Virginia Beach is as well known for its Navy jets that fly overhead as it is for the sand and surf.
The rhythmic rumble of waves, the high-pitched squawk of gulls – these are the sounds most associated with the beach, but in this area, they can be silenced with a single roar. That’s because Virginia Beach is as well known for its Navy jets that fly overhead as it is for the sand and surf. It’s a common sight to see one or more jets streaking across the sky, to hear the rumble of their wake, their streams of white exhaust cutting through the clouds.
It is the “Sound of Freedom,” and it’s as common as the tides in Virginia Beach. Home to Naval Air Station Oceana, a master jet fighter base, the beach is a training ground for F/A-18 C/D Hornets and
F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets. These high-performance aircraft are involved in more than 200,000 training operations each year.
Add that to the spectacular air shows hosted here, and it’s no wonder the beach saw fit to honor its aviation heritage with a monument befitting its bold and patriotic presence. Located at 25th Street and Atlantic Avenue, the Naval Aviation Monument is a tribute to this area’s rich Naval aviation history.
Several statues grace the grounds of Monument Park, their likenesses depicting different eras in Naval aviation. There is the single figure of Eugene Ely, a civilian pilot who became the first man to fly a plane off the deck of a ship, an event that occurred in the waters of Hampton Roads in 1910. In another scene, crewmembers scramble from a flight deck hatch, a tribute to World War II aviation. A reflection of modern times is depicted by a male pilot, female pilot and enlisted maintenance chief centered around an unloaded bomb skid, their NAS Oceana flight gear captured brilliantly beside the water. And finally, the scene of a family greeting their pilot–husband and father–reflects the joy and celebration of a Navy homecoming.
The figures are the work of sculptor Michael Maiden of Sandy, Oregon. It also took a team of engineers, contractors, architects and numerous benefactors to bring this monument to life. The project is the result of a partnership between the Hampton Roads Squadron of the Association of Naval Aviation and the city itself.
Future plans include a scale model of an aircraft carrier. For now, however, the monument and its surrounding park are ready to welcome visitors, to share with them a proud heritage and a long relationship with a beach where the jets still roar and pilots still fly, and where the “Sound of Freedom” still rings true overhead.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please send checks to Naval Aviation Monument Fund, POB 3751, Virginia Beach, VA 23454. Please join this effort as we celebrate the “Sound of Freedom.” |
