B52 at Griffiss Business Park

Recent news events remind me that much of the recent history of the Mohawk Valley includes the 40 years or so that Griffiss and the military was a significant part of the valley. The thousands of Air Force personnel, it's aircraft, contractors, and associated businesses, were an important as well as visible part of the areas economy from WW2 until the end of the "Cold War" and until the base closed in the mid 90's. Still today, the military defines Griffiss Business Park and the city of Rome, as this is the home of the Air Force Laboratory and the military accounting offices, as well as the NEAD's (Northeast Air Defense) which includes a few thousand military personnel and civilian contractors located in the confines of the business park.

I even remember walking my dog in Roscoe Conkling Park by the "Eagle" just before the start of the first Iraq war. It was early evening when you could ominously hear the squadron of B52's "powering up" and then taking off. The B52's mysteriously circled the Mohawk Valley for quite a while, upwards of an hour or so.They most likely were awaiting their orders to go to war. I would needless to say only learn of this later when President Bush announced what the B52's were up to. Anyway, the last remnat of this legacy of the Mohawk Valley is parked at the entrance of the former base now turned business park in Rome. It is worth a look as you can park near the plane and see this piece of military and Mohawk Valley history up close.