By Gilbert Field / Veterans for Peace
Local veterans, friends and supporters from the San Diego Veterans For Peace are in their third year of a five year educational outreach encouraging the public to stay home and not attend the annual Miramar Air Show.
Veterans believe that the Miramar Air Show glorifies war with an exciting show of speed, power and noise. It celebrates the skills and machinery that exist to kill, maim and destroy. The show is very dangerous …. 10% of all Blue Angel pilots have been killed in shows or accidents. 
Miramar jets have already crashed in San Diego neighborhoods. Lastly, the show is a misleading recruiting tool for our youth and exists to allow defense contractors to showcase and sell their latest tools of death.
Veterans of San Diego Chapter #91 have provided speakers to numerous San Diego civic and educational organizations, and each summer “banner” weekly on the Carroll Canyon overpass over the I-15. They have also been featured on local TV and radio programs.
In 2016, a camera crew attended the Miramar Air Show and produced an excellent 19 minute documentary of what really goes on there. The documentary, entitled “Disneyland of War” is available on Youtube.
For more information, to request veteran speakers for your organization, or to obtain interviews with local veterans, please contact USAF Veteran Dave Patterson at 760-207-9139 or at dpatterson998@yahoo.com.
Gil Field is the Director for Communications for San Diego Veterans For Peace
www.SDVFP.org
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
“God grant me the courage to change those things I can change, the serenity to accept those things I cannot change, and the weaponry to make the difference.”
I’ve been to the air show a couple times and while I enjoyed the acrobatics, I was always a bit disturbed by the site of kids checking out the weapons and (some of them, not all) wanting to grow up to one day actually use them. In 20 years of active duty in the Navy and still working in civil service for the military, nearly all my veteran friends (those whoever went to the show) feel exactly the same way.
You guys will never get the opportunity to cancel the Airshow and you guys are honestly wasting your time and money. Money that could be going into helping local veterans. The airshow has been around since the 50s and a couple of people crying over it isn’t going to do much. I get what your fighting for but what about all the games like fortnite, Call of Duty, and GTA that all these kids are playing? Kids may think it’d cool to go and see these weapons but if they grow up and they disconnect from it then what is the issue? We all played cops and robbers and did we actually ever think oh I’ll be a real life robber when I grow up?The answer is no. Kids now a days are either into or they are not, and you can’t change that. Just because airshows aren’t your thing doesn’t mean that you have to ruin it for the rest of us. If you liked rodeos and I came around trying to cancel it because I thought it was cruel how would that make you feel? If you like the airshow you go and if you don’t then you don’t go. That simple so just leave it alone. And sure people have died in airshows but I can say that people have died at Disneyland, sport events, rodeos, fairs, and a whole lot more. So stop fronting about all those people dieing. It happens sadly but this is not a perfect world, and they made that choice to perform. They knew the consequences.
Hi Justin
Thanks you for bringing up another issue, where our tax dollars are going to the development of violent video games, used like the air show to indoctrinate kids into thinking war is fun.
The profits from the show are in part from our tax dollars as well. The military contractors purchase pavilions at the show using profits from government contracts, where their employees enjoy catered food and cool drinks while watching the military risk their lives to entertain them. Are there any Congressmen in those tents having fun as well? Ten percent of Blue Angels pilots have died in accidents at air shows and in practice for air shows. Do you think it’s right that they died entertaining people? Can you say it’s OK to their families?
While you may like the thrill of the jets flying overhead, perhaps you should remember that it’s our tax dollars ultimately that pay for the show. And anyway, wasn’t last year’s $900+ billion military budget enough to pay the Marines sufficiently well so they don’t need family services? The military Contractors get the money instead of our needy enlisted families.
We think that exposing the public to how our children are being manipulated for early recruiting will be enough to stop the show in the end, because enough of the public will eventually walk away in disgust. Watch the video and maybe you will also! Learnfromvets.com
Ah yes that early recruitment and indoctrination from GTA V and Call of Duty,,,,
Do you hear yourself? Right up there with Trump blaming video games
And you guys do know that if you get the airshow canceled that the only ones that your are hurting are the base family’s right? That million dollar profit that the show makes is given to various organizations and departments on base for child care services, family services, and various others important installation need a for those on base.
Justin, the first people to protest the Vietnam war were called crazies.
How much money do you think the Vets for Peace are spending? Geez. Nothing compared to what’s being spent with our tax dollars to glorify war in these wasteful air shows.
It would be different if it was like the rodeo you use as an example, you know, a private affair. It’s our government, stupid!
Oh no, I spread the word of the Miramar Air Show as far as I can and thousands of people love it. Its something I’ll be taking my kids too as well. And once again, for the last time, the airshow makes a profit for base family’s. This means that the airshow makes back money. More money then they had invested in the first place. Plus the people who do sadly die is devastating but they choose to take that risk. They understand it can happen and they take that risk. They are not forced into the rolls. I don’t know why I am even arguing with you guys, you’ll never get it to happen. And in 10 years ill have to tell my kids while watching a MAGTF Demo that some crazy people thought that they could get rid of this, then laugh.
Justin:
We have no idea what the Miramar Air Show costs us as tax payers to raise the cited $1 million for charity for the military families. $10 million ? $20 Million ? $50 million ? More ?
Do you really want to take your kids to a show that sensationalizes machines of death ? Put them on tanks and aim at passersby ?
Do you love those defense contractors tents ?
Is it great that our service members risk their lives for the defense contractors ?
Why not call the while thing off and take all the costs involved and give that to the military families ?
This show is sick and needs to be stopped or changed a great deal.
Awakened Veteran
I came to MY awakening the year they decided that the flying and static displays were not violent enough to appeal to the masses and started the simulated bombing runs with real explosions. While I think it is important for the public to see what their defense looks like up close, the “bombs=cool” attitude is a dangerous one.
The Ramona Air Show is the first Saturday in October. Much nicer venue, smaller crowds, no military baseline. . . the focus is on the aircraft:
https://www.facebook.com/RamonaAirFair/
(I’m a 10-year Navy Vet, so I have witnessed ENOUGH explosions to last me the rest of my life)
Hi Peter
I too think the Ramona air show is terrific, about flying machines not death and destruction. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Dave Patterson