Charlie Mills, a World War II veteran from Concord, hadn’t been up in a plane in 65 years. Nor had he talked about his service for 50 years. But on Monday, he relived his time as a top turret gunner and flight engineer when he took to the skies in one of World War II’s bomber planes, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, also known as the “Memphis Belle.”
For the first time in more than half a century Mills felt the whipping wind, heard the thunderous growling of the engines and sat in the small green chairs inside the cramped Memphis Belle. He reminisced about the last time he was in a B-17. “The last time was in combat,” Mills said. “It was a different story. It is hard to talk about still.”
The Memphis Belle is one of the most famous B-17s of its time. It was the first B-17 to complete all of its tour of duty – a rarity at that time. Even under intense enemy fire and severe damage, it brought back every member of its 10-man crew unharmed. The Memphis Belle that was used in the 1990 movie by the same name was brought to Concord on Monday by the Liberty Foundation, a non-profit organization. It is not the original Memphis Belle used in combat, but another B-17 that was made in 1945 and used in the feature film.
It’s one of only 13 B-17’s that still fly today. The original Memphis Belle is being restored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. It suffered years of deterioration from being stored outdoors. The foundation’s Memphis Belle stopped in Concord on Monday as a part of its national tour. Next it heads to Columbia, S.C.
Mills thinks it’s a great way to make sure the sacrifices of so many B-17 crews aren’t forgotten. “It’s hard for people to even visualize something like World War II,” he said. “(It’s great) just to keep it before the public, if they don’t we’ll forget about it.”
You can reach reporter Lauren Baheri at 704-869-1842 or Twitter.com/lbaheri.
Want to go? When? Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28 – 29 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Flights will begin in the morning, every 45 minutes before ground tours in the afternoon. Where? Concord Regional Airport, 9000 Aviation Blvd., Concord at the main terminal building How much? Flights are $410 for Liberty Foundation members and $450 for non-members. Donations are accepted for ground tours. Call: 918-340-0243 to reserve your spot on the Memphis Belle.