An airman with ties to Warsaw has been named a Thunderbirds pilots and will begin flying with the famed aerobatic team in September. On May 25, 1953, the Air Force’s official air demonstration team was activated at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The unit adopted the name “Thunderbirds,” influenced in part by the strong Native American culture and folklore from the southwestern United States where the base is located. Known as “America’s ambassadors in blue” the Thunderbirds perform aerobatic demonstrations in numerous shows across the nation. Pictured above is Matthew (C) – only his first name was provided for security reasons – with two current Thunderbird pilots. Matthew is a member of the 335th Fighter Squadran. He is the grandson of Ray and Rosemary Piper, and the nephew of Randy Piper, all of Warsaw.[[In-content Ad]]
