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World War II planes land in the Basin
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| H&N photos by Todd E. Swenson Capt. Bob Oehl of Collings Foundation, a nonprofit organization that brings a flying museum of World War II planes to 130 cities around the United States, stands in front of the B-25 Mitchell he flies for “Wings of Freedom.” Oehl’s uncle, Jimmy Doolittle, was the pilot of a B-25 that lead the U.S. World War II bombing raid on Japan in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. |
June 5, 2007
Pilot Bob Oehl landed the B-25 at the Klamath Falls airport Monday in familiar surroundings.
The 54-year-old started his career in the aircraft industry with Klamath Aircraft, where he worked from 1978 to 1982.
Now he was returning in the same type plane his uncle - Jimmy Doolittle - flew during World War II when he led the first air strikes on Japan. Oehl, like the other pilots and co-pilots with Collings Foundation, volunteer to fly these vintage aircraft to 130 communities a year.
Oehl was with the Wings of Freedom tour that landed in Klamath Falls Monday and will be open to the public through noon on Wednesday.
“It's like a flying museum,” he said. “I do this to share the lessons of why those men flew and died in these planes. The younger generation needs to know what these veterans went through.”
Of the exhilarating feeling of flying these craft he said, “You'll never get it unless you get to fly it. It'll change your life. I've been a professional pilot all my life, and the first time I flew it (the B-25), I got out with tears in my eyes.”
Chuck Greene of Klamath Falls came to the airport especially to see the B-25, which he had never seen before.
“It gives me goosebumps to see them,” he said. “I was a teenager during World War II, too young to go in, but I had a brother-in-law who flew in a B-24 over the oil fields at Poesti, same as Lt. Kingsley did.”
Greene served in the Air Force during the Korean War, maintaining radar on all-weather interceptors.
Veterans' interest
John Burns of Venetia, Calif., who had taken the flight from the Bay Area to Klamath Falls on the Boeing B-17, asked the crowd, “Are there any World War II vets here? As much as I love these planes, it's these people who flew them who are special. It used to be there would be swarms of World War II vets who came to see them.”
There were a few there - Jim Ottoman, Leroy Schell and Bob Larson.
Ottoman, 83, said, “I had at least 100 hours in a B-25. They sent us to two years in college. We were dedicating our lives to stay in for the war in Japan. We were too young for Europe. When Harry Truman dropped the bombs, that ended it, and I was ‘discharged for the convenience of the government,' my papers say. I came back and farmed in Malin and Tulelake, 60 years in the Klamath Basin.”
Pilot, co-pilot
Schell, 80, was a medic for the 5th Air Force. Both Ottoman and Schell were allowed to climb into the “Tondelsyo,” as this plane is called, and sit in the pilot and co-pilot seats.
“Oh, this is so nice,” Ottoman kept repeating, time and time again.
Bob Larson, 88, of Klamath Falls, crash landed in a B-24 Liberator on Iwo Jima at 3 a.m. March 12, 1945, during fierce fighting.
“This aircraft didn't ditch very well,” Larson said. “The Marine sergeant there told us to stay in the plane, which still had 1,000 gallons of fuel in it. He said if we got hit, we would never know it. We put a new engine in the plane, working on volcanic ash, not a blade of green anywhere, with just a few tools.”
Only one still flying
Larson pointed out that the plane is 65 years old and the only one of its type still flying. Clint Smith, a contributor to the foundation who was there for one of the flight experiences, took the ticket for his ride off his jacket and put it on Larson's neat grey suit.
“You can take the ride if you want to,” Smith offered. “You probably just have to sign a release.”
Larson was still considering it as people started climbing aboard.
Linda Tepper, business manager at the airport, said the Wings of Freedom tour came to Klamath Falls for the first time in 2002.
Sponsoring rides
“Local businesses got to sponsor veterans to go on the ride,” she said. “Ten of them were able to go. When they got back, it was like 50 years had rolled off their lives.”
The Collings Foundation is a nonprofit educational foundation devoted to organizing “living history” events. The organization has 22 planes in its collection, which are flown to communities around the country.
