/8th Air Force
Every year the Collings Foundation tours the country with their flying B-24 Liberator, along with their B-17 and other WWII aircraft. When visiting the Phoenix, Arizona, valley, local WWII veterans who served on B-24 crews would naturally come to see the planes and would strike up conversations with each other. They'd exchange phone numbers and co-ordinate their visits each following year to have more B-24 vets there together. They began concluding each visit by going out to eat together. Warren Gorman, then of Mesa, soon began inviting everyone over to his back yard for a barbeque afterward. That was back in 1991 when the Arizona Liberator Group was formed.
The Arizona Liberator Group has the simplest of goals: meet once a year in the spring, somewhere convenient to an airport where the Collings B-24 would be, and do lunch. With each year the group grew a bit more as people kept running into new B-24 veterans that had moved to Arizona from around the country. But in 2007 it was announced that unless someone would be willing to assume management of the Arizona Liberator Group, it would be coming to an end. My brother Paul and I stepped forward to keep it going. Now it's time for our fourth annual luncheon.
We've sent out invitations to the Arizona Liberator Group "members" for this year's event which will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 1:00 pm. You can view the official announcement, complete with a handy-dandy map, on the ArizonaLiberatorGroup.org website.
If you happen to live in Arizona or have reason to be in the Phoenix area that day, we'd love to see you there.
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“Arizona Liberator Group Meeting Again”
Rick Centore wrote...
Anyone who has not visited the airport when the Collings Foundation is in town is really missing something. I have been numerous times over the years but never miss the the opportunity. There are always World War II bomber crewmen in attendance. I never miss the chance to strike up a conversation and thank them for their service. Those lucky enough to be in the Phoenix area on April 20th will be in for a special treat by being able to attend the Arizona Liberator Group's annual luncheon. I know I'd be there.
David Arnett wrote...
Rick,
Oh, yeah. Between the planes and the veterans that you'll meet there, the Collings Foundation provides a valuable service to everyone, young and old, across the country. As you and I both know from first hand experience, flying in that Liberator is perhaps one of the coolest adventures in the world, albeit an expensive one.
For those non-Arizonans out there, here's a link to the Collings Foundation where anyone out there can find out when they might be flying into an airport near you.
Dave
Liberator-lovin' Collings Foundation fan
Paul or Dave wrote...
Hi! Are you having the Arizona Liberator Group luncheon this year?