Fox 21 Mornings Broadcasts from the Museum

On December 15, 2023, Fox 21 News Channel broadcast its regular 5-am-to-9-am morning TV show from the Museum, giving the channel another in a series of locations in and around Colorado Springs from which to air the show. It also gave the Museum a pad from which to launch an effort to increase local awareness of its presence.

Bill Klaers, President and CEO of the Museum, described how the Museum tells the many stories of American aviation in World War II. One is how a local man’s heroism and chance revelation at the Museum opened a window to the larger story of how American aircraft and the companies that built them helped win the Second World War.

Heroism and chance are staples when talking about the Museum’s operational Lockheed P-38F Lightning fighter, White 33. The story begins with a 2016 visit by Colorado Springs resident Frank Royal, a veteran fighter pilot who flew P-38s in New Guinea in World War II. During his service he earned the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal.

Frank was accompanied that day by his son Randy, who has since become Chief of the Colorado Springs Fire Department. Randy told Klaers that his father had flown P-38s in World War II and asked if the Museum had any. Klaers named several P-38 projects, including Jandina, Scatterbrain Kid and White 33.

When Klaers said “White 33” a second time, Frank “put his hand on my shoulder and he says, ‘Young man, why did you call that White 33?’ And I said, ‘Well, it came out of Finschafen, New Guinea, and it had a white ‘33’ on the nose and the tail.’

“And Frank looks at me and he says, ‘I flew that airplane.’”

“We had no history on the airplane,” Klaers told Fox 21’s Matt Meister, but Frank’s comment led to the discovery that “this is one of the first four operational P-38 fighters in the Pacific in World War II,”

“We walk by it every day,” Klaers told Meister, and “I can’t believe we got it and built it into what it is today,” one of the Museum’s crown jewels that is airworthy and occasionally flies.

Klaers credited Jim Slattery, the Museum’s Chairman of the Board, who purchased and completed the restoration of White 33 -- and, of course, Frank Royal, who helped so much to assemble the puzzle that led to the resurrection of “this piece of history.” It’s “phenomenal” and “amazing” for several reasons, Klaers said. One is that Frank would probably never have seen White 33 if WestPac had not moved to Colorado Springs some years earlier from Rialto, California. The whole thing “gives you goose bumps,” Klaers said.

Frank was there on October 17, 2016, when White 33 flew for the first time since the war. In fact, he flew in the right seat of a chase plane, and was thrilled. He passed away a month later, on November 19, 2016; he was 101 years old.

Lockheed built more than 10,000 P-38s in World War II, which helps make it a ”one-in-a- million” chance that Frank connected with it, Meister said, adding that it has become a piece of Colorado lore.

Overall, American industry built over 300,000 airplanes in World War II, supplying not only U.S. forces but those of allies as well.

“It’s amazing, what America did” in World War II, Klaers said. The war was fought in the various theaters, “but it was won on the home front, when America came together and took all the technological advances” and industrial innovation to produce such a huge number of aircraft.

Technological advancement – a war-winner for the U.S. and its allies -- marks the P-38 as well as two of Museum’s 29 operational types in particular, the Grumman F7F Tigercat and the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider. Though designed and built during the war, they came along too late to see combat. But they flew in the Korean conflict, and they show how robust American aviation technology had become by the end of the war.

The 400-mph F7F Tigercat fighter was powered by a pair of 2,100 horsepower (hp) engines, compared to the single 900 hp engine that powered its biplane predecessor of just a few years earlier, the 200-mph Grumman F3F. The Museum has an operational example of an F3F as well.

The Skyraider attack plane, powered by a single 3,000-hp engine, could carry as big a weapons load as the World War II B-17 Flying Fortress, just not as far. The Skyraider was designed to replace the Avenger torpedo bomber (of which the Museum has two operational examples) and the Helldiver dive bomber.

A Helldiver is currently being restored to flying condition at the WestPac facility on the Museum campus. “WestPac isn’t just a hangar,” Klaers told Meister. “This is a purpose-built restoration facility. It’s probably one of the nicest ones in the country for what we do.”

The model of this Helldiver, an SB2C-1, is the only known example in the world, Klaers said, and is its first flight is expected this year. Spare parts for such planes are rare, so fabrication of many parts is necessary, and WestPac has “a very high-end sheet metal shop.”

The Helldiver is in line to participate in the August 17-18, 2024, Pikes Peak Regional Air Show at the Colorado Springs Airport. The show will be headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron and will feature many of the Museum’s aircraft. A full announcement of participating aircraft will be made when scheduling is complete.

One of Fox 21’s stops as it toured the Museum was Hangar 2, which houses military vehicles. Like the aircraft, they are fully operational and visitors can ride in them on special occasions! That happened during the Museum’s 2023 Independence Day event, where visitors lined up for a chance to experience history hands-on in a 1941 M2A1 Half-Track, M3A1 Scout Car, and both of the Museum’s Jeeps. The noise, heat, dust, uncomfortable seats, and hot metal all gave riders an idea of what it must have been like to travel in these vehicles during wartime … and there was not one single complaint, just hundreds of smiling faces happy to have fulfilled a dream ride. Volunteer Jack Humphrey is in charge. “I love history and I love the people” who visit, he told Fox 21’s Craig Coffey.

