In the early 1940’s, the nation was about to enter into what would be one of the biggest wars in history, World War II, and men and women across America began preparing. Men began training to fight, sail, and fly for our country, and even our own airport here in Douglas became a training ground for a select group of men.
About ten thousand men used the airport as a headquarters for training, living in the barracks and learning how to fly in Stearman biplanes. The experiences and memories forged during this training would stay with the cadets for life, and many would return to the airport to visit their comrades and reminisce. These cadets still, to this day, return to Douglas once a year and walk the same ground they did as very young men over sixty years ago. This year, seven cadets made it to Douglas and were able to take a ride in a Stearman biplane, reliving the exhilarating first moments of their training.
Elements of the 63rd Army Air Force Contract Pilot School that these veterans participated in at the Douglas airport is largely still intact. The WWII Flight Training Museum that has been set up near the airport is dedicated to preserving the memories, artifacts, and images of the historic training. The barracks where some of the men stayed during training still stands today. However, over the years, Douglas has transformed according to the veterans. As Lieutenant Corporal Paul Hawkins colorfully explained, “There was not a damn thing here!” Another cadet went on to explain that there was nothing beyond the train tracks when you left down town.
The airport was, at the time, mainly dirt and one cadet remembered the dust that had been kicked up by the planes during training. Now all the runways are paved, and some have been moved and rerouted. The cadets, all of whom are in their 90s, can see clearly the changes that have taken place in our once small rural town of Douglas. Some things, however, never change.
Almost every cadet was taken into the sky by a brilliant yellow Stearman biplane and almost each one took control of the plane for at least a short while. For some, it was an experience they hadn’t had in years. “I never thought I’d do that again,” stated a grinning Raymond Carter, who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force during World War II. He joined the forces and began training to fly when he was 18 years old, as many other cadets had. Though they flew aircraft in the War, for some it would be years before they would fly another aircraft again. As one cadet, Guy Alley, explained, “It’s like riding a bicycle,” a feeling that one does not forget easily. He also shared a recent experience he had six months earlier riding in a jet in Utah. He not only got to take control of the jet in flight, but also got to experience the G-Force effect for the first time in his life.
Cadets reminisced about their early years, learning to fly and building a skill that would last a lifetime. Enormous effort is being put into keeping these memories for generations to come, and William Manchester, who flew a B-17 as a commanding officer in the war, brought new images of the cadets who had trained at the airport to be put on display at the Museum.
In Operation Chokehold, Cadet John Herrmann unloaded artillery on German locomotives and “shot at everything that moved.” Flying P-47s in the 27th Fighter Bomber Group he flew 101 missions in the war. Guy Alley shared his experience of being awoken in his barracks on D-Day as he and his fellow soldiers were being informed of the news. Zeke Alpern, a warrant officer with the military for three years, flew in the South Pacific during the war and described the airplanes he flew in the war as the “backbone of commercial aviation.”
The experiences and memories these cadets have and share are priceless. Students Dillon Minchew of Ambrose Elementary and Lexi Stone of Indian Creek won a contest at the WWII Flight Museum and were awarded a visit with the cadets and were able to join a luncheon in their honor. The cadets will be back again next year, sharing experiences and remembering one of the most important times of their lives. Take a moment to ask them a question, visit with them.
These are the men that were there, in the thick of it, during one of the most monumental moments in world history and speaking with them is a truly enchanting experience.