One of the most significant aircraft in military history is now being housed at the Commemorative Air Force hangar at San Marcos Regional Airport, thanks to some dedicated aircraft restorers, and one sharp-eyed military historian, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
The C-47 aircraft which led the flight of U.S. paratroopers into Normandy on D-Day, a scene which was vividly portrayed in the movie 'Band of Brothers' was set for the scrap heap until U.S. Air Force historian Matt Scanes discovered it disintegrating at an aircraft boneyard in Oshkosh Wisconsin.
Andy Maag, the Project Officer for the C-47, dubbed 'That's All Brother,' says, like many military aircraft after World War II, the plane had bouncing around in a variety of non military roles.
"Ultimately, it was sold to be either scrapped, or converted into an updated turbo-prop version of the D-C-3," he said.
Instead, historian Matt Scales allowed the CAF to restore the storied aircraft, and he says now it is being prepped to return to France for next year's 75th anniversary observance of D-Day.
"We are participating with three other CAF C-47s, as part of a larger group coming from the U.S., of roughly twenty of this airplane type," he said.
That's All Brother will also participate in observances of the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.T
he plane's interesting name, Maag says, is taken from the famous ending of the Porky Pig cartoons, 'that's all folks,' and was meant as a clear message to Hitler and the Nazis that their run was coming to an end, thanks to American air power.
He says the C-47 itself was an amazing airplane, called the 'Pickup Truck of the Skies' due to its amazing capacity.
"Back in World War II it could carry paratroopers, it could carry cargo, it could carry gliders, the Navy version would even drop depth charges on submarines."
But this particular C-47, which helped save the world in June of 1944, has been assured its place in aviation history, thanks to the CAF.
IMAGE COURTESY: COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE