The National Museum of World War II Aviation

Museum receives Grant

November 2013

In This Issue

Education Grant

P-38 Restoration in High Gear

Special Museum Visitor

Restoration Lead Don Henry

Your Comments

Education Grant Received from
Colorado Department of Aviation

In just their first major grant effort for K-12 education programs, the partnership of the Colorado Consortium for Earth and Space Science Education (CCESSE) and the National Museum of WWII Aviation were recently awarded a Colorado Department of Aviation grant for over $140,000. Receiving this grant is a validation of the importance of the partnership's mission to educate the next generation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The museum's interactive setting and unique hands-on opportunities have combined to create engaging, meaningful experiences for students in kindergarten through high school.

Our education programs use the history of WWII as the setting to teach a variety of STEM subjects, from forces of flight and aircraft design to nutrition and recycling. Teachers prepare their students for their museum program with a short series of classroom lessons. Once on site, our education staff builds on this foundation through activities that incorporate the museum's aircraft and exhibits. Students are particularly excited by the chance to "fly" the N3N and the planes that they build out of salvaged materials. And thanks to recent efforts from NaMoWWIIA volunteers, we now have a state-of-the art classroom in which to conduct parts of our programs.

In addition to the STEM experience, the museum is bringing students face-to-face with aspects of daily life of the WWII home front that their grandparents and other adults in their lives experienced. Because of our programs, our students have seen grandparents' ration books, steel pennies that their teachers saved as children, and even made family recipes that were based on WWII ration ingredients. The museum's exhibits have also opened students' eyes to how much technology has changed life over the last 70 years; as one student said when asked what she'd remember most about her NaMoWWIIA program, "I will remember most how you had to write a letter if you wanted to talk to someone far away-you couldn't just call them!"

Special thanks go to the team from CCESSE and the NaMoWWIIA volunteers for their monumental efforts in preparing such a high-quality grant proposal. Grant funding will be used solely to support our K-12 education staff and programs through 2014.

P-38 Restoration in High Gear

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is a legendary World War II fighter, and two -- both with distinguished combat records -- are being brought back to flying condition by Westpac Restorations at the Colorado Springs Airport. "White 33" will be the first to fly, in a couple of years. It was flown by Kenneth Sparks, who shot down 11 Japanese aircraft as a member of the 39th Fighter Squadron in New Guinea. "Jandina III" is next in line to fly. It was piloted by Captain Jay T. Robbins of the 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, also in New Guinea. He downed 22 Japanese aircraft.

White 33 after collision with Japanese fighter

Both planes were written off as wrecks in 1944 and buried at Finschhafen, New Guinea. But they were recovered in 1999 and shipped to Westpac in 2003-2004. Parts of three other P-38s also are at Westpac.

The P-38 richly deserves its record as an outstanding American fighter plane. Some 10,000 were built but only a few remain. P-38s were flown in Europe, but were most successful in the Pacific and China-Burma-India theaters, where they downed some 1,800 Japanese aircraft, making aces of more than 100 pilots.

Japanese ace Sakai Saburo had great respect for the P-38. He's quoted as saying that on his "first confrontation with the P-38, I was astonished to find an American aircraft that could outrun, outclimb, and outdive our Zero which we thought was the most superior fighter plane in the world. The Lightning's great speed, its sensational high altitude performance, and especially its ability to dive and climb much faster than the Zero presented insuperable problems for our fliers. The P-38 pilots, flying at great height, chose when and where they wanted to fight with disastrous results for our own men. The P-38 boded ill for the future and destroyed the morale of the Zero fighter pilot."

"White 33," being restored for a customer on the west coast, may have an edge over "Jandina III" in terms of historical significance. The airplane, a P-38J-5, serial number 42-12652, was among the first Lightnings to be delivered to the Southwest Pacific.

And, with Lt. Sparks at the controls, according to several accounts, "White 33" was on the first P-38 mission against the Japanese. On that day, Dec. 27, 1942, twelve Lightnings of the 39th scrambled from Port Moresby, New Guinea, to counter a large force of Japanese fighters and dive bombers attacking the Allied base at Dobodura. One fight of four P-38s, including "White 33," encountered "20 or 30 Zekes and Oscars with 7 or 8 Val Dive Bombers," according to the squadron's combat diary. Seven Japanese airplanes were claimed, including one Zeke and one Val by Sparks. "White 33" was so badly shot up that Sparks had to force-land at Dobodura, according to "P-38 Lightning Aces of the Pacific and CBI," by John Stanaway.