Coffey also took an introductory ride in the Museum’s N3N Yellow Peril flight simulator, which teaches basic flying skills. Instructor Ralph Brands, a former U.S. Air Force pilot, said, “Try to fly without smiling.”

Education is in sharp focus at the Museum, and local Colorado Springs schools are among the beneficiaries. “We’re teaching about World War II aviation, but we like to take that to a whole different level.“ Mark Earle, the Museum’s Director of Education, told Fox 21’s Meister. “The idea is to inspire kids as early as possible with our K-12 program.”

The ultimate goal is to get kids “very much involved with the airplanes,” he said. “If you notice, we don’t have ropes around any of these airplanes. We put the kids right up to the airplanes.” The Museum aims to “inspire the kids early on, teach them how an airplane flies, and then later, especially in high school, start talking to the older kids about careers in aviation, which continues to grow and is, obviously, a big part of our world today.”

One big lesson of World War II is that, despite its darkness, it boosted the American economy and led to positive changes in American society, Klaers said.

Fox 21’s broadcast prompted phone calls to the Museum. Klaers said they included a number about the gift shop “because of all the cool stuff” developed and sold by that team from no-longer-needed parts and pieces of World War II aircraft -- items like one-of-a-kind lamps, earrings and clocks.

The Museum “is one of the jewels of where we live,” said Fox 21’s Coffey.

“It’s all about stories,” Meister said.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

The Saga of Curtis SB2C-1 Helldiver BuNo. 75552:

From the Bottom of a Lake to an Upcoming First Flight

Jeff Hummel and Matt McCauley, both 18-year-old high school seniors at the time, discovered a World War II Curtiss SB2C-1A Helldiver dive bomber on the bottom of Lake Washington near Seattle as they were scuba diving in 1984.

They saw it again in Colorado Springs for the first in many years on November 18, 2023, as it was being restored to flying condition in the WestPac hangar on the campus of the Museum at the Colorado Springs Airport. They were thrilled. The Helldiver is expected to fly this year, and Jeff and Matt plan to be there.

This is the story of how it got to the bottom of Lake Washington, how Jeff and Matt found it, how it came to Colorado Springs, and what it all means.

The Helldiver, U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics No. 75552, was one of more than 7,000 built between 1943 and 1945. Helldivers were used extensively in the latter part of World War II by the Navy and Marine Corps. Some were operated by the U.S. Army Air Forces as A-25 Shrike attack planes, and some were flown after the war by France.

Helldiver 75552 came off the production line in 1944. It was assigned in June of that year to Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda, California. In October 1944 it was transferred to NAS Seattle at Sand Point, Washington. On January 31, 1945, following a ground accident in Seattle, it was stricken from government records and used to help train firefighters.

At that point it was dumped in nearby Lake Washington, joining a number of other aircraft no longer needed by the Navy which had met similar fates decades before.

Fast-forward to 1984. Teenagers Jeff and Matt were scuba diving in Lake Washington when they saw the Helldiver on the bottom. Both were certified scuba divers, and both had an interest in aviation. When Jeff was a child, his father, who had been in the Navy in World War II, told him about planes at the bottom of the lake, mentioning that one was a Martin PBM Mariner amphibious patrol bomber.

Jeff and Matt wrote letters to the Pentagon asking about salvaging the plane, but the responses were unclear. The two high schoolers even formed a salvaging company.

Jeff and Matt accumulated a small amount of capital to salvage and restore a 16-foot boat and acquire a side-scan sonar. They found the PBM in late 1983, and a PV-2 and PB4Y in early 1984. They also found the Helldiver in early 1984.

Matt made the first descent on the Helldiver. The first two attempts to salvage it were unsuccessful, but the third worked and they moved the aircraft to a point near the shore in about 20 feet of water.

They didn't want to haul it all the way out because it had not yet been sold. Eventually, they found a potential buyer and began 75552’s recovery. The plane was first stored temporarily at Renton Airport in Washington on a large flat-bed truck, and was later moved to the driveway of Matt's house.

The Naval Investigative Service then became involved, saying the airplane was U.S. government property. Secretary of the Navy John Lehman was personally involved. The Navy wanted the plane moved from Matt's driveway, and it was transported to a hangar at Sand Point. A two-year federal court battle ensued in which the two men received pro-bono legal assistance from a group of former and retired Navy veterans in the area.

The final decision on the case was that the Navy had abandoned the aircraft, and that Jeff and Matt now had free and clear title. A deciding factor was a Navy Bureau of Aeronautics card for the Helldiver; it plainly stated that 75552 had been stricken from government service in 1944.

