World War II
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Aircraft: Model Aircraft:
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Exhibits
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Aviators of the past remembered,
aviators of the future inspired.
The Andrews family cousins
In the mid-1940s, in a small town southeast of Amarillo, Texas, three cousins graduated from high school. As many other patriots did across the nation, these three cousins asked how they too could serve their country. In a very short time, these three joined the US Army, left west Texas and became part of the Allied war effort in the skies over Europe.
aviators of the future inspired.
The Andrews family cousins
In the mid-1940s, in a small town southeast of Amarillo, Texas, three cousins graduated from high school. As many other patriots did across the nation, these three cousins asked how they too could serve their country. In a very short time, these three joined the US Army, left west Texas and became part of the Allied war effort in the skies over Europe.
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Lowell D. Scales (father I. O. Scales, mother Nannie Belle Andrews Scales) learned to fly fighters. He flew P-47 Thunderbolts out of England, during one mission shot down three enemy planes in a single one-sided battle, during another mission bailed out of his bullet-riddled 'Jug' over Norway, and, after WWII, flew F-84 and F-86 jet fighters in Korea. Late in his career as a businessman, Lowell D. built a sleek Lancair 320 and spent many of his later years flying again on "laughter-silvered wings."
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Morris Barker (father William H. Barker, mother Lois Andrews Barker Rodgers) learned to man gun positions in WWII bombers. Morris trained in multiple places across the US, flew with his B-24 Liberator crew from the Consolidated Aircraft factory in California to a base in Italy. After five successful bombing missions, enemy fighters planes downed the B-24 over Hungary and Morris, with the other surviving crew members, spent the remaining months of the war in a prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft IV located near Tychow, Poland. Later Morris served as National Commander of the American Ex-Prisoners of War organization.
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Homer Andrews Jr (father Homer Andrews, mother Trixie Belle Hammett Andrews) learned to fly bombers. He began his war effort in England as co-pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, survived a mid-air collision with another B-17, moved into the left seat of the giant bomber and, as pilot, led his crew on thirty bombing missions before the war ended. His later career in business was augmented by his efforts building dozens of model airplanes for home display and three airplanes that he flew.
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...and, just another West Texas hero.
Betty Moon and Jim Bentley
After flying fifty missions as a flight engineer and top-turret gunner in a US Army Air Forces B-17 Flying Fortress, T/Sgt James Earl Bentley (13 June 1924 - 29 June 2009) returned to Amarillo, married the love of his life, Betty Ruth Moon, and, as an instructor at the Amarillo Army Air Force Base, helped the next generation of patriots learn how they too could serve their country.
After flying fifty missions as a flight engineer and top-turret gunner in a US Army Air Forces B-17 Flying Fortress, T/Sgt James Earl Bentley (13 June 1924 - 29 June 2009) returned to Amarillo, married the love of his life, Betty Ruth Moon, and, as an instructor at the Amarillo Army Air Force Base, helped the next generation of patriots learn how they too could serve their country.
Other WWII memorabilia and artifacts may be seen at the Texas Air & Space Museum