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Sawyer air museum a viable link to past

Many longtime residents of the area can remember the significant presence K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base had on the region.

From the mid-1950s to mid-1990s, the base was a bustling community with neighborhoods full of families, businesses to serve those residents and recreational facilities for their leisure time.

Perhaps the most noticeable feature of Sawyer, thought, was the fleet of aircraft that was housed there and flew over much of the Upper Peninsula and beyond during practice runs.

The base, its aircraft and personnel played an important role during the Cold War, being one of several bases spread across northern U.S. as protection against an attack from the Soviet Union.

The base also played an vital role during the Vietnam War, sending bombing and fighter jet units to southeast Asia and providing refueling to large aircraft heading to and returning from the war effort.

As we know, though, those duties waned and Sawyer was among several Air Force bases closed in the mid-1990s, with the residents and equipment housed there moved on to other locations.

However, there is a small group of former Air Force personnel and others from the area who are working hard to keep the memories of the air base alive.

This group operates the K.I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum in the former Silver Wings Recreation Center on Third Street at K.I. Sawyer.

The museum was founded by members of local Air Force Association Lake Superior Chapter 238 in 1993 when it was learned Sawyer Air Force Base was going to be shut down.

There are many displays related to Sawyer in the museum, including plaques and trophies, old photographs and newspaper clippings, model airplanes and an F-106 ejection seat, among other items.

In addition, there is a wonderful static display of some of the types of planes that called Sawyer home. Among them are a huge B-52 bomber, F-101 Voodoo Intercepter, FB111A “Aardvark” fighter-bomber, a T-33A “Shooting Star” combat jet and a F-106A “Delta Dart” intercepter.

The small group of people keeping the museum going should be congratulated on a job well done.

However, it costs a lot of money to operate the facility, which is in a rented building. As always, the museum can use some financial assistance to keep the wonderful facility going.

For more information on the museum or how you can help out, visit its website at www.kishamuseum.org.

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