Families gathered on a brisk Saturday morning in December 2022 to commemorate the 119th anniversary of Wilbur and Orville Wright’s first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Led by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, First Flight Society and Outer Banks Forever, the anniversary event held at the Wright Brothers National Memorial featured key note speakers including
- David Hallac, superintendent, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina
- Mike Fonseca, president, First Flight Society
- U.S. Air Force General Mark D. Kelly, commander, Air Combat Command
- Doug Melville, great-nephew of Davis
- Maria Tinker, supervisory park ranger, Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site (Tuskegee, Alabama)
Following the speeches, a wreath laying ceremony was held by descendants of the witnesses of the first flight pictured below in images captured by photographer Judith H. Fearing. These invididuals included descendants of:
- W. C. Brinkley – Harry Schiffman
- John T. Daniels – Anthony Brigidini-great grandson, Lauren, great-great granddaughter, Lou Daniels Quinn, and daughters Mary V. Quinn, Sarah Kate Quinn, and Lauren N. Quinn
- Johnny Moore– Karen Brickhouse (granddaughter), Lisa Brickhouse Davis (great granddaughter with daughter Emily Davis), Lee Brickhouse (great grandson)
- W.S. Dough– Brian DeHart (great grandson), great-great granddaughters, Emma Grace, Faith and Joy DeHart
- A.D. Etheridge– Alma Clark (Granddaughter) Jaye Massacar and Betsy Brown, great great granddaughters
Two Wright descendants — Paul Wright Jameson and Mason Wright Jameson — were also in attendance. Paul conducted the ceremony for this year’s Wreath Ceremony.
Lou Daniels Quinn, and daughters Mary V. Quinn, Sarah Kate Quinn, and Lauren N. Quinn.
