My unforgettable day on a B-24, and with a very special vet
The Collings Foundation “Wings of Freedom Tour” flew into Chicago Executive Airport this past Friday and I had the honor to fly down with them from Waukegan Regional Airport. Since 1989, a major focus of the foundation has been the “Wings of Freedom Tour” of World War II aircraft.
This tour showcases two fully restored bomber aircraft: a B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress, as well as a P-51C Mustang dual-control fighter. The foundation encourages people to tour the planes, talk to the veterans who come to visit the aircraft, and participate in a “flight experience.”
As I walked around the B-24 trying to imagine what it would be like to be a young airman getting ready to go off to war, I encountered a small group, all family members, gathered around a very old gentleman with a walker in hand. As I got closer, his hat had “8th Air Force WWII” on it and a jacket had “93RD BG 329TH BS” on the back.
I asked him if he had flown the B-24 and with the look of an 18-year-old young man in his eyes he replied “I was a crew chief on a 24.” His name is Al Lee and he is from Niles. Lee, now 92 years old, went into the Air Force in October 1941 and made it to the rank of staff sergeant.
As we stood there Lee told us how he worked on his B-24 to keep it in the best shape possible under the conditions he had. I think, on that day, if someone would have walked up to us and said, “We can’t fly — something’s wrong with engine No. 1,” Lee would have pushed his walker to the side, grabbed a wrench and known just what to do to get us in the air.
The stories he told were right out of the history books, only this was no print, it was from a young man who was there and lucky enough to come home.
Lee’s last flight home in “his 24” was in May 1945. Now, now 67 years later Al Lee was helped into the B-24 to go for one more mission. As I climbed into the rear hatch I was thinking what a honor it was to be going for a flight in a WWII B-24 bomber and to have a WWII veteran who made history happen in “his 24” just a few feet away from me.
As we flew south over Lake Michigan the P-51 fighter came up on our port wing and escorted Lee and the rest of us into the air field. This was a flight of a lifetime for me and to share it with an American hero like Al Lee is something I will cherish and honor forever.
I would like to thank the Collings Foundation for this flight experience opportunity and for all the hard work it takes to keep this piece of history alive. Lastly, a big thank you to Al Lee and all of our veterans for your service to our great country.
Ÿ Mike Dziadus is an aviation and photography buff. He lives in Mount Prospect.