100th OG burns piano to mark end of successful flying year, honors lost US service members

A piano burns after being set alight as part of a Royal Air Force tradition both to honor the memory of the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Kabul airport bombing in Afghanistan in August, and to celebrate the end of a successful flying and fiscal year at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Oct. 1, 2021. Claims behind the tradition include stories that it reportedly started during World War II to honor fallen pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

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100th OG burns piano to mark end of successful flying year, honors lost US service members

Squadron Ldr. Alistair Balmer, center, Royal Air Force station commander, shares the history behind the RAF tradition of burning a piano, before one is set alight at RAF Mildenhall, England, Oct. 1, 2021. Claims behind the tradition include stories that it reportedly started during World War II to honor fallen pilots. The event also marked the end of a successful flying and fiscal year for 2021, and the team’s hard work in getting the mission done. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

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100th OG burns piano to mark end of successful flying year, honors lost US service members

A pilot in the 100th Operations Group displays the Square D patch on his shoulder as he watches a piano burn at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England Oct. 1, 2021. The 100th OG set fire to the piano as they followed an RAF World War II tradition to remember U.S. service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice as a result of a bomb attack at Kabul airport in Afghanistan. The event also marked the end of a successful flying and fiscal year for 2021, and the team’s hard work in getting the mission accomplished. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

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100th OG burns piano to mark end of successful flying year, honors lost US service members

U.S. Air Force Col. Van Thai, 100th Operation Group commander, talks about remembering and honoring the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Kabul airport bombing in Afghanistan August 2021 as he talks to 100th OG Airmen and civilians and Team Mildenhall members before a piano was set alight at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Oct. 1, 2021. The burning of a piano is an RAF tradition, claims of which include stories that it reportedly started during World War II to honor fallen pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

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100th OG burns piano to mark end of successful flying year, honors lost US service members

A piano smolders after being set on fire during a piano burn at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Oct. 1, 2021. Claims behind the tradition include stories that it reportedly started during World War II to honor fallen pilots, allegedly one being a skilled piano player. After every battle he would provide merriment and joy, but was when he was killed in battle, the tunes stopped. The rest of his squadron flying and fiscal year for 2021, and the team’s hard work in getting the mission done. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

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100th OG burns piano to mark end of successful flying year, honors lost US service members

A firefighter from the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department puts out the ashes of a burning piano at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Oct. 1, 2021. The 100th Operations Group set fire to a piano as they followed a Royal Air Force World War II tradition to remember military members who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The event also marked the end of a successful flying and fiscal year for 2021, and the team’s hard work in Rockin’ ‘D’ Mish. (U.S. Air Force photo by Karen Abeyasekere)

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100th OG burns piano to mark end of successful flying year, honors lost US service members

Published Oct. 15, 2021
By Karen Abeyasekere
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England --

The 100th Operations Group set fire to a piano to mark both the end of a successful flying and fiscal year for 2021, and honor the memory of the 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives in the Kabul airport bombing in Afghanistan in August, at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Oct. 1, 2021.

Setting fire to a piano is an RAF tradition and claims behind it state the origin relates to reportedly starting during World War II to honor fallen pilots, allegedly one being a skilled piano player. After every battle he would provide merriment and joy, but was when he was killed in battle, the tunes stopped. The rest of his squadron felt the most appropriate tribute was to burn his piano.