Foil: 9 Panel: 2 Column: 1 Line: 57

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Jeremy Dehaven

Our father, William E. DeHaven Jr. and the National Air and Space Museum have a long history together. Ever since my brothers and I were young our father has taken us on trips to see the new exhibits and marvel at the old exhibits. Our father has been flying planes since before we were born and his love for flying has spread throughout the DeHaven family.

Our father began to feel that since retirement was upon him that he should start something new. Why not do the one thing that he enjoys doing; working on airplanes, flying airplanes, and building airplanes? He began his journey at Frederick Community College (FCC), where he got his Airplane Mechanics License. It was weird I have to admit when I found out that my father was going back to college. Our father loved it and stuck through the two year program. Once he finished at FCC, my father decided to take his education one step further and enrolled in the Aviation Management program at the Community Colleges of Baltimore County (CCBC). Ever since completing the program our father has continued working with airplanes. At least once or twice a week our father is at Fawn Grove, PA helping restore a WWII Bamboo Bomber in order for it to fly and eventually be laced in a museum.

William E. DeHaven Jr. has sparked an aviation frenzy in the DeHaven family. His eldest son went through the same program at FCC and is currently working for NASA (I actually get to say that my brother is a rocket scientist!). One of out older sisters owns an airplane (which always seems to keep our busy and gives him an opportunity to fly). Our father has worked hard all of his life and at the young age of seventy he can enjoy what is true in his heart. His fascination with flying has taken him to the Oshkosh Air Show at least half a dozen times. He also witnessed the attempt to recreate the Wright Brothers' first flight. My brothers and I would like to honor our father with this donation to the National Air and Space Exploration Wall of Honor because he has expressed a deep passion and devout interest in aviation.