Wings of Freedom tour stops in Butler County
PENN TWP — Beginning Wednesday, Butler County residents will be able to view both World War II vintage aircraft and the modern day Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport.
The Collings Foundation's Wings of Freedom tour touched down at the airport at 2 p.m. Wednesday.
The Living History display will feature the B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine O Nine" heavy bomber, the B-24 Liberator “Witchcraft” heavy bomber, the B-25 “Tondelayo” midrange bomber and the P-51 Mustang “Toulouse Nuts” fighter.
Visitors can tour the aircraft for a fee or take a 30-minute flight aboard one of the rare aircraft until their departure at noon Friday.
Any World War II veteran who attends the event will be welcome to a gift certificate to purchase Collings Foundation items, courtesy of the airport, said Ike Kelly, the airport manager.
One of those veterans planning to visit the airport is Howard Franklin Struble Jr., 93, of Evans City. He was the right waist gunner and armorer on a B-17 in Foggia, Italy.
He said, “It was very scary, but the B-17 was known to be more likely to bring you back home than the heavier, slower bombers.”
Brant Dempster of Sarver is planning to attend to honor the memory of his great-uncle Robert Dempster Jr. who was the pilot of a B-24 in the Pacific during World War II.
“He was a Freeport boy,” said Dempster of his grandfather's brother. “They did the island-hopping campaign,” he said. On Sept. 11, 1944, his great-uncle's plane, “Pistol Pakin Mamma” was on a reconnaissance/bombing mission” over Marcus Island when it was shot down and all but one of the 10-man crew was killed.
Returning Wings of Freedom to Butler County after being here last year was an easy decision, according to Ken Miles, director of operations for the Stow, Mass.-based Collings Foundation, a nonprofit educational foundation that collects historical vehicles of all types.
Kelly said the airport will complement the World War II aircraft with some World War II ground vehicles.
A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.
