red and white carnations will drop from a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter on Memorial Day to memorialize fallen veterans. The Palm Springs Air Museum’s Annual Memorial Day Flower Drop and Air Fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, May 30. The flower drop ceremony, followed by a missing man formation aerial salute, will officially begin at 1 p.m. to honor those who fought and died defending the United States. Those who fought in WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam will be honored by the white carnations, and the red carnations will honor those who died in recent conflicts including the Persian Gulf, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan, according to event organizers. A dozen roses also will be dropped in honor of local Gold Star Families, including the family of Indio Marine Hunter Lopez, who died during a bombing on August 2021 at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Lopez was one of 13 American service members who were killed that day. He was commemorated on September 18 with a public memorial service in Palm Springs before being laid to rest at the Riverside National Cemetery. Besides the flower drop, the fair will include music from the Heatwave Jazz Band, food from various vendors, flight exhibitions, children’s activities and warbird rides. General admission to the daylong event starts at $18. Children ages 12 and under enter free with the purchase of an adult admission. Tickets for warbird rides start at $125 — passengers may pick between seven different warbirds for a 30 minute flight. Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc. CNS-05-23-2022 12:38