The plane was then sold a couple of times to aircraft restoration enthusiasts. Over the past several years it has been painstakingly restored at WestPac on our Museum campus, where it is expected to be completed and make its first flight this year. If all goes well, we plan to showcase 75552 at the Pikes Peak Regional Airshow at Colorado Springs Airport in August 2024!

Jeff and Matt, who have since salvaged four more planes from the lake -- two more Helldivers and two Wildcats -- expressed concern about the fate of other planes sitting on the bottom of Lake Washington. Among them, in addition to the PBM, PB4Y and PV-2, are an SNJ, a BT-13 center section and a TBF.

The men say another 50 or so aircraft also lie on the bottom of another lake, Lake Michigan.

They are worried that as time goes on, corrosion and disintegration of all those planes will worsen and histories will be lost. They said the public should be made more aware of these relics, which hopefully will help reverse the current government position of opposing the removal of long-sunken aircraft.

The two said Seattle area residents are well aware of the Helldiver/Lake Washington story and would be overjoyed to see and hear the same Helldiver at some future local airshow.

Story and Photo Credit: Rich Tuttle

Vote Now for the National Museum of

World War II Aviation as Best of the Springs 2024!

It's that time of year again as we ask everyone who loves World War II aviation history and the wonderful experience that the Museum brings to the community to vote in the Gazatte's annual "Best of the Springs" competition!

Last year we took the Bronze award in the Museums category, coming in third behind the Pioneer Museum and the Olympic Museum; this year we'd like to finish higher, and to do that we need you to cast your vote!

It only takes a minute, and you don't need to be a Gazette subscriber to participate. Just click this link ...

https://thebestofthesprings.com/voting/#//

... click on Arts and Entertainment, scroll down to Museums, choose the National Museum of WWII Aviation from the options, then enter your e-mail address!

While you're there, please support your favorite businesses in the community by voting for all your best-loved establishments in the categories of Food and Drink, City Life & Recreation, Shopping, Family & Health, and Services and Professionals. There are LOTS of sub-categories, so take your time and find favorites; every single one of them would love to have your support!

Voting closes January 14th, so don't forget ... please vote today! 

Thank you from the entire Museum staff!

Museum Volunteer of the Fourth Quarter - Blair Griesheim

Blair Griesheim has been named the Museum's Volunteer of the Fourth Quarter. She's "a shining example of what a Docent at the National Museum of World War II Aviation should be," according to her nomination.

"She’s engaging, always positive, well prepared, and treats every interaction with Museum guests as an opportunity to build support for the Museum and its mission," the form says. "Based on Tripadvisor reviews and in-person comments from Museum visitors, Blair’s tours are among the most highly rated experiences that we offer, and in many cases have inspired guests to make donations to the Museum.”

"In one such case, a guest asked Blair if she would accept a tip. Blair declined the offer but suggested that the guest leave a donation at the front desk instead. The guest ended up participating in the Museum’s Memorial Bench program, making a $5,000 donation! It must have been a really great tour!

"Blair’s can-do attitude and positive approach to almost everything is contagious and has had a significant impact on everyone around her. We’re lucky to have her as a volunteer at the National Museum of World War II Aviation."

An award ceremony is slated for January 6, 2024.

Story and Photo Credit: Rich Tuttle

Pearl Harbor Attack Was a Deep Shock to the U.S.

The Japanese attacks on Hawaii, particularly the United States Navy bases at Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941, and subsequent attacks on other U.S. possessions were a deep shock to the U.S. and led directly to American involvement in World War II. The attack on all major U.S. military facilities on Oahu, 81 years ago, was followed in hours by Japanese attacks on the Philippines, Guam and Wake Island, all held by the U.S., as well as Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong, which were held by the United Kingdom.

Congress declared war on Japan the next day. Germany and Italy, showing solidarity with Japan, declared war on the U.S. on December 11, 1941. The U.S. responded in kind that day.

Relations between Japan and the U.S. had been progressively worsening since 1931 when Japan invaded Manchuria and later moved into portions of mainland China. In 1940, Japan allied with Germany and Italy. In 1941, the U.S. halted petroleum shipments to Japan, on which it had been highly dependent. Later that year, the U.S. severed most commercial and financial links with Tokyo.

Japan envisioned a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere in which Asian peoples, led by Japan, would work in an economic bloc. Among other things, it would give Japan access to natural resources, such as oil, which Japan lacked.

It was an attractive idea to Japanese nationalists. Attacking the American fleet at Pearl Harbor was part of a plan to allow Japan to seize the oil-rich areas of south Asia without American opposition.

A Japanese fleet of 67 ships launched its attack 200 miles north of Oahu. The fleet's six aircraft carriers launched 353 aircraft.

Their attack killed 2,335 American servicemen and wounded 1,143; 68 civilians were killed and 35 were wounded. Eighteen U.S. Navy ships were sunk or run aground, including five battleships. Three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer were either sunk or damaged. All three of the Navy's aircraft carriers in the Pacific were, by chance, not at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese struck. Of the 402 American aircraft in Hawaii, 188 were destroyed and 159 damaged, 155 of them on the ground.