Lt. Richard I.Bong, who went on to become the top American ace with 40 downed Japanese planes, was temporarily assigned to the 39th while his 9th Squadron waited to get its own P-38s, and on this first P-38 mission against the Japanese, Bong shot down one enemy fighter.

Sparks downed two other Japanese airplanes on Dec. 31, 1942. The second of these crashed over Lae after colliding with "White 33," which Sparks managed to get back on the ground -- his second forced landing in five days. Photos of "White 33" after this incident, showing damage to the right wingtip and aileron, are on display at Westpac. Also on display are photos of "White 33" being recovered at Finschhafen.

Nose section of White 33 at Westpac

Most of "White 33," which may have been flown by other aces, was recovered. "We have the wings, it was on its wheels when it was shoved into the pit," says Westpac's Wojciak. "It had the tail, but it got broken off and was tucked underneath it, so we have the actual booms, and you can see on the tail it probably had at least four different buzz numbers," which means it was repaired and returned to service a number of times. It ended up with the 433rd Fighter Squadron, a unit of the Fifth Air Force's 475th Fighter Group. The 39th was a unit of the Fifth's 35th Fighter Group. One of the last pilots to fly "White 33" apparently was Jerry Gettler of the 475th, whose name was on it when it was recovered.

One squadron mate of Sparks, Charles P. "Sully" Sullivan, visited Westpac and the National Museum of World War II Aviation shortly before he passed away on September 20, 2013. On that same date 70 years earlier, he crash-landed his P-38 in the New Guinea jungle after being shot up by a Japanese fighter. After a 30-day trek that included a serious altercation with hostile natives, he arrived back at his base, having lost about 40 pounds. Fifty years after the crash, on September 20, 1993, his P-38H - "Mareelee II," 42-66851 -- was discovered in the New Guinea jungle. Sullivan is credited with six kills, five in the P-38 and one in the P-39 Airacobra, according to acepilots.com.

Colonel Frank Royal, Commander, 39th Fighter Squadron, Retired

"White 33" could have been flown by another member of the 39th, retired Colonel Frank Royal, who visited the Museum in 2012. "Kind of surprising to think back on what contact I might have had with that airplane those years ago," Royal told KOAA television news in 2012. He said the 39th was the first squadron to shoot down 100 Japanese planes in the Pacific theater.

As replacement parts are made for "White 33" and "Jandina III," Westpac is making duplicates for the other three P-38s slated for restoration, Wojciak says. "As we build parts for the first one, we're making enough for all five."

Jandina III with crewchiefs

"Jandina III," a P-38J-15, serial number 42-103988, was being flown by Capt. Jay T. Robbins on April 12, 1944, when he got his 18th kill and 19th claim. On May 7, 1944, "Jandina III" lost nose wheel hydraulics returning from a mission. Robbins was instructed to land at an emergency airfield near Saidor, after which the plane was abandoned. It was later moved by barge down the coast to Finschhafen, where, after removal of the tail booms, landing gear, engines and outer wings, the remainder was buried.

Robbins downed a total of 22 Japanese airplanes. He flew five P-38s, with his third and fourth aircraft named "Jandina," a contraction of his name, Jay, and his wife's name, Ina. He was commander of the 80th Fighter Squadron, a unit of the Fifth Air Force's 8th Fighter Group, from December 1943 to October 1944. The squadron claimed 225 Japanese aircraft. Robbins remained in the Air Force, becoming a lieutenant general and vice commander of Military Airlift Command and Tactical Air Command in the 1970s. He died in 2001.

"Jandina III" was pulled from the same pit as "White 33." Alongside those two was a P-47 Thunderbolt, a D-2-RE model, serial number 42-8074. It's also at Westpac and will fly eventually.

Special Museum Visitor

Recently, a World War II veteran came to the Museum for a tour who had not previously signed up via our website. At the beginning of each tour our Docent usually asks our visitors to share their names, home towns, and some brief words on their background and knowledge of World War II. This particular veteran and his daughter asked for an abbreviated tour and asked that the details of the veterans service not be shared until the end of the tour. We, obviously, honored his request and continued with the tour.

