News-Info-Alerts

Re: Ex-POW Finishes Interrupted Flight 60 Years Later

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: October 31, 2003

"Rehoboth man realizes dream to fly restored B-24
By Trish Vernon

Warren MacDonald of Rehoboth Beach had one of his fondest dreams come true Oct. 10 when he boarded a B-24 Liberator for a half hour flight from the Montgomery County Airport in Maryland with members of his family.

MacDonald had been first pilot on a B-24 stationed in Italy during WWII who was shot down over Slovakia and became a prisoner of war. The plane he boarded for the short flight is the last flying B-24 in existence


"It was a very exciting day for me," said MacDonald, who was accompanied by his brother, Gerald MacDonald, a 24-year Marine Corps veteran and retired colonel who teaches high school math in Virginia, along with Gerald's daughter, Susan MacDonald Wroble of Denver, Co., her husband, United Airlines pilot Guy Wroble and their five-year-old son Vincent, who loves anything to do with flying.


The flight was made possible by the Collings Foundation, the organization that refurbished the B-24 and takes it around the country so people have an opportunity for a flight and to become sponsors in an effort to keep the plane aloft. MacDonald noted it costs $3,000 to operate the B-24 for an hour trip.


"Imagine the positive public support and reaction if there were only 10 bald eagles left in the world and only one was in healthy flying condition," stated Bob Collings of the Collings Foundation in his brochure on the B-24 Liberator. "While I have the greatest respect for bald eagles and other endangered species, I believe the B-24 had a more direct impact on more Americans and on our freedom than did any of these magnificent animals."


The B-24 Liberator first flew in 1939 and all together, 18,479 B-24s were built. During WWII, B-24s flew more missions and dropped more bombs than any other aircraft, serving in every theatre of the war. This particular B-24 was built in August, 1944 at Consolidated Aircraft's Fort Worth Texas plant and turned over to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in October of that year.


It served in the Pacific until the end of the war and was abandoned in India. From 1948 to 1968 this B-24 served as a patrol bomber for India. In 1984 the B-24 was brought to the United States by the Collings Foundation and a lengthy restoration process was undertaken. The cost from graveyard condition to fully restored status was $1.3 million, an amount that would have been much greater if it wasn't for thousands of volunteer hours and donations of parts and material.


A B-24 consists of about 1,250,000 parts, with a third of the skin of this particular plan replaced, along with more than 400,000 rivets and 5,000 feet of new hydraulic lines. More than 12,000 individuals and corporate sponsors donated to the cause.


After touring for over nine years as "All American," the name and artwork was changed to "Dragon and His Tail" to honor the veterans who served in the Pacific Theatre of Operations and to reincarnate the most extensive nose art of WWII. "Dragon and His Tail" was flown by the Joseph Pagoni crew and others from the 43rd Bomb Group 64th Bomb Squadron on 85 missions. The original "Dragon" was stored in Kingman, Az. where, despite efforts to save her, was the last B-24 scrapped.


The names of those who have made monetary contributions are painted on the sides of the plane and range from $5,000, which also entitled the contributor to lifetime flying and guest privileges down to $25 for "crew members".


For more information, contact the Collings Foundation at Box 248, Stow, MA 01775, call 978-562-9182, email info@collingsfoundation.org or visit collingsfoundation.org."