Latest news with #B-17
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Illinois man has spent 40 years rebuilding a WWII-era B-17 bomber in his barn
A man in Marengo, Illinois, is on a mission to fully restore a World War II-era B-17 bomber—a project he's been diligently working on in a roadside barn for the past 40 years. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Mike Kellner began his journey in high school after hearing that a junkyard in Maine was looking to offload the abandoned remains of the historic bomber. The asking price was '$7,000 or best offer' for a collection of disassembled parts. Kellner loaded the 75-foot aluminum behemoth onto a house trailer (he had to extend it by about 10 feet) and hauled it halfway across the country with a pickup truck. It's lived in his barn ever since. Kellner shared the decades-long story of his restoration project with local outlet WGN earlier this week. And unlike many World War II-era roadside relics, this one isn't just collecting dust. Kellner has spent countless hours working to restore the plane to its former glory, performing his own repairs, adding finishing touches, and tracking down an array of rare and hard-to-find parts. Word of his efforts spread, attracting other aviation enthusiasts who have volunteered their time over the years to assist with the restoration. Kellner documents the entire process on a Facebook page, which features thousands of update posts dating back to 2010. He doesn't just want the project to be something pretty to look at—he wants it to fly. 'It is a piece of history, and I would like the opportunity to fly it,' Kellner told WGN. Popular Science reached out to Kellner for more details but has not heard back. The B-17 was the most iconic bomber used by the US military during the second World War. Its origin actually traces back a decade earlier to 1934, when the Army Air Corps approached Boeing with an ask to design and develop a massive plane capable of carrying bombs at 10,000 feet and for more than 10 hours. The military wanted a new breed of bomber that would be able to travel beyond enemy lines at great distances and drop bombs with precision. It needed to be able to reach altitudes high enough to fly outside of the range of enemy antiaircraft artillery. The eventual B-17 featured a state-of-the-art Norden bombsight to maintain accuracy even at extreme altitudes. Early versions of the B-17 entered production in 1937, but manufacturing ramped up significantly after the U.S. officially entered World War II in 1941. The bomber that eventually flew missions behind enemy lines featured four engines—a major upgrade from the then-standard two—and was equipped with a smattering of gun turrets, including ones in the nose, upper fuselage, and tail. This cornucopia of munitions, combined with the aircraft's mammoth size, earned it the nickname 'Flying Fortress.' The B-17 currently being resurrected in Kellner's barn reportedly carries two names. One, 'Desert Rat,' is painted in bold yellow lettering on the aircraft's exterior. The other, 'Tangerine,' was discovered later, scrawled somewhere inside the unclear how much longer Kellner will need to make his dream of flying the Desert Rat a reality. The task seems like a daunting one for someone working part-time on a shoestring budget but then again, few would have likely predicted he would have made it this far to begin with. You can keep up with all of Kellner's progress by following his official Facebook page here.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Suburban man brings history back to life with 75-foot WWII aircraft
MARENGO, Ill. (WGN) — Every small town has its dreamer, and along the quiet farm-lined roads of Marengo, Illinois, that dreamer is Mike Kellner. For 40 years, he has been working away in a barn to bring a ghost back to life. The ghost is a 75-foot-long, gleaming aluminum WWII warbird known as the B-17. 'It's a piece of history and I would like to have the opportunity to fly it,' Kellner said. The fact that it's here in his barn is just about as unbelievable as the story of how it came to be. The plane was found in a junkyard in Maine in 1984. It was listed as 'Old Bomber. $7,000 or best offer.' More on Kellner's project on his Facebook page 'We took an old house trailer, took the house off of it, added 10 feet on it and pulled it with a pickup truck,' Kellner said. It took five trips and 39 more years to piece her back, panel by panel, rivet by rivet. The B-17—a nostalgic vessel of the past. 'We found a bunch of dental record in one of the spar tubes cause this was being used as a litter carrier,' Kellner said. 'In the horizontals there were two women wrote their names, address and phone number.' Word spread about Kellner's barn project and folks started to show up, including a retired airplane mechanic whose uncle manned a turret and a relative who was a P.O.W. in Germany. They came with stories, tools, time and reverence. An estimated 50,000 U.S. airman were lost or missing in action on B-17 missions—with many more wounded. But even when the donation jar is long dried up and the hunt for parts elusive, Kellner continues on—piecing the plane back together so one day, she can tip her wings to the sky, and to the stories that ended up in the clouds. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Utah family prepares to bury WWII pilot who was MIA for 80 years
PARK CITY, Utah () — A Utah family is getting ready to lay to rest U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. George Frank Wilson on the 81st anniversary of his plane being shot down over France during WWII. Lt. Wilson, the pilot of a B-17G 'Flying Fortress' bomber, was killed when his plane crashed in northern France after being hit by anti-aircraft fire on July 8, 1944. For 80 years, he was considered missing in action. Now, his family has some closure. Brian Frank Wilson, who shares the same middle name as his grandfather, told that even though he never met his grandfather, he feels close to him, especially now that the family knows what happened and is preparing to bury him on the 81st anniversary of his death and disappearance. 'It's like the stars are aligning, you know, it's crazy,' Brian Wilson said. 'I feel his soul. I feel there is a purpose to all of it.' Like the tides of war, a turning point is bringing relief to 1st Lt. George F. Wilson's descendants. Santaquin Police Department remembers Sgt. Bill Hooser's legacy one year later 'When he fell out of formation, and everyone was bailing out, one of his closest friends, the engineer, lost his parachute,' Brian Wilson stated. 'I guess Frank (Lt. Wilson) was still alive and gave him his parachute, the last one, and told him to get out.' Brian Wilson told that this happened on July 8, 1944. His grandfather, a young 22-year-old pilot, saved his crew after taking enemy fire. 'They were certain he went down with the plane. It exploded. It was on fire, and that was the last of it,' he added. Then radio silence. In 1951, Wilson was declared non-recoverable. In 2018, the family would start to get some answers as to what happened to Lt. Wilson. 'Eric Bornemeier, who we owe a ton of gratitude towards, married my cousin years ago,' Brian Wilson stated. 'He's in the military. He thought this was a cool story, and he went out and spearheaded a search to find George in this field in northern France. Lo and behold, they found him.' At least, they hoped it was him. 'In July 2018, a member of Wilson's family provided DPAA with new information about a potential crash site for Wilson's aircraft,' explained the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. 'One of Wilson's family then traveled to Monchy-Cayeux and met three witnesses who remembered the crash.' The DPAA added: 'In 2019, a DPAA investigation team visited Monchy-Cayeux and discovered a concentration of wreckage consistent with a B-17 at the site, which they then recommended for excavation.' It would take a few more years for all the questions to be answered. 'From Aug. 6-30, 2021, DPAA partner Colorado State University excavated the site and accessioned all recovered evidence into the DPAA laboratory,' DPAA explained. 'They returned to the site for another excavation from July 25 to Aug. 13, 2022, finding additional evidence which was also accessioned into the DPAA laboratory.' Then, in 2024, the government reached out to Brian Wilson requesting a sample of his DNA. 'To identify Wilson's remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as material evidence,' DPAA stated. 'Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome DNA, and autosomal DNA analysis.' It was a match. 'They said there's a one in 84 billion chance it's not him,' added Brian Wilson. 'So pretty positive match it's him, they said.' Lt. Wilson was considered accounted for on Nov. 21, 2024. 'Wilson's name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, along with others still missing from WWII,' stated DPAA. 'A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.' The family got a full government briefing about what happened to Lt. Wilson on May 15, 2025. At that time, Brian Wilson accepted medals, including a Purple Heart, on his grandfather's behalf. 'I just feel an immense amount of pride being his grandson,' he said. 'After seeing and receiving those medals and reading the whole accounting, I'm just totally blown away.' On July 8, 2025, George F. Wilson will finally be laid to rest in Bountiful next to family. 'To have this all come around 81 years to the day, there's something, there's a higher source that's in control,' Brian Wilson stated. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
2-time prisoner of war veteran inspires grandson to become physical therapist
The Brief A two-time prisoner of war veteran has inspired his grandson to become a physical therapist. Richard Keirn's grandson, Cory Keirn, grew up with him until his grandfather passed away in 2000. Cory is a physical therapist at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. He's helped hundreds of veterans walk again. TAMPA - A local family shares a war story like no other. It's about Richard Keirn, an Air Force man who served his country spanning from World War II to Vietnam. His grandson, Cory Keirn, grew up with him until his grandfather passed away in 2000. "Growing up as a teenager I would see him struggle to get around.," says Cory. The backstory His grandfather's fighter jet was hit by a North Vietnamese missile. When his parachute landed hard, both of his ankles were broken. He was captured and tortured at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton." What