Saturday, November 14, 2015

Rebuilder reunites veterans, memories

Three veteran airmen of World War II got their wings back Tuesday, thanks to an aircraft restoration firm at Chino Airport.

John Minech, 94, Robert Vanderhagen, 93, and Raymond Holmes, 95, had heard through the grapevine about the Douglas A20 Havoc being restored at Chino Airport by Aero Trader.


The warbird restoration and maintenance company, operated by Carl Scholl of Chino and Tony Ritzman of Ontario, had been working on the old bird for about seven years. They flew it for the first time in July and it became the subject of an article in Air Classics magazine.


Capt. Minech, Lt. Vanderhagen and Lt. Holmes, all of Southern California, accompanied by family members, had an emotional reunion with the warbird at Aero Trader’s hangars. All three had flown A20s during World War II, when 6,000 were built.


Capt. Minech served in the Ninth Air Force in Europe. Lt. Vanderhagen and Lt. Holmes served in the same outfit, the Fifth Air Force in the Pacific, but did not know each other. Lt. Holmes’ granddaughter lives in Chino.


Lt. Vanderhagen spent the morning and early afternoon at Aero Trader, Mr. Scholl said. Capt. Minech and Lt. Holmes arrived later and remained for a couple hours each. All three witnessed the A20 taxiing, taking off and flying, Mr. Scholl said.


A fourth Army Air Forces veteran, Charles Jerman, 98, was unable to attend Tuesday’s reunion but had seen the restored aircraft a few weeks earlier.


Lt. Jerman served in the 15th Air Force in Italy, was shot down and imprisoned by the Germans, according to his unpublished book.


The A20 restored by Aero Trader is the only one flying in the world, Mr. Scholl said. To restore it at Chino Airport was appropriate, he added, because many A20s were scrapped there at the conclusion of the war.


Chino Airport was then known as Cal Aero Field, a pilot training base.


Douglas built the A20 in Santa Monica.


The owner of the restored A20, collector Rod Lewis of Texas, is expected to take delivery next week, Mr. Scholl said. Mr. Lewis, owner of Lewis Air Legends, acquired the A20 several years ago and hired Aero Trader to restore it to World War II configuration.


Mr. Scholl said he is beginning restoration work on a second A20.


“Tuesday was a salute to our veterans by giving these airmen and their families the opportunity to see the plane they flew and remember the times they spent defending our great nation. None of these four men ever thought they would see an A20 fly again in their lifetime. That day also represented the resurrection to flying condition of a plane that could have met its fate at the scrapper’s hand at Chino, but did not,” Mr. Scholl said.


- Source:  http://www.championnewspapers.com

No comments:

Post a Comment