MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — In recognition of the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II, the Commemorative Air Force “Ready 4 Duty” Douglas R4D-6S, a historic U.S. Navy variant of the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, visited Maxwell Air Force Base on April 17 as the first official stop of its transatlantic “Navy to Victory Tour”.
During WWII, more than 7,000 Royal Air Force members trained with the Southeast Training Command, the former U.S. Army Air Corps training center headquartered at Maxwell. Two thousand of those Airmen trained here, at what was known then as Maxwell and Gunter Army Airfields.
The 80-year-old R4D aircraft arrived this week to collect gravestone rubbings of the 78 RAF Airmen buried at the Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Montgomery, Alabama, and will continue its 12-week, 12,000-mile journey to Europe to present them during events marking the end of the Second World War.
“It’s important to remember and honor the sacrifice of those who died in service not only to their country, but our allies and partners in the shared fight for freedom against tyranny,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Ziemann, Air Command and Staff College Department of Leadership instructor. “This effort highlights the continuing special relationship we have with the United Kingdom.”
As part of the larger “Bringing the Boys Back” initiative, members of the CAF based in Birmingham, Montgomery and northern Florida, along with faculty and family members from the Air Command and Staff College, helped collect the rubbings for transfer to the R4D crew.
The CAF organized the collection of gravestone rubbings and, along with Ziemann, hosted the R4D crew during their visit, providing them with a windshield-tour of Maxwell Air Force Base in tribute to recognizing the service and sacrifice of American and Allied service members.
“I think it's amazing this group of pilot candidates are receiving the respect and honor that's been due for a long time,” said Brent Blackwell, Commemorative Air Force Birmingham Escadrille Wing unit member. “It's like healing over an old wound in some sense, in that the descendants of these individuals will now get some feeling of closure.”
The CAF is the world’s largest flying museum, operating more than 175 aircraft and educating the public on World War II and its aviation history. Its collaborative efforts with the RAF to bring a piece of history home will inspire the next generation of aviators and service members in remembering their shared sacrifice and honor.
“For the families who have never had a chance to come here, this is a way to symbolically bring their family home,” said Ziemann. “We’re doing what we can to ensure Airmen who died training in a country not their own are not forgotten. This is about honoring sacrifice and preserving memory.”