I just attended a seminar held at the Steven Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum located in Chantilly Virginia. The subject of the seminar was a Top Secret program from the 1960 to 1979 period specifically an aircraft known as the A-11. This project was so secret that it was not de-classified until 2007.  This aircraft was the precursor to the more well known and displayed SR-71 "Blackbird".The best part was to hear from the people who actually worked on the program, including the Pilots,Engineers, Scientists and Managers. These men, now in their 70's and 80's sacrificed much to help defend our nation by helping to provide the means to gather intelligence about what our adversaries were up to. They all spoke with enthusiasm and clarity about how, with a very small number of people, they were able to design,build,trouble shoot, test and eventually fly missions to defend our nation. These men were and still are, heroes.

After the seminar the speakers and attendees gathered in the museum and answered questions and signed autographs. I was standing at the railing overlooking the SR-71 when I noticed one of the Pilots walking towards the railing. He still had the unmistakeable steady gaite and clear blue eyes of a fighter pilot. He looked out at the "Blackbird" tapped the rail once or twice and turned to leave. His eyes had teared up as if he were saying goodbye to a friend he might not see again. I couldn't bring myself to intrude on his moment by taking a photograph

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