Today and tomorrow are special days. Veterans Day, on November 11th, is the federal holiday almost everybody knows about — the day we celebrate those who've sacrificed for our country by serving in the armed forces. Everyone who's served honorably deserves to be rewarded, and it's a pretty good time in history to be a military veteran. People, in general, seem to appreciate what only a relatively small group has done for this country.
On July 18, 2019, the C8 Corvette was first revealed to the world at a closed military air base in Tustin, CA — a place where I was stationed for over a year. It was formerly known as Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. That Corvette reveal took place in one of the huge blimp hangars that was constructed during WWII, measuring approximately 1,072 feet (327 m) long by 292 feet (89 m) wide by 192 feet (59 m) tall. That's 17 stories tall, a massive building and wide open inside! In fact, the two blimp hangars are among the largest free-standing wooden structures ever constructed.
Coincidentally, just three days ago, a fire was discovered burning that same blimp hangar!
Unfortunately, it couldn't be saved. A significant piece of history has been lost, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Sometimes I think about those long-ago days, working in a control tower building on the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Tustin (in a more modern tower than what's pictured above), and I remember old friends. One such friend was Billy R. I've looked for him periodically on Corvette forums for the past 3 years because he owned a Corvette, and I thought maybe I'd be able to find him there.
Billy was a cool guy, but with no cell phones or email back then, and everyone moving around so much, it was harder to keep in touch with people than it is now. It would be fun to talk with Billy again, so if anybody knows this guy, please tell him about AWDCorvette.com — my contact email is at the bottom of every page.
The air traffic control tower where we both worked was just behind Billy and his C3 Corvette in that photo, at the far end of the parking lot.
Happy Marine Corps Birthday, Billy!
That's the other special day I mentioned at the beginning of this article. November 10, 2023 is the 248th Marine Corps birthday, and while not as well-known as Veterans Day, it's a day I always celebrate. Semper Fi, Marines!
This Corvette (my 2021 Stingray) has been sold, but hit me up, and I'd be happy to give you a ride in my ERay. It would be fun to catch up. And have a great Veterans Day, everybody!
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