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the people, places and traditions that make the ozarks home Photos by Ruth Hunter
A Little-Known Treasure By Ruth Hunter
The Air and Military Museum in Springfield, Mo., is a treasure trove of U.S. Military history and more
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A little-known museum in Springfield, Mo., is the Air and Military Museum. Even longtime and lifetime residents of the area are unaware of the Kearney Street spot, which is a travesty, because it’s filled military history and the history of the United States. The museum has been in existence since 1989, when several retired service members got together to get it started. What a visitor might not expect to find is the abundance of information and innovation of the museum’s most valuable assets, the volunteer staff. Retired Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Ron Cutter, a 30-year veteran and “T.J.” Thomas Johnson, also a vet, make the experience richer.
Ron, who was an engineer at a local television station, became enamored with the Cobra helicopter, which he saw loaded on a trailer on display at a fair. He talked with the veterans who were displaying it, was invited to join the museum and has been an installation at the museum since that day. The men are a wealth of information about everything ranging from teletype machines to how the weapons on the Cobra were synced in order to prevent overheating. “Kids these days need to know more about our country,” Ron said. “They don’t even know the name of our flag. They might say Old Glory, but that’s not its name. Its name is the Flag of
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the United States of America. They don’t teach that in school anymore.” Ron has restored many of the displays personally. The Cobra helicopter in the museum was just a shell initially and was originally destined to be used as target practice. The museum rescued it with empty holes where gauges belonged and empty missile mounts. Ron hunted down what was needed and restored the cockpit to its original glory, complete with lights and gauges that work. He manufactured fake missiles that look like the real thing. On this day, a Vietnam vet from Louisiana gleefully hopped in the cockpit of the Cobra to get a feel for one of the AUGUST 2, 2021
