For Fred Hattman, a natural storyteller and people-person, volunteering at Wright Brothers National Memorial is a good fit. So much so that he has donated almost 5,000 hours of his time to the National Park Service!
Fred and his family first began visiting the Outer Banks in 1977. By 2001, they decided to make the beach their permanent home.Although he's settled now in one place, Hattman had traveled throughout the world during his four years with the Air Force. It was during this time that he developed a love of aviation and of meeting people from far-away places.
As a volunteer at Wright Brothers National Memorial, Fred still has the opportunity to meet people from around the world-they travel to the park to learn about the Wright brothers and their invention of powered flight that fundamentally affected the evolution of world civilization. "I like learning about airplanes and I like learning about people," stated Hattman."In volunteering at Wright Brothers, you never know what you will experience.One day, it may be a family from Germany.The next day, it may be a military jet on low flyby over the park.It's a great experience."
Fred is intrigued by the tenacity of Wilbur and Orville Wright. "They never gave up. Even with all of the challenges they had, they never gave up," said Hattman."The whole Wright brother's story is an inspiration. Visitors who come to this park leave with a good feeling-it's a story about the success of hard work."
Fred also cites his work with park staff and other volunteers as a rewarding part of his volunteer experience. "Everyone here has different stories to tell," said Hattman. "It keeps life interesting."
For more information on Wright Brothers National Memorial, check out the website at www.nps.gov/wrbr or call the visitor center at 252-475-9401.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