Japan made no formal declaration of war beforehand that the attack was to begin 30 minutes after Japan informed the U.S. that negotiations were over. Instead, because it took too long for the Japanese embassy in Washington to translate the message from Tokyo into English, it wasn't delivered until over an hour after Japanese planes first struck.

Today, the memory of Pearl Harbor is honored to "ensure that future generations will understand the valor and legacy of those who fought throughout the war," says the National Park Service, which oversees the Pearl Harbor National Memorial on Oahu. It says commemorations also highlight "the importance of the peace that brought a reconciliation that continues to create a better future for all."

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Award-Winning USS Arizona Model on Display at the Museum

Jozef Szydlowski crafted the exquisitely detailed eight-foot-long scale model of the revered battleship USS Arizona on display at the Museum. Jozef, who was born in Poland, created the model at his home in Crewe, Cheshire, England, between 2012 and 2018.

The Arizona was sunk at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. The model honors the 1,177 men of the USS Arizona killed during the attack, and the 334 who survived it.

One of the survivors, Don Stratton, attended a 2019 ceremony in which the Museum accepted the model. Don was accompanied then by his son Randy; Don died in 2020 at the age of 97. The model clearly shows Don Stratton's station aboard the Arizona, the five-inch gun director unit high on the port side. Suffering burns over 65 percent of his body, Don was able to go hand-over-hand down a line some 60 feet above the water to the repair ship Vestal, which was docked alongside.

After an extended period of recovery, Don re-enlisted and was assigned to the destroyer USS Stack, which participated in five Pacific war battles, including Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. Some years later, when he applied for a gun permit, he found he had no fingerprints.

Jozef has won numerous awards for the model.

Story and Photo Credit: Rich Tuttle

Volunteers Holiday Casino Night a Big Hit

A merry Christmas was had by all at the Museum volunteers holiday casino game night!

It was a tremendously festive evening in the Kaija Raven Shook Aeronautical Pavilion on December 18 as everyone who keeps the museum going all year long gathered together in a casino-themed setting where they socialized, munched and played the game tables.

We heard from Bill Klaers, Museum President and CEO, and his wife Debi as they spoke to the Museum highlights and volunteer accomplishments of 2023. This included the year's volunteer award winners, and culminated with Jason Arndt being named Volunteer of the Year. Congratulations Jason!

Story and Photo Credit:

Rich Tuttle

The Airfield

1944 Consolidated Vickers PBV-1A/PBY-5A Canso/Catalina

The Museum's amphibious PBV-1A/PBY-5A Catalina/Canso is one of some 4,000 of the versatile aircraft produced for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army Air Forces, U.S. Coast Guard, and Allied nations. The prototype Consolidated XP3Y-1 first flew in March 1935; ten years later, the final PBY-6A model rolled off the assembly line in May 1945. Of the survivors around the world, our 1944 Consolidated Vickers PBV-1A Canso is one of an estimated 15-20 that remain airworthy.

American military leaders recognized the emerging competition for dominance in the Paci­fic during the early 1930s by the Empire of Japan. A competition to build a long-range patrol flying boat was initiated by the U.S. Navy, and Consolidated Aircraft won the contract. The type was used before, during and after World War II for a range of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, bombing, convoy escort, search and rescue, and cargo transport. The last active military Catalinas were flown until the 1980s. Civilian customers flew them well after that.

The PBY features a “parasol” wing mounted on a pylon over the fuselage and twin waist blisters at the rear of the aircraft to enhance observation for air-sea rescues and submarine detection. The fuselage is part boat, with a stepped “hull”. The “Cat” saw duty in the Atlantic and the Pacific attacking Axis submarines, and as a patrol bomber early in the war.

As a search-and-rescue aircraft, the Catalina was unsurpassed. Following the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in July 1945, a Catalina served as a rescue boat, protecting the sailors from shark attacks until help arrived. When there was no more room in the fuselage, sailors were tied to the wings; 56 sailors were rescued.

The Museum’s PBV-1A/PBY-5A was built in June 1944 by Vickers of Canada and designated PBV -- "PB" for "patrol bomber" and "V" for Vickers. Canada called its PBVs Cansos. Consolidated Aircraft of the U.S. was the prime manufacturer. Its planes were designated PBY, with the "Y" standing for Consolidated under the U.S. Navy's designation system. The U.S. called its PBYs Catalinas.

Our Vickers-built plane went from the production line in Montreal to a brief period of storage. It then went to Canada's Eastern Air Command where it flew anti-submarine patrols out of Reykjavik, Iceland, for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

After the war it was placed into storage. In about 1962, the Canadian government converted the plane into a fire-bomber, a role that it filled until 1992.

The plane was retired in 1993 and then acquired by a purchaser in South Africa. After sitting for some time, it was bought by another person in South Africa, who began a six-year-long restoration but did not complete it. The aircraft was then acquired by Jim Slattery who completed the restoration, and it was flown to the United States. When Jim’s collection of aircraft migrated to Colorado, this PBY made its way into the Museum’s collection and has been a Museum favorite ever since.

