7Salutes: WWII relic offers veterans a trip down memory lane
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (7News) — When you see the B-25 Mitchell named Panchito roll down the runway, you are watching history. The roar of its twin engines and the smell of oil and gas as it taxis by.
This mid-range bomber was built to win World War II more than 80 years ago. Back then, 10,000 were built, and today there are less than 35 still flying.
“This is the ultimate in hands-on, no automation flying, you have to do everything with the airplane,” said Paul Nuwer.
Nuwer is only one of a handful of pilots who are qualified to fly the B-25 Mitchell.
He brings Panchito to air shows to offer rides to people who pay, but for WWII veterans, the flight is always free.
“This plane has a very rich history,” Nuwer told 7News Anchor Jonathan Elias during the Hagerstown Air Show.
That rich history includes the bombing of Tokyo four months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
President Roosevelt wanted the Japanese to know that they were untouchable.
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With no air bases close by, the former president ordered a secret mission to fly 16 B-25s off an aircraft carrier to bomb Tokyo.
It had never been done, and many thought it wasn’t possible.
Since the plane takes a crew of five, 80 men volunteered for the mission, most realizing they might never return.
They were called the Doolittle Raiders because their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, flew the first plane off the deck.
The mission was a success, but 19 men were lost.
Since that time, the B-25 has had a special place in history and now what should be museum pieces are still flying around giving people a taste of the past.
Bill Rozek is part of the Panchito team. He flew in the plane years ago and was hooked.
Ever since then, he’s been working with the team as a volunteer.
“This airplane represents our grandparents and fathers, what they did,” said Rozek. “They went out as teenagers sometimes and saved the world.”
Rozek said every now and again a WWII veteran would come aboard. He always sees them touch the plane as though they are connecting with their past.
“You can see them getting emotional,” said Rozek. “The children of these veterans get very emotional. I’ve seen them in tears on the airplane. They say this is what they did in the war.”
Pilot Nuwer has seen the same thing, and he said it's touching to watch.
“It makes me feel good that we can bring this plane, this relict from the past to go and let them go and tell their stories to their families,” said Nuwer. “What a shame it would be that they don’t share their stories.”