ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England -- Members of the Ely Cathedral invited U.S. Air Force Airmen from Royal Air Force Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath to attend a Thanksgiving Eve Ceremony, Nov. 28, 2021. Guest speaker Rt. Rev. Dr. Dagmar Winter, the Bishop of Huntingdon, delivered the Thanksgiving message at the service.
The service is a tradition dating back to WWII, when the British first invited their American allies to celebrate the U.S. holiday in England. The service was first held in 1986, following a World War II tradition where American service members were invited to celebrate at St. Paul's Cathedral. U.S. Air Force Col. Gene Jacobus, 100th Air Refueling Wing commander, gave the opening speech and introduced Rt. Rev. Dr. Dagmar Winter, the Bishop of Huntingdon, the guest speaker. The 35th annual service provided the local American and English community an opportunity to celebrate the American holiday together.