"It's not a very fast airplane. It cruises about 100-110 knots," said Ian Wayman, an airline pilot who flies the Catalina and the TBM Avenger for the Museum. "But it can fly for a long time. Qantas Airlines [of Australia] flew these during World War II, and they set some records with them, flying them over 28 hours."

"I had a PBY rating" before coming to the Museum, Ian said. "Of all the airplanes I've flown and 32,000-plus hours I've flown -- I've flown maybe 70-75 different types – this is one of the most challenging airplanes I've ever flown. But I have a big smile on my face when I fly it because it's really cool, and I’m honored to be able to display it for Jim and the Museum.”

In military service, the nose of the plane had a turret for machine guns, but it was removed and replaced by a "Clipper nose" for the civilian market. Starting with the Catalina PBY-4 model, where there used to be sliding hatches covering the two .50 caliber waist guns instead there were added large plexiglass blisters.

This modification served a three-fold purpose by providing: 1) Greatly increased views for gunners 2) Increased visibility of the ocean surface, both for spotting of enemy vessels during patrols and for recovery of airmen and seamen 3) Unobstructed views of the entire upper fuselage, including the engines, pylon, wing, and tail, all of which could be critical for evaluating battle damage while in-flight. They are now "great places to sit and enjoy the view," Ian said.

If you think the PBY Catalina looks more like a boat than a plane, you’re absolutely correct! Originally designed and constructed as a seaplane, the curved hull is made specifically to allow for water operations, from rough open seas to rivers and shallow bays. Amazingly, her draught (the depth of her hull underwater) at 27,000 pounds was only 2 feet 9 inches; when needed, she could float right up to the beach!

As such, the Catalina served multiple roles, from long ocean patrols to search and rescue missions picking up downed pilots and survivors of ships that had been sunk, to stealthy night bomber. So what about the wheels then? Boats don't need wheels!

The PBY-1 through PBY-5 models were strictly capable of water takeoff and landings. Though they were equipped with “beaching gear”, externally mounted tire assemblies that had to be attached and removed by a beaching crew and which allowed for moving the aircraft into and out of the water, that changed with the addition of retractable tricycle landing gear on the PBY-5A model.

Hydraulically controlled and internally stored, this made the Catalina totally amphibious, able to take-off and land from both land and sea. It also eliminated the need for beaching crews, as the Catalina could now simply move in close to shore, deploy internal gear, and power her way out of the water.

Specifications (PBY-5A)

Maximum Speed: 196 mph

Cruise speed: 125 mph

Crew: 10: pilot, co-pilot, bow turret gunner, flight engineer, radio operator, navigator, radar operator, two waist gunners, ventral gunner

Power Plant: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radial engines, 1,200 hp each

Length: 63 ft. 10 in.

Height: 21 ft. 1 in.

Wingspan: 104 ft.

Empty Weight: 12,190 lbs.

Maximum Weight: 35,420 lbs.

Maximum Range: 2,520 miles

Service Ceiling: 12,500 ft.

Guns:

• 3 × 0.30 caliber machine guns (two in nose turret, one in ventral hatch at tail)

• 2 × 0.50 caliber machine guns (one in each waist blister)

Bombs:

• 4,000 lbs of bombs or depth charges; torpedo racks were also available

Come check out the details on our amazing 1944 Consolidated Vickers PBV-1A/PBY-5A, and the rest of our amazing collection, during your visit to the museum!

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle and George White

Japanese Attack Crushed Defenders of Wake Island

The Battle of Wake Island pitted a small American force against a large Japanese force. The Japanese attacked the remote island outpost just hours after their surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Sixteen days later, Japanese soldiers stormed ashore and Wake Island's defenders were overwhelmed. American morale plummeted.

Because word of the Pearl attack was flashed to U.S. commands, American military personnel and civilian contractors on Wake were ready, but they were not well prepared. The under-strength Marine garrison had 6 big guns from the old battleship USS Texas; 12 anti-aircraft guns but only one gun director; and 48 heavy, medium and light machines guns. The single runway was long enough, but so narrow that only one plane could take off at a time. Fueling of the 12 Marine F4F Wildcat fighters was by hand. There were no revetments. There were no maintenance facilities. There was no radar. There were shortages of just about everything, including tools and spare parts.

Four of the Wildcats were scrambled immediately, but they failed to see the approach of 36 Japanese bombers from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, about 700 miles to the south. Forty-four men were killed during the initial air attack, including 34 of the 524 Marines. A huge aviation gasoline supply was lost and seven Wildcats were destroyed on the ground. The propeller of another was splintered by debris while taxiing.

Two days later, as Japanese ships shelled the island, Marine attacks from the air and shelling from Wake sank two destroyers and damaged two more. A pair of Wildcats shot down two Japanese bombers and damaged eleven others. The attacks and rough water stymied a first Japanese attempt to land troops.

