Photo By Maj. Daniel Hill | A World War II U.S. Navy AT-6 aircraft maneuvers below a U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawk...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – Aircraft from 4th Bn., 160th SOAR(A) participated in a historic flyover with a B-25 Mitchell Bomber to celebrate the history and advancements in Army Aviation, Aug. 26, 2013.
The historic flight formation, which began near Everett, Wash., included an MH-60M Black Hawk and MH-47G Chinook from 4th Bn., and a B-25 Bomber; the same type of aircraft used by the Doolittle Raiders when they were called upon in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor bombing.
The B-25 Bomber is quickly becoming harder to come by. According to Wolfe, there are only six airworthy B-25s today and this was a first for this type of formation, and due to the limited number of B-25s left, could be the only time it will ever happen.
“In 2008, the Historic Flight Foundation gained possession of this B-25,” said John T. Sessions, founder and chairman of the Historic Flight Foundation. “It was an airshow favorite in Europe for the previous 20 years.”
“We had friends in England who made it ready for flight once we purchased it,” he said while discussing the process of taking ownership of the historic aircraft. “Once it was ready, we flew it on the airshow circuit in England and around the continent. Following those flights, we began our trip back here. After several stops and 32-hours of flight, we had made it back home.”
“The Raiders trained in the Northwest and we still use that same training area today,” said Army Maj. Gabriel M. Wolfe, commander of Company A., 4th Bn., 160th SOAR(A). “There is still a B-25 monument at the training area and markings painted on the runway for when the Raiders would practice take-offs and landings on a simulated [aircraft carrier] deck.”
Along with sharing a training area, there are other strong similarities between the men who volunteered for the Doolittle Raiders and the Nightstalkers.
“They were excellent at long-range infiltration, and that has become a hallmark profile of the Nightstalkers,” Wolfe explained. “The Raiders, like us, also focused on the Pacific for their main area of operations.”
Wolfe said the flight formation was important in order to ensure the battalion is continuing to build relationships with civic and volunteer organizations like the Heritage Flight Museum and the Historic Flight Foundation, because they are the ones documenting aviation history.
“We are a unit who makes history and someday organizations like these will be helping to keep the memory of what we’ve done, especially over the last decade, alive.”
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2013 17:03 |
| Story ID: | 113231 |
| Location: | EVERETT, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 615 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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