Litchfield Park celebrated the U.S. Air Force through a flag raising ceremony at City Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 18. (Mary Goldmeer \ Independent Newsmedia) Litchfield Park celebrated the U.S. Air …
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Litchfield Park celebrated the United States Air Force’s 77-year-anniversary Sept. 18 through a flag raising ceremony at City Hall.
Mayor Thomas Schoaf introduced service members of Luke Air Force Base and their honor guard, which presented the colors and raised the flag.
Luke Air Force Base has played a significant role in shaping the West Valley region. Established in 1941, the base transitioned from a World War II training facility to a leading center for training F-16 and F-35 pilots. This evolution has brought economic benefits to the West Valley, creating thousands of jobs and attracting a range of businesses to support the military community.
The presence of Luke Air Force Base has led to infrastructure improvements, enhancing roads and utilities that serve both military personnel and residents in neighboring communities like Glendale and Litchfield Park.
Master Sargent Adrian Loera was one of the many volunteers from Luke Air Force Base to gather on the lawn to honor the history and community involvement of the U.S. Air Force.
“Ultimately, the whole base came out. We have members from maintenance, to medical, to fire squad who all volunteered for this,” Loera said. “We love building these relationships.”
Lorea has spent just over two years at Luke Air Force Base and said he was excited to see the community and Litchfield Elementary School’s preschool class brought out to celebrate.
“It’s so important that they start early and get to see people in uniform and get to know that being patriotic is fun and cool,” Lorea said.
As the Air Force commemorated its anniversary, Schoaf honored the local Luke Air Force Base and the institution as a whole, as a testament to the partnership between military installations and local communities, highlighting its role in national defense and regional development.
Mayor Thomas Schoaf, joined by students and representatives from the South West Valley Chamber of Commerce, Avondale Police Department and Goodyear Police and Fire Departments, wished the Air Force a happy birthday and shared treats with the service members to celebrate.rthday and shared treats with the service members to celebrate.
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