Japanese commanders, facing a tougher fight than they had anticipated, took a step back. They added two destroyers to replace those that were lost, as well as two heavy cruisers, and increased the number of troops in the invasion force.

As the battle for the island raged, so did bloodless battles within the upper reaches of both the Japanese and American naval hierarchies.

On the Japanese side, Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, who had struck Pearl Harbor, had been ordered to strike Midway Island on his way back to Japan. But he ignored the order, enraging his superior, Admiral Matome Ugaki. When Nagumo was then ordered to support Japan's attack on Wake, he offered only part of his force, the carriers Soryu and Hiryu, and their escorts. The carriers' planes struck Wake once, then retreated.

On the American side, Admiral William S. Pye was the temporary replacement for Admiral Husband Kimmel, who had been fired after the Pearl Harbor attack as commander of the U.S. Fleet and Pacific Fleet. Pye was holding the seat for Admiral Chester Nimitz, who would later arrive in Hawaii from Washington. If the Japanese attacked Wake, Kimmel planned to oppose it with the Saratoga, Lexington, and Enterprise carrier groups.

But now that the attack had happened, the carriers faced delays and uncertainties. Saratoga, for instance, had been slowed by weather on its way to Pearl Harbor from San Diego. After leaving Pearl, the group slowed to keep pace with its big oiler, which refueled destroyers even though they didn't need it. The plan was to allow the Lexington group to catch up. Still, the decision to stick with the oiler has been criticized.

There were also uncertainties. Lexington was first ordered attack the Marshall Islands to divert Japanese attention from Saratoga's approach to Wake, but Lexington's order was cancelled. There was mutinous talk on the bridge, but Lexington complied.

Admiral Pye was taking a cautious approach and listened to several points of view. One was for an immediate attack, while another held that Wake would be a liability if carriers were lost defending it and that it would be better to abandon the island. Pye agreed with this idea and ordered the carriers to return to Pearl Harbor.

Back at Wake, Japanese attacks continued. Medium bombers from Kwajalein struck nearly every day. On December 20, with only two Wildcats capable of flight, the defenders were in dire straits.

On December 21, Admiral Nagumo's carrier-based dive bombers made their single attack. One Wildcat was shot down and another crash-landed, leaving no air defenses. A second invasion force was approaching.

At 2:35 a.m. on December 23, 1942, some 1,500 Japanese marines began landing. By mid-afternoon, the U.S. defenders were crushed.

Japan held Wake Island through the remainder of the war, before finally surrending it on September 4, 1945.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Gift Shop Gives Museum Visitors a Chance

to Own a Piece of History

The Museum's gift shop has grown like the Museum itself, and volunteers Larry and Jan McManus are the driving force behind it. "We've always been creative and we like to collect things [and] that worked out well when we came here from California" in 2012 just after the Museum opened, said Larry, who had an advertising and photography agency in Orange County.

Shortly after they arrived, it became clear to both of them that unused and sometimes damaged pieces and parts from restored World War II aircraft could be worth something if given new life as objects of art.

"Jan and I said, 'Why don't we make something out of these? These are historical items.'"

In a first attempt to see if the idea would sell, Larry took a piece of abandoned wreckage from our one-of-a-kind P-38 Lightning fighter White 33 -- then undergoing restoration at the WestPac hangar on the Museum campus here at the Colorado Springs Airport -- and combined it with one of his White 33 photos.

"We put that together and it was really kind of cool looking," Larry said. And it sold. So a table was placed against the wall in Hangar 1A where the volunteer pictures are now. It was filled with similar items, each bearing a price tag. They also sold. Another table was added. It wasn't known where that would lead, Larry said. "All we knew is it could make money for the Museum."

The next step was to display things along a wall near the Museum's then-entrance in Hangar 2A. At this point, "it wasn't just pictures combined with artifacts, it was artifacts made into something," like lamps or wall hangings or desk items.

"Then we started adding T-shirts" featuring photos Larry had taken of Museum airplanes. "They also sold."

Then Jan came up with the idea of adding toys for kids. She started buying aviation-themed toys from manufacturers, like push-pull airplanes. "That increased our product offerings and...increased our sales," Larry said. The idea was to have a product base that varied in price, appealed to all ages, and reflected the Museum. "We did not want to look like every gift shop but to be themed with...World War ll aviation and have the look and feel of the main Museum."

The goal was to be unique and stand out from other aviation museums with a broad range of unique products. This Museum teaches history and the gift shop allows our guests the chance to own a piece of history. Our great gift shop craftsmen (Art Baba, Bill Ballard, Rick Ludamen, Fred Tower, OC Pat O’Connell, Wayne Hall, Bob and Betsy Radney, Tom Heaney and of course Jan McManus) are charged with creating unique historical items from WWII airplanes. Their artistry and vision has led to creations ranging from aviation jewelry to tables, to wall sculptures, and more.

