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The 94th Fighter Squadron celebrates its 94th anniversary by burning a piano in a traditional ceremony Aug. 19, 2011, at Langley Air Force Base, Va. The ceremony was adopted from the Royal Air Force to celebrate the lives of fallen pilots who played piano during World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Racheal Watson)
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Spads celebrate 94 years of air dominance
Posted 8/26/2011
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by Airman 1st Class Racheal Watson
633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
8/26/2011 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFNS) -- Airmen from the 94th Fighter Squadron burned a piano in a traditional ceremony here Aug. 19, as part of the four-day 94th anniversary celebration that started Aug. 18.
Although there are several stories of why the piano was burned, Capt. Jonathan Smith, the 94th FS assistant director of operations, explained the tradition came from the Royal Air Force during World War II in the Battle of Britain.
"Every squadron had a piano player, and if the piano player was killed in action, that evening they would roll the piano outside to the back of the mess and burn (it) in celebration of (the deceased pilot's) life," Smith said.
The 94th FS members torched the piano on the flightline under the watchful eyes of the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron's Fire Department. All Spads, former and current, were invited to attend the event.
Spad refers to the French biplane fighter aircraft used in World War I by the 94th FS. First Lt. Edward Rickenbacker, named America's "Ace of Aces" during the war, was credited with 26 of the squadron's 70 kills during World War I, flying the fighter
"We found (the names of) most of the former Spads from a hardwood bar top in the heritage room that all Spads signed their name to when they left the squadron," said Capt. Matthew Tromans, 94th FS C-flight commander. He said this gave them names all the way back to the 1950s.
According to Tromans, the 94th FS is one of the most historic squadrons with some of the richest history in the Air Force. They are flying one of the newest aircraft in the Air Force's arsenal, the F-22A Raptor. The 94th FS, the country's second oldest fighter squadron, has been associated with air dominance since 1917. |
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