Eric Richardson [Flickr]

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Digging through the archives for the Times I happened across this piece from seventy-five years ago today, on May 23rd, 1932.

Inaugurating Los Angeles' celebration of Rainbow Division Day, eighty-nine army planes of the First Bombardment Wing from Marsh Field will engage in mock battle over the City Hall and the downtown section this forenoon.

The combat will begin at 10:30 when the Seventh Bombardment Group arrives with the theoretical purpose of bombing the City Hall. Then will come the swift planes of the Seventeenth Pursuit Group, engaging the heavier ships in battle.

Coincidentally with the celebration the Rainbow veterans will press their final ticket-selling drive for the Rainbow ball at Shrine Auditorium Saturday.

Somehow I doubt that in today's environment you could ever put on a display like that over Downtown -- unless it was for a film shoot, of course.

During WWI the Rainbow Division, or 42nd Infantry, was given that name because its soldiers had been called up from National Guard units across the country.