Columbus community celebrates Independence Day with Fireworks on the Water

Airman 1st Class Kaleb Grant, 14th Force Support Squadron, and his wife, Amber Grant, enjoy the music and their view at the Fireworks on the Water event July 4. Attendees got a chance to watch the performance of Johnny Coleman and Swing Shift, a local Mississippi band. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Day)

Fireworks light up the Columbus sky

Published July 6, 2015
By Airman 1st Class Daniel Lile
14 FTW/PA

COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Flashes of red, blue and green exploded across the sky at the Fireworks on the Water celebration held July 4 at the Stennis Lock and Dam in Columbus.

Over 7,000 people enjoyed food vendors, live music, a fly-over and a fireworks display.

"The whole event was fantastic," said Airman 1st Class Kaleb Grant, 14th Flying Training Wing Customer Support Technician. "It was a really great way for my wife and I to get out of the house and enjoy celebrating our nation's independence. We loved being able to sit out on the hill and listen to the live band with great food."

A flyover of two AT-6 Texans and a P-51D Mustang awed children and adults alike as the planes flew in different formations over the crowd. The AT-6 Texan was used to train pilots back in the World War II era. Although the T-6 Texan II is now used for training, the AT-6 Texan remains as a popular airplane for air shows.

"The flyover was very moving and patriotic, it gave me the chills," said 2nd Lt. Max Adler, 14th Student Squadron. "It was the first time I got to see a P-51 in a formation flight.

Fireworks lit up the sky and the water below as the 18 minute firework show began a little after 9 p.m.

"The fireworks were amazing," said Airman 1st Class Zachary Jackson, 14th Security Forces Squadron. "I really like the way they colored the sky and reflected off the water especially during the finale. It was a beautiful show and a great way to get together with other Airmen during the Fourth of July."

Many Team BLAZE members came to the event as spectators as well as volunteers to ensure the event went smoothly.

"I enjoyed volunteering and also the food at the event," said Staff Sgt. Chris Banzet, Aerospace Physiology Technician. "I feel like it was an important event to volunteer for because of everything the Fourth of July stands for and means to us as service members."

Columbus Air Force Base partnered with the local community to help put on the fifth Fireworks on the Water event.

"Our 2015 Fireworks on the Water event was a shining example of the close relationship Columbus AFB shares with our Golden Triangle partners," said Col. John Nichols, 14th Flying Training Wing Commander. "Without this type of strong partnership, events like these are simply not possible."