Echoes of America’s Wars

The upcoming 70th edition of EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh will see the return of Warbirds in Review—an unparalleled aviation event that brings together historic airplanes, the pilots by which they were flown, and the individuals by whose stewardship and devotion they remain extant and predominantly airworthy. 

Encompassing some eighty-years of military aviation history, the attraction speaks compellingly to the machines, men, and women by which these United States have been protected and preserved for more than a century.

The twice daily series of “up close and personal” stories will be held 24 through 29 July at the Warbirds in Review aircraft ramp within the EAA Warbirds of America area on the AirVenture grounds. The series is open to all AirVenture attendees.

Connie Bowlin, series organizer and former president of EAA Warbirds of America, stated: “Warbirds in Review features veterans, aviation legends, and aircraft that simply cannot be seen together in one place anywhere else in the world. Many of these veterans maintain that they were just doing their jobs and nothing heroic or extraordinary—but that could not be farther [sic] from the truth. Their stories and unique perspectives on the aircraft showcased at Oshkosh are insightful, poignant, and important for the public to hear.”

The aircraft and personalities slated to be featured at 2023’s Warbirds in Review event include veterans of the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terror.

Presently, the Warbirds in Review schedule comprises:

Monday, 24 July:

• 10:00 CDT: Piper L-4 Grasshopper “Rosie the Rocketer” with Rob Collings, Joe Scheil, Carol Carpenter Apacki, and Jim Busha.
• 13:00 CDT: Walt Ohlrich’s North American SNJ-N502, with John “Pappy” Mazza

Tuesday, 25 July:

• 10:00 CDT: McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet and Naval Aircraft Factory N3N, with Tammie Jo Shults.
• 13:00 CDT: P-51B and P-51D “Old Crow” Mustangs, with Brigadier General C.E. “Bud” Anderson.

Wednesday, 26 July:

• 10:00 CDT: Stinson L-5 Sentinel “Miss Beverly,” with Steve Seal and Chad Hill.
• 13:00 CDT: P-51C “Thunderbird” and Republic P-47D-23R, with Warren Pietsch and Bruce Eames.

Thursday, 27 July:

• 10:00 CDT: Vought F4U-7 Corsair “Devotion,” with Adam Makos, Lieutenant JG Sam Clauzel, and Colonel Joe McPhail.
• 13:00: Cessna L-19 Bird Dogs and North American T-28 Trojan, with Captains Phil Phillips and Jim Hogdon

Friday, 28 July:

• 10:00 CDT: MiG-21 and A-4B Skyhawk, with Commander Randy “Duke” Cunningham and Commander William “Willy Irish” Driscoll.
• 12:45 CDT: Huey N14SD, Hughes TH-55, and Bell H13, with Major General Patrick Brady (followed by veterans salute and veterans flightline parade to Boeing Plaza, sponsored by American Airlines).

Saturday, 29 July

• 10:00 CDT: B-25 with Major John “Lucky” Luckadoo, Staff Sergeant Robert Holmstrom, and Lieutenant Carl Verbanac.
• 13:00 CDT: North American P-51C “Tuskegee Airmen” Red Tail Mustang, with Lieutenant Colonel George Hardy, Lieutenant Colonel James Harvey, and Brigadier General Enoch O. Woodhouse, II.

Broadly recognized as “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration,” EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh instantiates the very best of humankind’s historic, contemporary, and future aviation and aerospace endeavors. 

FMI: www.eaa.org