Almost A Month After Ivan

Nearly a month after being mercilessly pounded by Hurricane Ivan, the jewel of naval aviation history will open its doors again, complete with a t-shirt memento of the storm.

The Museum of Naval Aviation History at NAS Pensacola is back in business.

"The city has had the wind knocked out of it, and people are looking for something positive," said retired Vice Adm. Jack Fetterman, president and CEO of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation in an interview with local reporters. "They are looking for some therapy, a collective positive and this museum represents that."

The museum sustained only minor damage, although many of its aircraft on flight line display were tossed around by winds that gusted well over 120 miles an hour.

The Blue Angels, headquartered at the museum, will reportedly resume their practice sessions,which are open to the public, on October 20th.

And, as is fast becoming a tradition in Florida, the museum is selling t-shirts that say, "Pensacola . . . soaring back after Hurricane Ivan."

For those of us who've been through three or four of this year's storms, it'll be the centerpiece of a fast-growing collection.

FMI: www.history.navy.mil