Famous World War II Aircraft Is Revealed To The Hays County Community
The C-47, “That’s All Brother,” is restored and presented to the public at the San Marcos Regional Airport…
By, Louis Zylka
Last Wednesday marked the 74th Anniversary when allied-forces invaded the shorelines of Normandy Beach.
San Marcos has been the current home for the long-forgotten C-47 aircraft That’s All Brother, which was used during Battle of Normandy on June 6, 1994, since March.
The Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing, a World War II aircraft organization, unveiled the repainted aircraft to the public at the San Marcos’ Regional Airport as part as of a D-Day Memorial.
The aircraft has been through a four-year restoration, supported by the CAF. Joe Enzminger, Wing Leader at the San Marcos’ CAF, was in charge of organizing the memorial.
He said the event was created to show gratitude for the city’s support in restoring the famous airplane.
“D-Day is very important to this airplane,” Enzminger said. “So we wanted to have a salute to the veterans and take the opportunity to introduce to the plane to the community.”
The memorial welcomed veterans from all eras to join the event, including Dick Cole, the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raid during D-Day. Cole and other members of the community were invited to board the plane for a flight over the San Marcos area.
David Condel, 1991 Desert Storm veteran, traveled from out of town to attend the memorial. He said these events are important to remind the community of their country’s history.
“There are not too many World War II veterans left,” Condel said, “And we need to carry on their heritage in some way.”
The CAF has been raising money to fly out That’s All Brother and two other C-47s to Normandy, France for the 75th D-Day anniversary. Enzminger said this campaign has been important because it is the first time the organization has done something this eventful.
“We’re gonna use (That’s All Brother) to make sure we don’t forget the service of not just the D-Day veterans, but everyone who has served,” Enzminger said.
Ray Clausen, CAF member, said the organization takes part in similar events around the country, including war bird parades during air shows in Texas. He said the number of visitors at the CAF’s aircraft museum has increased, including schools bringing more students to visit the regional airport.
“We’re out here trying to keep the educational side of things going and make sure that people remember this history and the guys who flew the missions and won the war,” Clausen said.
That’s All Brother is planned to lead an aircraft parade to Europe on June 6, 2019. Enzminger said the trip will cost $250,000 per airplane, and the CAF D-Day Wing is raising 1$ million to cover the expenses.