The B-17, B-24 and B-25 were the backbone of the American effort during the war from 1942 to 1945 and were famous for their ability to sustain damage and still accomplish the mission, organizers said.
- By Lee Beach
Pilot Bob Oehl landed the B-25 at the Klamath Falls airport Monday in familiar surroundings.
The 54-year-old started his career in the aircraft industry with Klamath Aircraft, where he worked from 1978 to 1982.
Now he was returning in the same type plane his uncle - Jimmy Doolittle - flew during World War II when he led the first air strikes on Japan. Oehl, like the other pilots and co-pilots with Collings Foundation, volunteer to fly these vintage aircraft to 130 communities a year.
Oehl was with the Wings of Freedom tour that landed in Klamath Falls Monday and will be open to the public through noon on Wednesday.
“It's like a flying museum,” he said. “I do this to share the lessons of why those men flew and died in these planes. The younger generation needs to know what these veterans went through.”
Of the exhilarating feeling of flying these craft he said, “You'll never get it unless you get to fly it. It'll change your life. I've been a professional pilot all my life, and the first time I flew it (the B-25), I got out with tears in my eyes.”
Chuck Greene of Klamath Falls came to the airport especially to see the B-25, which he had never seen before.
“It gives me goosebumps to see them,” he said. “I was a teenager during World War II, too young to go in, but I had a brother-in-law who flew in a B-24 over the oil fields at Poesti, same as Lt. Kingsley did.”
Greene served in the Air Force during the Korean War, maintaining radar on all-weather interceptors.
Veterans' interest
John Burns of Venetia, Calif., who had taken the flight from the Bay Area to Klamath Falls on the Boeing B-17, asked the crowd, “Are there any World War II vets here? As much as I love these planes, it's these people who flew them who are special. It used to be there would be swarms of World War II vets who came to see them.”
There were a few there - Jim Ottoman, Leroy Schell and Bob Larson.
Ottoman, 83, said, “I had at least 100 hours in a B-25. They sent us to two years in college. We were dedicating our lives to stay in for the war in Japan. We were too young for Europe. When Harry Truman dropped the bombs, that ended it, and I was ‘discharged for the convenience of the government,' my papers say. I came back and farmed in Malin and Tulelake, 60 years in the Klamath Basin.”
Pilot, co-pilot
Schell, 80, was a medic for the 5th Air Force. Both Ottoman and Schell were allowed to climb into the “Tondelsyo,” as this plane is called, and sit in the pilot and co-pilot seats.
“Oh, this is so nice,” Ottoman kept repeating, time and time again.
Bob Larson, 88, of Klamath Falls, crash landed in a B-24 Liberator on Iwo Jima at 3 a.m. March 12, 1945, during fierce fighting.
“This aircraft didn't ditch very well,” Larson said. “The Marine sergeant there told us to stay in the plane, which still had 1,000 gallons of fuel in it. He said if we got hit, we would never know it. We put a new engine in the plane, working on volcanic ash, not a blade of green anywhere, with just a few tools.”
Only one still flying
Larson pointed out that the plane is 65 years old and the only one of its type still flying. Clint Smith, a contributor to the foundation who was there for one of the flight experiences, took the ticket for his ride off his jacket and put it on Larson's neat grey suit.
“You can take the ride if you want to,” Smith offered. “You probably just have to sign a release.”
Larson was still considering it as people started climbing aboard.
Linda Tepper, business manager at the airport, said the Wings of Freedom tour came to Klamath Falls for the first time in 2002.
Sponsoring rides
“Local businesses got to sponsor veterans to go on the ride,” she said. “Ten of them were able to go. When they got back, it was like 50 years had rolled off their lives.”
The Collings Foundation is a nonprofit educational foundation devoted to organizing “living history” events. The organization has 22 planes in its collection, which are flown to communities around the country.
The B-17, B-24 and B-25 were the backbone of the American effort during the war from 1942 to 1945 and were famous for their ability to sustain damage and still accomplish the mission, organizers said.
- By Lee Beach
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