Two B-25 Mitchells Meet In Olathe, KS Before Appearing at the Doolittle Raiders 75th Anniversary Celebration

By Carmelo Turdo

Two North American Mitchell medium bombers arrived at the Heart of America Wing of the Commemorative Air Force at New Century AirCenter in Olathe, KS Wednesday afternoon prior to appearing at the 75th Anniversary Commemoration of the 1942 Doolittle Raid on Tokyo that took place in the early days of World War II.  The Aero Experience was there to capture the moment and honor those who assembled the bombers at the Fairfax Bomber Builders Reunion held in the CAF hangar.  Some magical moments were created when two bombers made at the former Kansas City Fairfax Plant, B-25J Show Me from the Missouri CAF Wing and Semper Fi, a newly restored U.S. Marine Corps PBJ-1J from the Southern California CAF Wing, were placed nose to nose in salute to those who originally made them. 

The Aero Experience will post several more stories with the details of our visit to the Heart of America CAF Wing in the coming days as the commemoration events continue.  Here are some views of the two historic aircraft, those who built them and the great people who hosted us.