Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon "Attu Warrior" Makes Stop in St. Louis

By Carmelo Turdo

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, "Attu Warrior," recently made a fuel stop at St. Louis Downtown Airport.  After making an appearance at Oshkosh last month, the aircraft has attended other fly-ins, and was heading home to Utah.  The current manifestation of the aircraft took flight May 23, 2009 after a three-year restoration by Dave Hansen.  The name of the aircraft helps to explain the historic role that Harpoons played in World War II - service in the Aleutian Islands.  Some of these islands, including Attu, were occipied by Japanese forces in 1942 to defend against counter-offensives by the U.S. and Russia.  Attu and others were retaken by U.S. forces in 1943, and Harpoons were stationed there at Casco Field through the war years.  For more information about the aircraft, visit http://warbirdwarriors.org/.  Here are some views of the aircraft during its short layover: