Meet This Year’s Wings Over Houston Legends and Heroes Autograph Tent Honorees

Houston, TX (September 23, 2025) — Did you know that within the grounds of Ellington Airport at the CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow, there is a place so special that the title doesn’t even do it justice? The Legends and Heroes Autograph Tent is one of the most treasured parts of the event history.

For nearly the entirety of the show’s 41-year history, our dedicated volunteers and staff have made it their mission to bring you some of the nation’s—and the world’s—most legendary aviation heroes. We are proud to host them year after year and give you, our airshow family, the chance to meet them, shake their hands, thank them, and hear their stories firsthand. And the best part? Admission is free to anyone who enters the gates!

So, we ask you: please take time out of your day at the airshow to come visit some of the most inspirational people in history—while they are still here to tell you their stories. From WWII, Korea, and Vietnam to NASA legends and beyond, this is truly a special place.

Throughout the day, flying aces, decorated war heroes, veterans, and special guests will be present to sign autographs. Many of these living legends will also have copies of their autobiographies and other memorabilia available for purchase. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet these heroes and hear their stories! Admission to the Legends and Heroes Autograph Tent is free, no matter what type of airshow ticket you purchase.

MEET THIS YEAR’S LEGENDS AND HEROES AUTOGRAPH TENT HONOREES

GENE KRANZ (Appearing Saturday only at Wings Over Houston 2025)

After receiving his B.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from Parks College of St. Louis University in 1954, Gene Kranz was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force, where he flew high-performance jet fighter aircraft including the F-80, F-86, and F-100. In 1958, he became a flight-test engineer for McDonnell Aircraft, developing the Quail Decoy Missile for B-52 and B-47 aircraft. Kranz joined the NASA Space Task Group at Langley, Virginia, in 1960 as an assistant flight director for Project Mercury. He later assumed flight director duties for all Project Gemini missions, became Branch Chief for Flight Control Operations, and in 1968 was promoted to Division Chief for Flight Control. He served as flight director for the Apollo 11 lunar landing and famously led the Apollo 13 “Tiger Team.” Over his distinguished career, he contributed to numerous NASA missions including Skylab, and in 1983 was named Director of Mission Operations. He has received many honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Nixon for Apollo 13.

MAYBELLE BLAIR

Maybelle Blair is a former pitcher who played for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, made famous by the movie A League of Their Own. She later worked for Northrop Aircraft Corporation for 37 years, where she became the first female manager in transportation and only the third female manager in the entire company.

Blair has been honored at the American Veterans Conference in Washington, D.C., for her contributions to the United States military. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, MLB Network, Rachael Ray, and in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Los Angeles Times.

She has also been recognized at Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Angel Stadium, and Dodger Stadium, as well as by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2022, AdWeek named her one of the Most Powerful Women in Sports. She is an ambassador for the Boston Red Sox Women’s Fantasy Camp, Baseball For All, Inc., a founding member of the International Women’s Baseball Center, and the inspiration behind the Amazon Prime Video series A League of Their Own.

CPL. DON GRAVES, USMC

Don Graves was just 17 years old when he heard President Roosevelt’s address to Congress following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He joined the Marine Corps and was assigned to the 5th Marine Division.

Graves served as a flamethrower operator, carrying a 72-pound weapon filled with five gallons of liquid fuel. His platoon, the 28th Regiment, was tasked with taking Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima, where they faced relentless attacks day and night from Japanese troops.

DANNY GARCIA, USMC (RET.) – “THE WALKING MAN”

Danny Garcia is a former Marine and ordained minister who has dedicated more than two decades to walking for children and world peace. Known as “The Walking Man,” Garcia has walked on all seven continents, taking more than 52 million steps across 26,000 miles—greater than the circumference of the Earth.

In 1996, Garcia began his journey as a personal commitment and lifelong pursuit of peace. His mission has taken him across the globe, where he offers hope, shares spiritual wisdom, and provides humanitarian aid to victims of fire, poverty, floods, earthquakes, and war. Together with his wife, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jackie Garcia, he founded Global Walk, Inc., a nonprofit supporting children and families in need.

Garcia’s story is told in the book Marines Don’t Cry: Delivering the Message at All Costs, co-written with his wife and released in 2021. The book chronicles his dramatic conversion to Christianity, his ministry, and his personal experiences of faith, miracles, and service.

COL. JOSEPH “JOE” PETERBURS

Joe Peterburs served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II as a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot. In one of his most notable missions, he shot down a German ace flying the Me-262, the world’s first operational jet fighter. Shortly after, Peterburs was himself shot down, captured, and held as a prisoner of war. He later escaped and joined up with a Russian tank unit before reuniting with American forces.

Peterburs continued his military career after World War II, joining the newly formed U.S. Air Force in 1947. He went on to serve during the Korean War, Vietnam War, and throughout the Cold War, ultimately retiring as a Colonel in 1979.

His many awards include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.

Click Here to get a full list of Legendary Heroes that will be there.