BUTTE — On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, a special plane lands in Butte for the annual Wings and Wheels event at the Bert Mooney Airport.
"In 1943 and early 44, before those P-51's arrived, the bombers were getting decimated because the fighter aircraft that America had at that time couldn’t go deep enough into Europe to be able to protect the B-17 bombers," says Scott Johnson, as he speaks before a crowd at the opening ceremony.
Discover the story behind the P-51 Mustang honoring Lt. Holsey Johnson
Johnson tells the story of his uncle, Lt. Holsey Johnson, a Butte kid who was stationed in England during World War II.
Lt. Johnson flew the P-51D Mustang and was killed in 1945 when he crashed into the North Sea.
Now, a refurbished P-51 plane bears his name.
"We want to honor all those guys that fought in World War II and the guys that didn’t make it home," says Johnson.
As Johnson's speech ends, two vintage World War II fighter planes circle the airport as 11-year-old Nolan Ford covers his eyes and tracks the planes.
"I think it’s really cool how some of them are still alive after over 80 years," says Ford, a plane enthusiast.
The P-51 Mustang is named “Orphan Girl” -- a nod to the heroes of WWII who hailed from Montana. Gary Blain, the owner and pilot of the rare plane, says refurbishing this piece of living history is his way of honoring those who perished in the war.
"There are very, very few left in private hands. Most of them are in museums and stuff like that, but I like to actually see the airplane fly," says Blain.
For Helena resident Bill Mayer, seeing the P-51 Mustang dart across the sky is an emotional experience that helps him connect with his family history. His grandfather Jack Oberhansly had nine confirmed Nazi kills in a P-51D Mustang. He became a commanding officer by the end of the war.
"This is just flat out amazing. It brings all the stories and emotions back that I’ve grown up with," says Bill Mayer as he climbs onto the wing of the plane for a closer look.
"You know, it’s a high price that we pay for our freedom, and I think his grandma would be quite proud to see this airplane sitting in Butte today," says Blain.
