In case you haven't heard - there are pics posted of the inside of the hanger at
www.LSFM.org website. Also the Train musuem web site as previously posted by another WIX 'r has some shots of the area around the hanger.
After spending many years and thousands of hours of my life down there it is really heartbreaking to see all of this. It looks bad but, based on flood recoverys I have been invloved with in the past I don't think it is a total loss and can be put back toghether. It won't be easy and won't be possible without help from all of you. The hanger walls obviously have to be replaced in several areas, which won't be cheap, but luckilly the techniques are not that hard for this type of construction. The worst of it will be getting the mud out and washing down the place, which is compounded by the lack of fresh water.
While the airplanes are the most obvious asset of the museum there was whole collection of priceless artifacts and memorbilia in the Hall of Fame that is simply gone. I am also concered about the priceless manuals and literature that were in the shop office , have not heard if they were moved out in time and may or may not have survived (any info from anyone out there) Even the gift shop, whihc several feet above the hanger floor level, had a large investment in inventory, was destroyed and that inventory is gone as well- total financial loss.
I have mentioned this on two other threads already but I think it is worth repeating (and groveling over) -- the best thing that we can do right now is help out financially in any way possible. Keep in mind that most of the folks in the immediate era that are the core of the vonunteers donate regularly are now faced with there own expesnes and hurdles for getting there live back together, so they are going to be hard pressed for a while to help out.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help out anyway you can. - I am especially asking those that may been able to experience the thrill of seeing the aircraft come to your local airshow, or perhaps you were able to spend some time talking airplane with one of the crews, and of course there is the work of folks like Elroy and Canso to keep the memory of our quickly fading greatest gerneartaion alive. I have consistently heard it mentioned on this board that whenever visiting the museum WIX member have been shown great hospitality and thoroughly enjoyed themsed. Please help us keep that up. If for nothing else the musuem must survive for the memory of the veterans from all generations that it is meant to honor.
I belive Larry Gregory is working on setting up something on the web page and he is trying to get the Post Office situation worked out so please stay tuned.
THanks
Steve S