These unique, rare and one-of-a-kind items set the tone and expectations of our guests as they go through the gift shop, helping sell our other products. The gift shop has sold over 14,000 pieces this year.

"What is really cool is that people from other parts of the Museum help us," Larry said. For instance, when a donation is made for display in one of the Museum's exhibits, the donor is told by Gene Pfeffer's shop (he's our historian and curator) whether or not it can be part of the collection. If it can't, and if the donor still wants to give it to the Museum, it might go to the gift shop artists, who would turn it into a for-sale item. "I never turn down anything" Jan said.

People often find or inherit their family’s historical items and are unable to keep them, but also don’t want to just throw them away. Instead, by donating to the Museum, it allows us to repurpose those items to others who are interested in having them; we’re able to bring those family treasures to a new home. It also helps the Museum sustain itself. The museum has sold World War II wool socks and long johns still in their original sealed packages! 

Items also come to Larry's operation from the Museum's own restorations area in

Hangar 1. This area -- separate from WestPac, a private company under the Museum umbrella -- is run by Harry Johnson. It helps Larry's shop "build stuff and fabricate stuff that we can't do ourselves, but know what we want," Larry says.

Electronics expertise comes from Vern Patterson's group, which runs the N3N flight simulator and the Museum’s fully operational Link Trainer.

"We have a nucleus" of people who do the work itself, but other Museum groups are "very important" to the success of the gift shop, Larry said.

He says the people in his group are "very, very talented and dedicated to putting out the best product we can. We all come up with ideas on what we could do, or I'll bring a piece that I found over in WestPac...and I’ll say, 'What can we make out of this?' Everybody will say, 'Maybe a lamp if we did it this way, or maybe it's a clock.'"

Visitors pass through the gift shop on their way in and out of the Muesum, and there are no high-pressure sales. Walk around, take a look at everything there is to offer, and of course feel free to ask questions about those special pieces that the team has created. Come back often and you’ll notice that the items for sale are constantly changing, with new pieces replacing those that have sold.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Editor’s Note: As a World War II geek myself, I’ve bought t-shirts, hats, an artist and pilot-signed P-38 "White 33" print, a huge piece of P-38 “firewall”, and even got my dad a Fire Control Box from a Corsair. There’s not enough room in the house for everything I’d like to get from the gift shop!

Tuskegee Airman Promoted to Colonel During Broncos Game

Tuskegee Airman Lieutenant Colonel James H. Harvey III (USAF-ret.) received an honorary promotion to full Colonel during halftime at the November 4 Air Force-Army football game at Broncos Stadium in Denver.

In a storied career spanning 22 years, Col Harvey was the first African American jet fighter pilot to fly combat in the Korean conflict where his actions were noted with the awarding of the Air Medal and several Oak Leaf Clusters. He also was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and many other commendations during his service.

As a Tuskegee Airman in 1949, Col. Harvey and his 332nd Fighter Group Weapons team won the Propeller class of the USAF's inaugural United States Air Force Continental Air Gunnery Meet, a ten-day "Top Gun" team competition featuring aerial gunnery at 20,000 feet, aerial gunnery at 12,000 feet, dive bombing, skip bombing, rocketing firing, and strafing. The Tuskegee group led from start to finish. But reflective of the times, their victory in the competition was brushed aside, and not recognized until decades later.

In a statement, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet said, "Having served in a military that was still segregated, he faced no shortage of obstacles -- but his incredible courage, skill, and perseverance led him to earn repeated honors. I'm honored to have supported Lieutenant Colonel Harvey's honorary promotion and to recognize his contributions to our country's history and the advancement of civil rights."

A flight over Broncos Stadium at halftime featured a P-51 Mustang and the Museum's Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Correction to B-17 April Girl Story

We received the following note with a small correction from Mike Martin, author of "Steel Fortress" and son of April Girl crewman Harold Martin, and we'd like to share it!  

Fred Martin forwarded me the text of your review of his presentation that you are doing for the museum newsletter. I enjoyed it very much and appreciate you taking the time. I'm the author of Steel Fortress and Fred said I should contact you about a detail clarification.

Harold Martin (my dad) flew on 35 missions, not 28. Your synopsis is concise and vivid and the mission description was well done. That's pretty much how I always heard that story, but that kind of mayhem and chaos was a pretty common occurrence. I wish I knew more about Harold’s missions than I do because it is important to keep the stories and history alive. Thanks for taking time to help share the story of the April Girl!

We're happy to tell the story, Mike!

Your Best Shot!

This month's photo comes from Museum visitor Molly Shapiro. She shot this at the WestPac hangar in August of 2022; it depicts her 99-year-old dad, a World War II Army Air Corps Pilot, walking into the WestPac hangar and seeing the Museum's Brewster F3A-1 Corsair. Even in silhouette you can see the "Wow!" on his face!

