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National WWII Museum
Acquires Historic
WWII Aircraft
Public invited to see the plane that
helped win the war: the C-47
NEW ORLEANS: One of the
finest examples of a legendary WWII aircraft, the C-47,
is en route to its permanent home at The National World
War II Museum in New Orleans. The Museum’s Director of
Research, Martin K.A. Morgan, located the plane for sale
on E-Bay. The purchase and restoration of the artifact
was made possible by benefactors Mr. Paul Hilliard and
his late wife Lulu of Lafayette, Louisiana.
The public is invited to view the aircraft on Saturday,
September 2 from 9:00 am to noon at the former Taylor
Energy Hangar on G. Bellanca Street at the Lakefront
Airport. The first 200 children to arrive will receive
free Army Air Corps wings. The National WWII Museum will
present hands-on activities for young people, and WWII
re-enactors in authentic paratrooper uniforms will share
their extensive knowledge about the war in the air and
on the ground. This free public viewing is made possible
by generous support from Acadian Ambulance, Badger Oil
Corporation and Abita Springs Water Company.
Famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle called the C-47 “the
workingest airplane in existence… Almost any pilot would
tell you it was the best airplane ever built.” The
Douglas C-47 was used as a cargo transport to fly the
notorious “Hump” over the Himalayas after the Japanese
closed the Burma Road, and as a paratroop carrier in
various campaigns from New Guinea to Normandy and
beyond. Known also as “Dakota” (British designation),
R4D (U.S. Navy), “Skytrooper” and “Gooney Bird,” the
Douglas C-47 (USAAF) went through many modifications
during its long service life, largely with respect to
engine power ratings, but also with structural
modifications for specific tasks like reconnaissance and
navigation training. It was even tested as a floatplane
and as an engineless glider.
“Like the Higgins Boat, the Sherman tank and the jeep,
the C-47 was so important to the success of the war
effort that The National WWII Museum would not be
complete without it,”
noted Museum President and CEO Dr. Gordon “Nick”
Mueller. “The Hilliards’ generosity enabled us to
acquire and restore C-47 #096, a true hero of WWII
aviation history.”
C-47 #096 carried Pathfinder paratroopers of the 82nd
Airborne into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944; dropped a
Pathfinder paratrooper team of the 101st Airborne into
German-occupied Holland in Operation Market Garden; flew
in a massive re-supply mission to the 101st Airborne
during the Battle of the Bulge; and participated in
Operation Varsity, “the Rhine Jump,” in 1945.
Following a stop in Lafayette, C-47 #096 will fly into
New Orleans on August 30, escorted by
two F-15B Eagles of the 159th Fighter Wing/Louisiana Air
National Guard.
In September, the plane will be moved to the Museum and
mounted aloft in the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion, to be
on display with the other iconic vehicles of the war –
the Higgins Boat and the jeep. The Museum is preparing
an interactive exhibit for the C-47 which will make it
one of the Museum’s most compelling presentations. “The
National WWII Museum honors the millions of Americans
who served their country on the battlefront and the Home
Front. It is an extraordinary experience for every
member of the family,” Mr. Hilliard said. “But it is
also a great economic engine for New Orleans and the
Gulf region and it is critical to the post-Katrina/Rita
rebuilding effort. This Museum deserves our admiration
and our support.”
The Museum opened in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum
and recently has been designated by Congress as the
country’s official National World War II Museum. It
interprets the American experience during the World War
II years; celebrates the American Spirit, the teamwork,
courage and sacrifice of the men and women who won WWII;
and promotes the expression of these values for future
generations. The National WWII Museum recently completed
the first phase of a $300 million expansion that, when
complete, will create a six-acre campus of Museum
exhibition pavilions, an advanced format theater, USO
entertainment venue, and education and research center
in downtown New Orleans. Dr. Mueller stated “The C-47 is
an amazing new acquisition that will be a major
attraction for New Orleans residents and all our future
visitors.”
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