Golden Knights, Tora, Tora, Tora to headline Open House and Air Show

  • Published
  • By John Haire
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  "Flight Test Nation", the new moniker attached to Edwards Air Force Base Open house will be "chock a block" full of performers for a day's worth of free, thrilling, family entertainment. 

Headlining the day's events are two performances worthy of special notice. Those performers are the world famous Army Golden Knights and the one of a kind reenactment of Japan's infamous attack on Pearl Harbor "Tora, Tora Tora". 

Celebrating its 50th year of service to the United States is the Army' Golden Knights. The team is one of three DoD authorized aerial demonstration teams along with the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. Given the mission to conduct aerial demonstrations and connect America with America's Army, the Team annually reaches a third of our nation. The team manifests the "Band of Excellence" that is displayed by all U.S. Army Soldiers worldwide. Throughout their history, the Knights have performed at more than 15,000 shows in all 50 states and 48 countries. 

In competitions, the team has won 450 national championships, 91 world championships, 20 national and ten world team titles. Over the past 50 years, the United States Army Parachute Team has broken 345 World Records, to include military records held in the Counseil International du Sports Militaire. 

In the last three years alone, the Golden Knights earned 17 gold medals, 80 silver medals and 61 bronze medals. These achievements have won the Knights acclaim as the most successful parachute team in the world. 

Wrapping up the day's flying will be what many have come to call a traveling 3-D museum, "Tora, Tora, Tora" . Tora recreates the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor that catapulted the United States into WW II signaling the ultimate defeat in shame of Japan and her axis allies. Simply, Tora is designed to be a living memorial to the soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who bravely served the nation not only in WW II but in all of its wars. The organization proudly adopts the motto: "Lest we forget." 

Tora traces its beginnings to 1972 when six replica Japanese aircraft were donated to the Commemorative Air Force by 20th Century Fox, the studio that produced the movie by the same name. (Tora, Tora, Tora is Japanese for Tiger, Tiger, Tiger) 

The organizations debut performance was at the Galveston, Tex Air Show on June 25, 1972. Since then, the team has gained an international following performing steadily for the past 37 years. On the average, Tora will perform at 12 to 15 of the nation's finest air shows. Tora has won acclaim by the International Conference of Air Shows as one of the best air show acts in the industry. 

The praise that had been won by Tora is even more meaningful as everyone in the organization from pilot to ground crew is an unpaid volunteer. 

Tora, Tora, Tora has been described as being synonymous with Dedication, Selflessness and Commitment, the very core values that today sustain our fighting men and women around the globe. 

Further information about the Golden Knights can be found on the web at http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/GoldenKnights/.  More information about Tora, Tora, Tora is at http://www.toratoratora.com/home.html.