Full statement on aviation tragedy in Fredericksburg

Nov 19, 2018

Ward had employed one of the few functioning but legendary WWII-era aircraft – which he dubbed “Pecos Bill” – to provide veterans and Purple Heart recipients with the thrilling experience of flying in the old warbird.

A number of Undergraduate Fellows and staff from the Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas were visiting the Living History exhibition – the Pacific Combat Zone – at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg on Saturday. The show they witnessed was extraordinary, not least with the addition of the P-51 fly-bys, because it made the experience of war more imaginable for these young students studying national security. The Combat Zone also carries special significance because the Clements family played such an important role in the establishment of the Living History Amphitheater.

We reserve special prayers and thoughts for these two people, who gave so much to their country and the people who serve it, and for those they left behind. We hope to honor them by living the example they set of service to country and their fellow man.