Honoring Greatness At The Spirit Of ’45 Awards

Chuck Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier, was honored with the 2012 Individual Lifetime Achievement Award during the Spirit of ’45 Awards and Celebration Dinner at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Yeager received the award for service to his country both during and after World War II. The event brought together many other aviation heroes and veterans including Robert Cardenas, command pilot of the aircraft that launched Yeager on his historic flight, and Bob Hoover, the chase pilot. The Spirit of ’45 is a nonprofit initiative promoting public awareness about National Spirit of ’45 Day, observed on the second Sunday of August each year, to coincide with the anniversary of the end of World War II. Its goal is to pay tribute to the courage, self-sacrifice, and commitment to service that characterized those who are part of what has been called “The Greatest Generation.”      ANDREA NAVERSEN