they're saying "They would tie his hands behind his back and string him up," says Cory. "It ripped a lot of ligaments out of his shoulders." Cory knows something about injuries. He's a physical therapist at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. He's helped hundreds of veterans walk again. On this day, he's treating a Marine named Randy who suffered a serious brain injury. Randy is regaining his stride with the help of a treadmill in a pool at the hospital. Cory says his work is inspired by his grandfather. "It's funny because life sort of sent me here," he says. Day after day, he helps veterans walk. Cory says he tries to inspire his patience with the kind of perseverance his grandfather showed as a prisoner of war, not once, but twice. READ: Bay Area artist helped design action figures for G.I. Joe franchise "The first time he was shot down he was a co-pilot on a B-17 and was 19 years old," says Cory. By the time Vietnam came, his grandfather was called "Pop". He was the oldest, and some say the smartest American POW. He invented codes for prisoners to communicate. There was a non-verbal code among prisoners and another code for letters back home. "And he was communicating through those letters who was there, who was with him," says Cory. Even some of Cory's patients know what Colonel Keirn contributed. "People will come and say your grandfather wrote these handbooks that are still being used today," says Cory. His patient Randy is quickening his stride on the treadmill. "How are your ankles doing?" asks Cory. The spirit of his grandfather seems to flow through the pool where Cory makes his contribution, helping heal veterans, continuing a family tradition of service. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Lloyd Sowers. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's multi-million-dollar birthday parade plans are underway. What to know as the military prepares
For years, Donald Trump has mused about grand plans of soldiers marching and tanks rumbling down the streets of Washington, D.C., as aircraft whizzed overhead. When Army officials and local politicians warned in 2018 of a $92 million price tag and the risk of extensive damage to roads, Trump decided to scrap his previous attempt for a grand parade of armed forces. But earlier this month, details emerged about another enormous military spectacle in the works, which is set for the capital. The president had ordered an elaborately choreographed military parade to celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary on June 14th with the cost of the day's festivities estimated to be a more modest $45 million, according to Reuters. It also happens to be his 79th birthday. Up to 7,500 soldiers could be expected to march in a parade that runs from Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River and into D.C. The parade would pay tribute to the Army's history, from the Revolutionary War to the present day, and feature soldiers marching in period uniforms. The marchers will be joined by a convoy of armored vehicles while vintage aircraft soar overhead. At least seven marching bands, parachute jumpers, an evening concert, and a fireworks show will also take place. Second World War-era B-17 bombers and Apache helicopters are expected to be amongst the 50 aircraft to take to the skies. Meanwhile, approximately 150 vehicles – which range from 68-ton M1 Abrams tanks to eight-wheeled Stryker combat vehicles – are also expected to roll down D.C.'s streets. Soldiers will come from all 10 of the Army's active-duty divisions located across the U.S., according to the Washington Post. Most are due to be housed in the General Services Administration and Agriculture Department buildings in the city. They will receive two ready meals and one hot meal plus $50 per day in additional pay for taking part. The grounds of the Washington Monument will be open to crowds and offer refreshments and bathroom facilities, according to permit application submitted to the National Parks Service. At the same time, the Ellipse will have a presidential review stand, bleachers, and a concert stage. The evening entertainment will commence at 8 p.m. and 'consist of five to seven musical acts' made up of 'well-known performers,' who are 'likely from the country music world,' before the fireworks round off the day at 9.45 pm. Trump and his administration maintain that the parade is to celebrate the 'greatest military in the world.' 'There is no event grand enough to adequately capture our gratitude for the millions of heroes who laid down their lives defending our freedom, but this parade will be a fitting tribute to the service, sacrifice, and selflessness of all who have worn the uniform,' the White House said in a statement. The plans have, however, drawn some ire from congressional Democrats, who have argued the president has co-opted the Army parade. Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed said that it was trademark Trump to make 'everything about him.' 'The only thing he'd be disappointed about is that he couldn't fly his plane over the parade,' he added. Tennessee Representative Steve Cohen called the president a 'self-absorbed con man' and 'egotist-in-chief' who 'wants taxpayers to foot the bill' for his birthday plans.
