Chico, CA — For Lee Koenig, Saturday was an “amazing” day. For the 30 or so gathered in his honor, it was equally amazing, but in a far different way.
In Koenig’s view as he sat at the Chico Air Museum’s outdoor aircraft display was a jet fighter plane that was a near duplicate to one he’d flown more than 60 years ago over Korea.
The colors matched those on his F-86, and painted in red just under the cockpit was “Mama Inez.”
“It is amazing,” said Koenig, 88, with a smile.
“Mama Inez” Koenig sat beside her husband. Both called the day and the honor “amazing,” and filled with memories — his from having to leave Mama Inez and the children to fly in combat, hers from watching her husband leave and possibly never come back.
Both had tears in their eyes, the “fault” of volunteers at the Chico Air Museum and the Koenig family who honored the veteran and his wife.
“This brought a lot of memories back for me,” said Koenig, whose two sons Kris and Tom and their families joined the ceremony.
“It’s very emotional,” said Mrs. Koenig.
The couple will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary this fall.
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