New book bridges gap between museum planes and historical events
DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — Residents packed into an art gallery for a book signing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Air Force Museum Saturday.
To commemorate the recent anniversary of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in 2023, local authors and photographers came together for the second edition of "American Eagles," a book that details the history of the museum through stories and pictures.
Co-authors Dan Patterson, Ty Greenlees and Clinton Terry visited Sugarcreek Photography Gallery in Bellbrook to hold a book signing and talk about the book that's not just close to their hearts but also deeply tied to the history of Dayton.
"Oftentimes, our local public doesn't know much about the museum, and, you know, this is of our ways for local folks who are trying to understand our artifacts here on display," said Ty Greenlees, co-author and photographer.
It took the authors two years to put the book together. "American Eagles" features a mix of photography of planes inside the museum and fascinating stories.
Greenlees and Patterson, who are both aviation enthusiasts, took the photographs for the book. They say it was a magical experience to bring the Air Force Museum's rich history to life.
"We had access to the museum's hydraulic lifts, so we could get way up above the airplanes and did that to give the reader of the book a perspective they don't often see," said Dan Patterson, co-author and photographer.
"We came up with what we called a mountain of light, which really helped us to feature all of the curves and the shapes and all the materials used to build those aircrafts," said Greenlees.
Historian Clinton Terry helped to write the book. He says it's all about helping readers connect with museum artifacts and planes on a deeper level.
"What happened in World War II, what happened in Korea, in Vietnam. They are so much more than just photographs, knowing that there's real life experiences that is there with all of it," said Clinton Terry, co-author and historian.
For someone like Jeff Smith, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 24 years, hosting the book signing was personal.
"Being from Dayton is a pretty special place to call home," said Jeff Smith, co-owner of Sugarcreek Photo Gallery. "Celebrating aviation photography in the Air Force Museum, which is really what got me into the Air Force is really neat, and celebrating that as well."
