Visitors from far and near will travel to Limestone Friday through Saturday, Aug. 2, 3 and 4, to celebrate the history of Loring Air Force Base and the 30th year of its closure.
Sponsored by the Loring Air Museum, located in the former bank on the base at 131 Cupp Rd., Loring Open House 2024 will focus on the men and women who served at the Strategic Air Command Base from 1953 to 1992, as well as Air Combat Command from 1992 to 1994, during the Cold War era and after.
Special events for the public as well as special events for former Loring military and civilian personnel will be held.
“I’m very excited to welcome back not only the Loring veterans who lived and worked here, but the aircraft who few from this great base,” said Polly Chike, museum president.
Events will start at 8 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, with the opening of the flightline and a meet and greet at the Air Museum, which houses a large collection of historic Loring AFB memorabilia — uniforms, scrapbooks, photographs, signs, yearbooks, and scale model aircraft.
The museum store will be open for sale of items with cash only.
An 11 a.m. ceremony will honor the base’s namesake, Major Charles Loring, and the South Korean Medal of Honor given.
Also on Friday, Peter Noddin will be on site doing a presentation of the deadliest year at Loring — 1958 — at the museum’s garage area. Other activities are passports for kids, a scavenger hunt all weekend and tours by bus.
The 69th Bomb Squadron from Minot AFB, where the 69th moved following the closure of Loring will return, with a static display of a B52 bomber for the weekend. A KC-135 tanker will be on site for the weekend, too.
A concert is planned from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday on the flightline, with the planes as a backdrop. All are welcome to bring a chair and enjoy some music and a beer garden. Living on a Bad Name, a Bon Jovi Tribute band from Boston, amd the band I Love My MTV will perform.
The cost is $20 for those 16 and over, $10 for youth ages 5 to 16, and kids under 5 will be admitted free.
Saturday’s events include opening of the weapons storage area, the aircraft display and food vendors. Crafters and various Maine authors will be on site.
Visitors may view the flight line, the hangars and the famous Arch Hangar, and the former dog cemetery. The Maine Forest Service and military recruiters will be present.
Evening activities include a dinner with recognition of veterans at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. The cost is $45 per person and those attending must preregister.
On Sunday, the Loring Air Museum will open at 9 a.m. The day’s events will include a bus tour for $10 per person, and a car caravan to the former nuclear weapons storage area including multiple stops with author JC Garbinski, starting from the museum at 9 a.m.
The museum will have a closing ceremony at 12:30 p.m., which will conclude with taps played by local Eagle Scout Lars Spooner. The open house will close at 1 p.m.
For more information visit www.loringairmuseum.com, or the Loring Air Museum on Facebook, or contact Cuppy Johndro, 207-551-3439 or Matt Cole at 227-1241.
