MORGANTOWN -- It’s not every day that you can touch a piece of history, but visitors to the Morgantown Municipal Airport have had that chance.
It's hosting three World War II planes this week, as a part of the Wings of Freedom Tour. The crew explained that the planes at the airport this week did not go through heavy combat during World War II, but all of them were built in the 1940s.
A few World War II veterans made their way to the airport see a part of their past.
"There was a gentlemen in his 90's who drove himself here on Tuesday. He really enjoyed being here. It’s the kind of stuff like that. It might be the last time he gets to see the aircraft. It’s a powerful, powerful thing to be a part of," explained Derick Ward, a mechanic for the P-51 Mustang and co-pilot of the B-17 and B-24.
"My dad was a veteran of WWII in the 8th Army Air Corps in England, and he actually flew in these planes for, I think nine bombing missions he told me. The end of the war, in ’44 and ‘45. So, he survived and I’ve been trying to find one of these planes for a long time," explained Bill Wilson, who drove from Pennsylvania to see the aircrafts.
Morgantown Municipal Airport’s tarmac looked like a flashback to the 1940’s, with a P-51 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, and B-24 Liberator on display.
The planes visit more than 100 cities in the United State throughout the year, and the highlight for the crew is meeting new veterans along the way.
"It’s spending time with the people that actually flew in these aircrafts. Surprisingly, the joy of seeing somebody who's 80 or 90 years old, who fought in the war, WWII, come out here and tell us and reminisce about what they did, is pretty impressive," said Andrew Meislin, with the Collings Foundation.
It’s also a lesson for family members of veterans, to put into perspective what life was like during WWII.
"Most of these guys, you have to remember, they were gunners, bombardiers in their late teens. If you were 20 or 21 years old, you were probably the old man on their air craft. So, to put that into perspective, today for kids who are just getting out of high school, who have no clue what they're going to do, to think that this is what their life would've been like during WWII is pretty amazing,” reflected Meislin.
The aircrafts were unable to take off on Wednesday because of weather, but they will leave early Thursday morning.
For a schedule of the tour or to find out more about the Collings Foundation, who sponsor the event:
http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedules.htm
The Collings Foundation visits over 150+ locations nationwide per year to help promote aviation's living history and the rememberance of our veterans. Your chance to see aircraft spanning from the early days of aviation up to the thunderous roar of modern jet fighters like the F-4 Phantom is just a click away. Please select from the schedules below:
* Wings of Freedom Tour - B-17, B-24 & P-51 (Nationwide)
* Vietnam Memorial Flight - F-4D Phantom, TA-4J Skyhawk & UH-1E Huey
* General Airshow Schedule - All Aircraft
The Collings Foundation would love to bring our available aircraft to your next airshow or aviation event! For more information on how to book our aircraft for your needs, please visit our Aircraft Bookings section.
Do you have what it takes to bring our B-17, B-24 and P-51 to your hometown? Helping organize a tour stop for our bombers is one of the most rewarding experiences plus it can have its benefits. It is easier than you think! Send us an e-mail for more information.
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