I’ve spent the last few days in Ogden, Utah accompanying my husband to his Air Force Reunion. The picture on the right is the plane he proudly flew during the Cold War. The B-45 Tornado made by North American, served as the country’s first jet bomber. The 47th Bomb Wing was stationed in England for the duration of the Cold War. The Wing kept watch over foreign enemies’ threat of aggression by its potential to drop atomic weapons on tactical targets. This plane carried a four man crew. A pilot, co-pilot, navigator-bombardier, and a tail gunner. Although this airplane was plagued with engine and other mechanical failures, the men of this Wing love their airplane!

In early 2001 my husband was driving with our youngest daughter and she was questioning him about his days in the Air Force. He regaled her with “war stories” and the next day to his amazement she announced that his unit had a website. Not only that, they were about to have a reunion. The reunion was set for Pentagon City in Washington, DC in October. Chuck had not seen his fellow officers and airmen in 42 years. I soon learned that there is something about an airplane and a mission that forms a perfect bond.

We were the first commercial flight to land at Reagan National Airport after 9/11. Since I would have by no means been the perfect Air Force wife, this introduction to quasi-military life was one of perfect timing. Our country was cloaked in patriotism and American pride and a desire to do more for our government. A trip to our country’s capital to visit with veterans of foreign wars was just the ticket. The sniffer dogs sniffed everything from our person to our food. Scarcely anyone was flying and DC was deserted. The gaping hole in the Pentagon was a somber reminder of America’s vulnerability. The only unfortunate part of the reunion was that many of the very special tours the group was to have, such as a private meeting in the Oval Office was canceled. We were still able to lay a special wreath in a private ceremony on the grave of The Unknown Soldier, which in itself was extremely moving and memorable. But what was most special about this experience was the warmth and inclusion we felt joining these men and their wives. I was one of very few of the wives who was not with their husband in England during that time but that didn’t seem to matter. I loved listening to their stories of having babies and raising families thousands of miles from home with their constant concerns for their husband’s well-being and I love hearing the stories even now of the men’s day’s work. They tell their stories with humor and great detail and sometimes you can’t help but wonder how America won a war with airplane’s wings falling off and bombs that wouldn’t load. Through it all you hear the concern and love for one another that comes from taking risks together.

Since 2001 we’ve attended many reunions and stood at attention as the Wing and its B-45 airplane is honored.  The 47th Bomb Wing Association has a purpose and a mission beyond its camaraderie. It is to get their beloved plane recognized and displayed in as many aerospace museums as possible. North American only made 143 airplanes. A number of the planes were lost in the line of duty. When the plane was finally phased out of active service a few found their way to airfields where they languished uncared for for years. Some were ferried to airbases to be used for firefighting training.  Only three known aircraft remain. When the Wing was honored in 2007 at the National Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base we saw a beautifully refurbished B-45 on display. It was great to see the guys climbing in and out of it and having their pictures taken.  Last year a scale model replica was placed on exhibit at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, England. These men were heroes in England and many people turned out to honor the returning members of the 47th.

I have a mission too. My mission is to see that these men record their memories for their families and the country in in a proper oral history recording. I want to see this collection, along with the documentary about the Wing and its airplane, displayed in aerospace museums throughout the country along side the model of the B-45.