Posted on 09/09/2002 9:02:09 PM PDT by abner
9/11? We are going flying.
The US Flag Balloon will be flying on September 11th 2002. We will be flying from Kerr Park in Downingtown, Pa in the early evening weather permitting. I invite all Chester County, Pa FReepers to come out and join us. Any other FReepers are also welcome to join in.
We had wanted to be at one of the sites that the terrorists hit, but I think that what we have decided to do is probably for the best.
We have had one year to mourn the dead. We are flying the US Flag Balloon on 9/11 in defiance of the terrorists.
I still choke up when I see footage from the attacks. I probably always will. I read stories about the event, or from survivors. I've collected every photo I could off of the net, so I can have my own archive of that horrific day before political correctness erases it completely.
We will be flying the flag on September 11th for many reasons. Only one of those reasons is to memorialize. We will be flying on 9/11 to show the terrorists that they have not won anything. We will be flying to let them know that we Americans are about to kick some Islamist rear. We will be flying the flag to show the world that they attacked the wrong country and that there are consequences.
In our travels this summer with the balloon, I got to see the opinion of real Americans. If you listen to the media, you would think that we have grown tired of the war on terror, and of the flag. That the surge in patriotism is dead, and that we have all gone back to sleep.
The media is wrong.
Every place that we had the flag, crowds gathered. When we were in NJ, there were 80 balloons. Most of the crowd was in front of our balloon. The cheers when we took off were indescribable. So many people came to me afterwards to tell me that they were crying and cheering at the same time. People go out of their way to talk to us about the balloon, our matching vehicles and they thank us for just doing this project. Then,(insert evil laugh here) we hand them a Constitution and tell them that because of the document in their hand, we are able to do this project... and it is the reason that they can do what they do.
So, guess what. We flew it tonight...
Pics in minutes...
I had to get out of my car and run about 2 blocks so I could get past the traffic.
People aren't tired or mourning- they are ticked! I talked to a bunch of people in their cars. They all thanked me for the balloon.
It was quite an evening with a perfect sunset... 
Getting ready for take off.
In 11 years of ballooning, I have never had so many people stop what they were doing and follow a balloon
One turn and off of the highway and we were stuck! This is a road leading into an industrial park.
Where we finally landed in the industrial park. Where did all of these people come from? There are no houses in the area, and all of the businesses are closed...
The sunset was too much.
It looks like they were flagged to the general area...
Barry says, "Wakka, wakka!"
Hay I have a guy named Barry buying one of my businesses, and I keep calling him Larry and Jerry...and sometimes Barry...just can't keep those names strate.
:>)
We are working on it...
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