Doolittle's B-25s on the USS Hornet, April 18, 1942

For those of you who have experienced the tour, you know we cover the build up to World War II, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the significance of the Doolittle Raid, the challenges in Europe and the Pacific, the immense support provided on the Home Front, and the termination of conflict in both Europe and the Pacific.

L-R Gus Freyer, Phil Heacock, Gene Pfeffer, Richard Cole

Our Veteran visitor and his daughter listened carefully to and interacted with our docent, Gene Pfeffer, throughout the tour. As promised, father and daughter disclosed his identity and service as the visit was coming to a close. This veteran was Lieutenant Colonel Richard E. Cole, copilot for Jimmy Doolittle in the lead B-25 aircraft, 40-2344, during the raid on Tokyo. He was accompanied by his daughter, Cindy Cole Chal.

Needless to say our Docent was honored to have given this tour of the National Museum of World War II Aviation to Lieutenant Colonel Cole. Everyone associated with the Museum was truly honored that he and his daughter took a portion of their day to see the work of volunteers to preserve the history of aviation during this war and inspire new generations to pursue science and technology which will continue to be the backbone of our nation's strength. The surviving Doolittle Tokyo Raiders are Lt. Col Richard Cole, Lt. Col. Robert Hite, co-pilot of the Number 16 aircraft, Lt. Col. Edward Saylor, engineer-gunner of the Number 15 aircraft, and Staff Sergeant David Thatcher, engineer-gunner of the Number 7 aircraft. We salute these heroes and veterans of World War II.

Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, Doolittle Raider

The plan is for these survivors of this incredible raid, that did so much for the spirit and morale of this country, to gather at Wright Patterson AFB on November 9, 2013, for one last time to open the cherished bottle of 1896 cognac that has been waiting for this special occasion. About 1,000 visitors have been invited to attend. The Doolittle raiders do not plan to meet again. We salute their bravery and courage for what they did at that incredibly important time in our history.

Meet Our Volunteers

Our Restoration Team Lead, Don Henry, was raised in Arlington, Virginia, and became a self-proclaimed aircraft nut while a third grader. Following high school he attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Miami, graduating with an Airframe and Powerplant license. Returning to the Washington DC area, he worked three years for the US Navy's David W. Taylor Model Basin testing aircraft and airborne weapons in a transonic wind tunnel.

He then attended the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he earned a B.S. in Industrial Design. During the

next forty years he designed major appliances for Westinghouse, aircraft interiors for Cessna, test and measurement equipment for Hewlett-Packard, computer products for Marathon Computer and Griffith Technology, and numerous other products as a Consultant Industrial Designer.

Retiring initially in Florida, he worked five years as a volunteer aircraft restorer and tour guide at the Valiant Air Command's Warbird Museum in Titusville. Returning to Colorado Springs in 2009, he served three years as a docent at the Pueblo-Weisbrod Air Museum before joining the National Museum of WWII Aviation in November, 2012.

He especially likes the fact that this museum actively recruits and trains young volunteers in order to cultivate an early interest in aviation and history.

Your Comments

Thanks for your great comments and suggestions posted through our website. We read every submission and work to implement your great ideas.

Update!! Recently, the National Museum of World War II Aviation stepped up to number 8 of 107 attractions in Colorado Springs and we are the number one rated museum according to TripAdvisor.com. Thanks to all our visitors and volunteers for your support.

Based on your comments we are developing stories on World War II aviation in Southern Colorado. The Link Trainer reconstruction is progressing rapidly and several other projects are underway. We have several ideas for future displays. You, our visitors, are often the source for artifacts and ideas which evolve into informative displays representing key elements of the World War II story. We are still looking for Tuskegee Airman display items as well as content for a WASP display case. We could use your help in filling this piece of WWII history

We have put in place an iPad where you can sign up for this newsletter during the check-in process. Some have asked about a membership program and we hope to have that in place in the next few weeks. Things are happening fast at the Museum as volunteers continue to build exhibits and displays.

The Facebook page for the Museum is a great way to follow the daily activities including veterans' visits, new artifacts, and warbirds that may be visiting and could be seen during your tour. The Facebook link is http://www.facebook.com/wwiiaviation or click on the link above. In the footer below, you will notice a link to Update Profile/Email Address. Please take a moment to update your information so we can personalize our contact with you. Spread the word. This is your tribute to the greatest generation and the opportunity to educate the next generations.

For Twitter users, you can find us at www.twitter.com/wwiiaviation