Indy legend Johnny Rutherford, left, talks with crew members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during the Indy 500 Centennial Tour. (Dave Lewandowski)
Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Johnny Rutherford is participating in the Indy 500 Centennial Tour – a 10-day goodwill trip to Europe and the Middle East with the goal of boosting the morale of more than 10,000 servicemen and women.
Coordinated by Morale Entertainment Foundation and Armed Forces Entertainment, in conjunction with the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the team also includes fellow multiple Indianapolis 500 winners Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr. plus Indy 500 veterans Sarah Fisher, Davey Hamilton, Larry Foy and Firestone Indy Lights race winner Martin Plowman. They’re giving motivational talks and participating in autograph and Q & A sessions, meet and greets and photo opportunities.
I was really looking forward to visiting the USS Abraham Lincoln. Aviation is my hobby. I’m a pilot and had a couple of P51 Mustang fighter planes and I enjoyed that. I had a chance to meet up with the Blue Angels on occasion and we just kind of hit it off. That led to flying with them, and I’ve also flown with the Air Force Thunderbird and Canadian Snowbirds along with having lots of rides in military jets.
The first time I visited an aircraft carrier, Bill Wittington and Doc Wittington had an air race down in Homestead, Fla., and there were 11 of us with P51 Mustangs. We also had a Corsair and B17 and we flew all over the state ballyhooing their air race and met a lot of people. Someone in the group arranged for us to go to NAS Jacksonville. We landed there and they put us on one of the carrier delivery ships and we met the USS Independence and spent a couple of days on board. We got back to shore, got in our planes and flew toward the ship. Well, the Captain was smart in that if he hadn’t turned the crew onto the deck we all would have made touch-and-gos on his carrier.
Some time later, a friend of mine who had been a Blue Angel pilot and a fighter pilot in Vietnam called and asked if I wanted to go out to San Diego and they’ll fly us out to the Ranger. The guy who had flown me with the Blue Angels in a F4 Phantom was the Captain of the ship. I’ve just had the opportunity to be close to the Navy and the guys in the Blue Angels.
This tour is great in the fact that we’re getting to see the people who are out here protecting our freedom and heritage. It’s been a great experience.
