KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Did you know more than 6,600 B-25 airplanes were made in the metro during World War II? The planes were produced at the North American Aviation plant in Kansas City, Kansas in the 1940’s. Saturday morning one of those planes made a return trip to Kansas City for Jackson County’s Flag Day Salute to Veterans.
On board for one of the flights were two very special people. Lt. Ray Hawks and Emma Newland helped build B-25s at the plant. Saturday morning they both got to ride in the plane as it made a loop through downtown Kansas City.
“I worked on the tail, the empennage, the flaps on the back,” said 90-year-old Newland.
Newland is a real life “Rosie the Riveter.” Fresh out of high school she went to work on the planes and continued through the end of the war.
“I went to Lathrop trade school for about six weeks to learn to rivet and drill, and then started to work August the 8, 1943,” she said.
Lt. Hawks not only worked on planes. He flew them after enlisting in December of 1942.
“I worked on B-25’s for about a year and a half then I joined the air force,” he said.
Lt. Hawks was a fighter pilot in Europe but, says he only logged four hours in the B-25.
Richard Thompson has known Lt. Hawks for 25 years. He said the men and women honored Saturday represent some of the greatest generation.
“People who made this country a special place and they’re disappearing rapidly and if we need to learn anything from past history it’s what a great place our country can be if you make a zestful life, pitch in and do all that you can and that’s what these people did,” said Thompson.
It was Newlands first flight in a B-25. The Salute to Veterans included free admission to the National Airline History Museum. Mary Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, attended and spoke at the ceremony. The B-25 flights were paid for with private donations.
