Fireworks Light Saudi Arabia’s Skies on 93rd National Day

Fireworks lit up the skies of Saudi Arabia on the 93rd National Day. SPA
Fireworks lit up the skies of Saudi Arabia on the 93rd National Day. SPA
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Fireworks Light Saudi Arabia’s Skies on 93rd National Day

Fireworks lit up the skies of Saudi Arabia on the 93rd National Day. SPA
Fireworks lit up the skies of Saudi Arabia on the 93rd National Day. SPA

Fireworks lit up the skies of the Kingdom on the 93rd National Day, while millions of people gathered in squares and other locations throughout the country Saturday evening to enjoy shows organized by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA).

Citizens and residents who had come together to witness the display of fireworks to mark the occasion could also enjoy a variety of other displays and events.

More than 15 locations were designated as places where people could watch these displays, including Boulevard Riyadh City in Riyadh, Art Promenade in Jeddah, King Abdullah Park in Dammam, Northern Khobar Corniche, King Abdullah Environmental Park in Al-Ahsa, and King Abdullah National Park in Buraydah.

Spectacular fireworks could also be watched in Abha from Al Sadd Park on Al Fan Street, in Madinah from King Fahd Central Park, in Hail from Al Salam Park, in Tabuk from Al Nazim Central Park, in Al Baha from Prince Hossam Park, in Sakaka from Amanat Al Jouf Park, in Jazan from the Corniche Road walkway, in Najran from the University District Housing Park, in Taif from near King Abdullah Park, and in Arar from the Water Tower.

The National Day events in Riyadh included drone shows, specifically in the Boulevard Riyadh City area where billboards featured photos of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince, and the Kingdom’s flag.



World War II Sergeant Whose Plane Was Shot Down over Germany Honored with Reburial in California

This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)
This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)
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World War II Sergeant Whose Plane Was Shot Down over Germany Honored with Reburial in California

This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)
This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)

After 80 years, a World War II sergeant killed in Germany has returned home to California.

On Thursday, community members lined the roads to honor US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport to a burial home in Riverside, California, The AP reported.

Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany, according to Honoring Our Fallen, an organization that provides support to families of fallen military and first responders.

One of the surviving crewmembers saw the plane was on fire, then fell in a steep dive before exploding on the ground. After the crash, German troops buried the remains of one soldier at a local cemetery, while the other six crewmembers, including Banta, were unaccounted for.

Banta was married and had four sisters and a brother. He joined the military because of his older brother Floyd Jack Banta, who searched for Donald Banta his whole life but passed away before he was found.

Donald Banta's niece was present at the planeside honors ceremony at the Ontario airport coordinated by Honoring Our Fallen.

The remains from the plane crash were initially recovered in 1952, but they could not be identified at the time and were buried in Belgium. Banta was accounted for Sept. 26, 2023, following efforts by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency within the US Department of Defense and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.