NO GUTS... NO GLORY

摘要

The Texas 'panhandle' - a reference to its shape -is a dusty stretch along America's 'Wild West' frontier where cattle used to roam, and cowboys and Indians once ferociously clashed. While these flat, barren plains still dominate the landscape today, it's hard to miss the large winged 'G' ('glider') towering above the entrance to the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock. Located about 330 miles (531km) northwest of state capital Austin, it is the world's sole attraction devoted to the American men who had no parachutes, engines or second chances. The museum itself is housed within one of the original terminal buildings of Lubbock International Airport. Formerly known as South Plains Army Airfield, this is one of the military glider programme's ancestral homes, with around 80% of its pilots training there between 1942-45. Inside the 40,000sq ft (3,716m~2) facility, visitors are welcomed to several halls showcasing more than 9,000 artefacts, including newsreels, equipment, documents, photographs and a fully restored Waco CG-4A glider. Additionally, a Douglas C-47 - the primary 'tug' used to tow the engineless aircraft - can be found outside near its Patriot Plaza, a memorial featuring engraved bricks bearing the names of those killed in action. The push for a museum of this nature began with the National World War Ⅱ Glider Pilots Association - a group of ex-flyers dedicated to preserving their legacy and the history of the force. In 1984, the first incarnation of the Silent Wings Museum opened to the public in Terrell, east of Dallas, before relocating to Lubbock in 2000. The building - which had served as a terminal between 1949-76 - was renovated over two years, with the attraction welcoming the public on October 20,2002.