Send us your best shot! Here are the rules:

1. Photo must be of a National Museum of World War II Aviation airplane, display or event

2. There's no age limit to entrants; if you're old enough to take a photo, you're old enough to enter!

3. Photo entry must include name, age and city of the photographer; when the photo was taken; and what event it was taken at. For example: Kanan Jarrus, 33, Manitou Springs, May 2023 Battle of the Philippine Sea presentation. If you'd like to include any other information about your photo, please do!

4. Photo must be a good quality digital .jpeg or .png file; the higher the resolution the better

5. Photo can be horizontal or vertical format, color or monochrome, untouched or processed; get creative!

6. Photos cannot contain inappropriate wording or images on clothing

7. If photos utilize a model, an appropriate model release form must be provided

8. One entry per person, per month. Send us your best shot!

8. Deadline for entry is 12:00 p.m. MST on the 20th of each month

9. The Museum Newsletter Team (that's our smiling mugs down below) will choose the winner. Between the four of us we have something like 175 years of experience in the writing, photography and publication business; we know a good photo when we see it!

10. The winning photographer will be requested to fill out a Museum Photo Release Form and return it. There is no monetary compensation or other prize, but we think you'll be pretty proud to have your photo shown to over 4K+ newsletter subscribers!

Email your photos (and any questions) to us at [email protected]. Don't forget, the entry deadline is the 20th of each month!

2024 Pikes Peak Regional Airshow Tickets On Sale Now!

See The Blue Angels First Colorado Springs Appearance!

Ring in the New Year by securing the best Airshow seats at the best prices!

Head on over to https://www.pprairshow.org/tickets/ on January 1st to be among the first 2024 PPRA attendees to secure their seats! This year's ticket options are as follows:

General Admission: $45

Military: $40

Children (Ages 4-12): $35

Preferred Seating: $70

• Prime Seating
• Private Restrooms
• Official Collectible program per order

Canteen Experience: $150

• Prime Seating
• Shade
• Complimentary Breakfast & Lunch
• Complementary non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages
• Private restrooms

We're expecting record airshow attendance beyond the 25K+ visitors that filled the 2022 event, especially with the first ever Colorado Springs appearance of the United States Navy BLUE ANGELS Flight Demonstration Squadron!

From the Blue Angles website (https://www.blueangels.navy.mil):

The team is stationed at Forrest Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, during the air show season. The squadron spends January through March training at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.

Around the country, the team serves as ambassadors of goodwill by bringing naval aviation to men, women, and children across America.

The precision flight demonstrations showcase the professionalism, excellence and teamwork found in all Navy and Marine Corps units, as well as provide the thrill and magic of flight to people each year.

Since its inception, the team has flown for more than 500 million spectators worldwide.

Our team looks forward to showcasing the mainstay of modern naval air power operating off U.S. aircraft carriers, the combat-proven F/A-18 Super Hornet, along with the Marine Corps' premiere logistics support aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules. Both of these aircraft are operating around the world and around the clock carrying out the mission of our Navy and Marine Corps team.

It is a privilege to perform for you and humbling to represent our fellow service members. We sincerely hope that whether this is the first, second, or 78th year you have seen us fly, the sight and sound of a Blue Angels performance delivers exhilaration, pride in your defense forces, appreciation for teamwork, and the inspiration to achieve excellence!

2024 PPRA Preferred Seating and Canteen Experience tickets are limited; secure yours on January 1st at https://www.pprairshow.org/tickets/ !

Special Presentation:

The Versatile and Long-Serving Douglas Skyraider and the Remarkable Story of the Museum’s own AD-5

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Museum opens at 9:00 a.m.

Presentation at 10:00 a.m.

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider, originally designated as the AD-1, was a single-seat attack aircraft that was in service from 1946 to the early 1980s. The Skyraider was originally developed to meet Navy requirements for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range, high performance dive bomber and torpedo bomber to replace the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and the Grumman TBF Avenger. Designed in 1944, the prototype first flew on March 18, 1945.

The Skyraider was operated by the U.S. Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force; it also saw service with the British Royal Navy, the French Air Force, the Republic of Vietnam Air Force, and others, and saw action during both the Korean conflict and in Vietnam. It remained in U.S. service until the early 1970s and was one of the most successful designs to come out of World War II.

Retired Army Colonel, museum docent lead, and former Air Force weapons specialist Nick Cressy will present the Skyraider story at the museum on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. The presentation will include the exciting and interesting story of how the museum’s A1E was recovered from Southeast Asia after the Vietnam conflict. Nick will also tell of his firsthand experiences as a weapons specialist servicing many A1’s while in Thailand during the conflict. Join us for this informative presentation.

Standard admission prices are in effect. The purchase of advance on-line tickets is encouraged and may be done at https://www.worldwariiaviation.org/product/ticket-to-the-museum.

Advance ticket prices are:

Adult - $15

Child (4-12) - $11

Senior and Military - $13

WWII Veterans – Always Free!

Children 3 and Under – Always Free!

Museum Members - Included in membership; please call 719-637-7559 or stop by the front desk to make your reservations.

And of course, parking is always Free!

Story Credit: Gene Pfeffer