JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
For several months, members of Joint Base Langley-Eustis have been building a 40-foot float to help commemorate 100 Years of Langley for the Hampton, Virginia 2016 Holly Days Parade, Operation North Pole.
According to the Hampton VA website, the parade will begin at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 10 at the Carousel Park in Downtown Hampton, where the “North Pole” will be located. There will be carousel rides and photo opportunities with Santa Claus.
Members of JBLE volunteered to create the celebratory float, which must include a minimum of 2,500 lights, according to U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Tuan Bui, 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron float building participant.
“We were tasked to represent the 100 Years of Langley, through a float,” said Bui. “We decided to highlight the aircraft that have come through Langley in the last 100 years.”
During the construction of the float, volunteers spent evenings, weekends and free time to ensure the float would be exceptionally perfect.
“We even had base leadership out here to help us build it,” said Bui. “Everything on the float has been hand-made by the different volunteers.”
Base leadership will also ride in a sleigh, which is incorporated into the float, as Col. Caroline Miller, 633rd Air Base Wing commander represents as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
“As the float passes, you will see five generations of Langley aircraft spanning from 1916 to present, including the Dirigible, the JN-4 Curtiss Jenny, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, the C-130 Hercules, the F-86 Saber, the F-15 Strike Eagle, the F-35 lightning II and pulling the sleigh the unparalleled F-22 Raptor,” said Master Sgt. Bryan Beers, 633rd Force Support Squadron float construction volunteer.
“This is a great opportunity for JBLE to showcase its capabilities, how involved we are with the community and how much we appreciate their support and I encourage everyone to come out and support 100 Years of Langley.”
For more information on the parade, visit the Hampton VA website at, http://hampton.gov/2010/Holly-Days.