Keeper of the Planes

Hunky Husband just sent me an email from our local newspaper, Derby Informer, that includes a link to an online article, Keeper of the Planes. The excerpt and photos, below, are from that article.

McConnell Air Force Base unveiled its own on-base replica of the iconic Keeper of the Plains statue at a ceremony on Friday morning. 

The Friends of McConnell donated the 10-foot-tall, fiber-glass Keeper replica to the base as part of a public art project called “Keepers on Parade,” which was founded by Together Wichita. 

The project allows local artists to design and paint miniature Keeper replicas and display them across the city. McConnell’s new replica is the 52nd of its kind in the Wichita area. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Officially called the "Freedom Keeper," the replica features a collage of various symbols that represent Kansas, Wichita, and the Air Force community at McConnell, including: a Wichita flag, two aircraft flying together, a field of sunflowers, and a tornado that features Dorothy’s house from "The Wizard of Oz." A message that says "REFUEL THE FIGHT!" lines the top of the figure. 

The original Keeper of the Plains is a 44-foot tall sculpture designed by Comanche and Kiowa artist Blackbear Bosin in 1974. It is located at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in downtown Wichita. 

From the McConnell AFB website is taken the following excerpt.

The 22d Air Refueling Wing (ARW) is the host unit of McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. The wing is part of 18th Air Force, a numbered Air Force within Air Mobility Command. The 22 ARW has been and continues to be involved in a number of operations providing air refueling, humanitarian airlift and aeromedical evacuation missions around the globe.

Keeper of the Plains - by Blackbear Bosin (1921-1980)

Comments

[bogie]

I love the original Keeper of the Plains. Thanks for explaining the words - the picture leaves off the crucial first letters, so I was confused :)

[Cop Car]

Bogie--Yes, I was confused is why I included the words. BTW: I really thought that I could have come up with a better Keeper of the Planes; but, I'm probably fooling myself. (At least your dad agreed with me!)