5 March 2023
Wichita, Kan. (KSNW) — It’s been 100 years since Wichita airman, Erwin Bleckley was awarded the Aviation Medal of Honor.
The Bleckley Medal of Honor Centennial was held Saturday at the Kansas Aviation Museum.
Many were in attendance including Bleckley’s Great Nephew Michael Erwin.
Erwin spoke about the 1923 ceremony honoring Bleckley and how his legacy continues to live on.
“I grew up just quietly in our family remembering what he did, never expecting that it would ever be understood or recognized outside our family we never ever expected that. So it is thrilling to see that others have caught that passion and support what he did and want to share it because it is a story worth sharing that others should hear,” said the Great Nephew of Erwin Bleckley, Michael Erwin.
The Bleckley Foundation is working to restore the plane Bleckley once flew in, but the group is looking for a permanent home for the aircraft while it is temporarily being held at the Kansas Aviation Museum.