Speyer Technikmuseum

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Speyer Technikmuseum

The week between Christmas and New Years turned out to be a busy one for us. We went to Switzerland and then we one of my sorority sisters and her husband visit us for a couple of days. They were on a European vacation that started in Turin, Italy and ended in Amsterdam. Quite a trip for only a week! We wanted to show them a little bit of Germany, and we were lucky to find the Christmas market in Speyer was still open. Coming home, they noticed the giant Lufthansa 747 at the Speyer Technikmuseum, and said they had to go (it's good to be friends with like minded people!). Despite living so close, Aaron and I had never been, so plans were made to visit the next day.

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How I Plan Our European Adventures

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How I Plan Our European Adventures

Since moving to Germany, it has become my responsibility to book and arrange pretty much all of our travel. Ok, even in Michigan it was my responsibility, but we travel a lot more over here, so I've gotten a LOT more practice recently. Sometimes, one of the hardest parts of planning a trip is deciding where to go! Thankfully, whenever I am having ''trip block'' (kind of like writers block, #firstworldproblems), I take a look at our never ending Bucket List and pick something from there or browse Pinterest for some inspiration.

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Yankee Air Museum Heritage Night

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Jacket worn by some of the Bomber plant employees

Jacket worn by some of the Bomber plant employees

Close to our home, there is a small airport with mostly corporate jets and specialty charters that flying in and out.  However, the airport has a long history and the area surrounding it played a critical role during World War II.

Rosie the Riveter hard at work

Rosie the Riveter hard at work

Willow Run Plant was built by Ford Motor Company from 1941 - 1942 and, during the war years, focused solely on building the B-24 bomber.  Over 8,600 bombers were built and peak production saw one bomber being built every hour - something many thought was impossible. 

It was during this time that the famous "Rosie the Riveter" was born.  As men were being called upon to enter the armed services, a dearth of employees needed to perform manufacturing jobs was created.  It was at this time that women and minorities stepped to fill that need.

While Aaron and I have never been to the museum before, we were really there to attend a presentation from pilot who flew the A-10 warthog during Desert Storm.  It was so interesting to hear about the conflict from a person who flew during that time.  

The A-10 was manufactured by Fairchild-Republic in the Early 70's and was just recently announced that it will be phased out from active duty in the near future.  Lt. Col. Joe Rutkowski gave a great presentation telling stories, and sharing memories from his deployment in Iraq, and many other bits of information that only a veteran can share.  Much more information about the A-10 see the Wikipedia article here.

If you're ever in the area, and have a penchant for World War II or aviation history, stop by the Yankee Air Museum.  And, if you're there in August, you may even catch the "Thunder Over Michigan" Air Show!

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Aaron Oaks