The shriek of jets and the sounds of other flying machines will join the traditional hiss and boom of fireworks come Independence Day weekend, when the first air show in years makes its debut in North Bend.

Meant to honor veterans and current members of the armed forces, the "Salute to the Military" Air Show & Display on July 4 will feature aircraft from World War I to the present, along with precision parachutists, aerobatics and a search and rescue demonstration from the U.S. Coast Guard's Air Station North Bend.

"I think it's going to be a lot of fun," said Ray Doering, the communications manager for The Mill Casino-Hotel.

The Mill and organizers from the Sandfest in North Bend will provide the event for free on Mill property and over the bay.

"For The Mill, it fits in because we do the July 3rd fireworks, so this was kind of a nice way to add another community celebration for the weekend," Doering said. Sandfest organizers "had mentioned that they wanted to do an air show in the area. We told them that we have a perfect location right here."

Because The Mill recently began providing alcoholic beverages on the casino floor, it discontinued its traditional July 3 children's activities, so the air show should make up for the change.

The air show is expected to begin at about 11:30 a.m. and run to about 2:30 p.m.

Terry Wilmeth, an organizer for the Sandfest, which is run by the Northwest Off-road Timing Authority, said the company resurrected the ATVing event last year that had died in the 1990s. It will run July 4-12.

"We actually designed it around the original event and brought it back to its home," he explained.

But when Wilmeth and fellow organizers realized they could open Sandfest on the fourth - a Saturday - they began kicking around the idea of adding something a bit more patriotic to the event.

A U.S. Air Force vet, Wilmeth and racing event coordinator Dan Molner - a Navy veteran - felt an air show would be a great way to honor veterans. He added that it would give an opportunity for veterans to see aircraft they flew or worked on back in the day.

"Both of us kind of recognized the significance of having an event on Fourth of July," Wilmeth said.

He added that the air show would be used  as a fundraiser to support a memorial for Oregon National Guardsmen who died in Afghanistan when a flight was hit by Taliban rockets.

Although the schedule is still in the works, Wilmeth said the show should begin with the United States Army Silver Wings Command  Demonstration Team - a group of precision parachutists who will drop out of the sky with an American flag, while a local sings the national anthem.

Wilmeth hopes to a have few veterans to speak at the opening ceremony.

Following the parachutists, the North Bend Coast Guard Search & Rescue unit will demonstrate an aerial rescue in which it will fetch a victim out of the water with a helicopter.

There also will be a display of World War II-era jeeps and a specialized military ATV, the Night Prowler light tactical ATV, by Oregon-based RP Advanced Mobile Systems. Made for special operations, it will be shown to the public for the first time at The Mill.

"We thought that was kind of cool,"Wilmeth said.

At about 1 p.m., a WWII era B-25 bomber will fly by, along with formation flying performed by two jets - a Russian MiG-17 and an American F-86 Saber Jet.

"Those two faced off during the Korean War," Wilmeth boasted.

Additionally, the Oregon National Guard will do a fly-by with a CH-47 Chinook helicopter along with a WWI-era Stearman bi-plane. More precision parachute drops by the Silver Wings will follow that act.

He's also hoping that two F-15 Eagle fighter jets from the Oregon Air National Guard will drop by.

For the finale, aerobatic pilot Renny Price will put on an aerobatic show with his Sukhoi SU-29.