1st of June, 2019
The Museum is open to the Public, General Admission is $15; for children 11 yrs and under, admission is $6; ages 4 and under are FREE! (excludes special events). FREE Living History Flying Day Admission for Planes of Fame Members! Click here to become a Member!
Click here to get a coupon for $2.00 off one adult admission for this event!
EVENT SPEAKERS:
Ed Lopez flew with the 387th Fighter Squadron, as a replacement pilot after D-Day. A Los Angeles native, Ed not only flew as a Hell Hawk, but -- during the 3rd Armored Division’s advance on Duren and Cologne, Germany -- also spent two weeks riding in a Sherman tank, directing Thunderbolts by radio to hit enemy tanks and guns. The nose art on his P-47 read ‘Polly’ and ‘Sweet and Lovely’. In late March 1945, Lopez flew with seven other P-47s to attack German troops at the Paderborn panzer school. Ed was hit by fire from a four-barreled 20mm anti-aircraft gun on a halftrack. After shattering his canopy and sending Plexiglas shards into his face, one round creased his scalp. Lopez wiped blood from his eyes to focus through his gun sight and made another pass to obliterate the gun and crew. On April 3, 1945, Lopez was one of eight Hell Hawk pilots who dropped 500lb bombs on about a dozen German tanks aiming to ambush a convoy near Bodefeld. The P-47s destroyed or disabled three of the tanks, breaking up the surprise attack. 
Historian Charlie Issacs will provide a presentation with an overview of the D-Day Invasion of June 6th 1944.
Kevin Thompson (POF Moderator and Aviation Historian) will moderate the event and provide an in depth presentation on the P-47 Thunderbolt.
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