Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to Unveil Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport WWII Memorial

BROOKSVILLE, FL — The public is invited to attend the official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport WWII Memorial on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The event will take place at the memorial site located at the intersection of Sam Pearson Way and Aviation Loop Drive. Designated parking will be available.

This ceremony marks the completion of a new historical landmark honoring the brave WWII airmen who trained and sacrificed at the airport, originally established as a World War II bomber training base.

The initiative was spearheaded by local pilot and historian Don Etchison, who was inspired to transform the original WWII-era concrete gunnery backstop into a lasting tribute. Pilots once calibrated their weapons by firing from parked aircraft into this structure and the sand within. Site features include a B-17 bomber propeller monument inscribed with the names of 33 airmen killed, a restored inert bomb, historic aircraft imagery, a display of recovered artifacts, and a Historical Marker sign.

 

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will include remarks from special guests and local leaders, a moment of remembrance, and the official unveiling of the memorial elements.

This grassroots effort was made possible through the generous contributions of donors, sponsors, and volunteers who provided funding, materials, and professional services to bring this vision to life.

 

For more information, please contact Kim Poppke, kpoppke@hernandocounty.us or 352-540-6434.