Military Heritage Foundation Housed, Maintained ‘Island Doll’ Since 1980s

The World War II-era Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon “Island Doll” was recently ferried to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as a generous donation from the American Military Heritage Foundation. The Foundation had acquired the aircraft in the mid-1980s and housed and maintained it at the Indianapolis Regional Airport (KMQJ) in Greenfield, Indiana.

The museum’s newly acquired twin-engine patrol bomber is one of perhaps a half-dozen still flying and is one of the very few aircraft listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It holds significance in the region as well since it was operated from Naval Air Station Norfolk during its time in military service.

The Harpoon became a part of the museum’s collection through a meeting of representatives from the Museum and Foundation at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025. The Senior Director of Maintenance of the Fighter Factory thoroughly inspected the aircraft and praised its condition and integrity, prompting the museum’s Collection Committee and board to unanimously approve accepting the donation of the historic PV-2.

 The Military Aviation Museum will showcase Island Doll as well as the Pacific theater operations that the Harpoons were involved in. They are lesser-known than some of the other operations but the Harpoon played a significant role in demanding and extended over-water missions across the northern Pacific and Aleutian Islands to disrupt Japanese bases and protect Allied shipping.

Despite the Harpoon being outshined by other aircraft during the war, its contributions to the Allied effort in the final stages were important and are underrecognized in the annals of WWII aviation.

FMI:  www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/