Michael Richard Sommer showed an interest in airplanes when he was two years old. We lived at the end of the runway of Lambert field in St. Louis. He could see the pilots and would wave to them. As he got older, he took up building model airplanes. He loved modeling and was very precise about markings, etc. He read everything written about airplanes, World War II (WWII) pilots, and aviation in general. He became an expert on the subjects. We took him to several air shows when the Thunderbirds were performing and also to the museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio. When he was about 9, we took him and his little sister to the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, VA. He developed another love, the Stearman.

When he was in high school, he joined the ground crew at the circus. The folks there became his second family. The pilots let him fly with them and he loved it. He was in the Cadet Corps at Virginia Tech for his freshman year of college. He then joined the US Marines. While at NAS Memphis, he flew his first solo flight. During his eight years as a reservist in the Marine Corps, he was an avionics technician. He stopped flying for a while, but never gave up on the idea of flying for the Marines. He continued his association with the Flying Circus, even when he lived in South Carolina. His sister also became involved at the Flying Circus and has her private pilot's license. Mike returned to Warrenton in 1997. He got his Airframe & Powerplant license and was continuing to prepare for his private pilot's test. One of the things he always wanted to do was restore aircraft at the National Air and Space Museum -- the Dulles facility or the Garber facility in Maryland.

As a person, Mike was unique. He was loving and kind. He was a good father to his son, Jonathan, a good son to me, a great brother, and a good friend to many. He was a devout Christian and his life displayed his faith in Jesus Christ. He was very well-read on a variety of subjects. He had a great sense of humor, was very good looking, played the piano and sang in different organized groups. He collected WWII military vehicles and restored them. He was graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina. He enjoyed doing many things, but for him, nothing compared to flying.

He was getting some last minute instruction from his flight instructor before taking his private pilot checkride. On June 23, 2000 he landed at the circus grass air strip where he had landed many times. But that afternoon he crashed on takeoff and died at the young age of 35. People have told me he died doing what he loved, but somehow that doesn't do anything for this mother's broken heart.

Mike's son Jonathan, who is now 14, his sister Beth, niece Victoria, and I visited the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on June 23, 2004. We felt so close to him as we toured the museum on that day of remembering him. He loved the Enola Gay and the stories that went with it. He would appreciate the Center and putting his name on the Wall of Honor is a fitting way to remember him.