WWII veteran takes flight to remember
World War II veteran Martin Bader used to build aircraft like the B-17 and B-24 bombers on display last weekend at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling.
The 89-year-old Mount Prospect resident, a former Army Air Corps mechanic, got to take a flight on one of the historic planes Monday as part of a nationwide tour of the wartime relics.
"It was excellent, just what I expected," Bader said after landing in Fort Wayne, Ind., the next stop on the "Wings of Freedom" tour. "It was very noisy. It brings back good memories of military aircraft."
His flight on the B-17 Flying Fortress is one of hundreds that take place every year, coordinated by the Collings Foundation, a Massachusetts group that operates and maintains the aging aircraft.
The tour also visited the Waukegan and DuPage Airports in July.
Bader first learned about military planes at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul where he trained to become an airplane mechanic after enlisting in March 1941. He later became an instructor at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Tex., during the height of World War II. He recalls teaching servicemen how to work the parts of the airplane - like cylinders, pistons and hydraulic pumps.
"If one of them didn't work, the airplane didn't fly," he said.
Bader's service ended on December 7, 1945 - four years to the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor prompted U.S. involvement in World War II.
But his expertise on planes remains, and he still reads about military aircraft daily. He said he thought the two planes on tour were in very good condition considering their age.
"Anything that might need lubrication, they were on it right away," Bader said of the plane's crew members applying oil to the engine. "You don't have that with a jet engine."
The flight is an early birthday present for Bader, who turns 90 next month. His son Martin Jr. accompanied him on the hourlong flight, and said his dad was right at home.
"He talks about the old days quite a bit. He's definitely very fond of that era," the younger Bader said. "He doesn't want people to forget the sacrifice made by men of his time."
Though veteran John Kraeger didn't take the flight from Wheeling to Ft. Wayne, the 85-year-old Chicago resident came to the airport Monday to reflect on his days as a ball turret gunner in World War II. He recalled being positioned in the belly of a B-24 Liberator, similar to the one on display.
As part of the 466th Bombardment Group, Kraeger said he took part in 35 missions that started on D-day, June 6, 1944.
Flights on the aircraft are provided at no cost to veterans like Bader. For the general public, a $425 fee is charged since operational costs for the planes can reach up to $5,000 per flight hour, said Hunter Chaney, marketing director for the Collings Foundation.
Ridership has decreased since 2007, which the foundation believes is a direct correlation to economic conditions. Other revenue is gained through tours of the planes at each airport stop, memberships and sponsorships, Chaney said.
The "Wings of Freedom" tour goes to more than 110 cities every year, visiting 3,000 in its 20 year history. Organizers hope the tour serves both to honor World War II veterans and provide a vehicle for understanding world history.
Indeed, spectators watched from an airport fence along Milwaukee Avenue Monday as the two planes' engines roared, smoke billowed, propellers twirled and the World War II bombers took flight.
"That's when you realize that it's an entirely different history lesson," Chaney said.