DAYTON, Ohio — The National Museum of the United States Air Force hosted a special screening of Memphis Belle in Color, a film by the Smithsonian channel.
- The film honors the Memphis Belle, one of the most important combat planes in the history of the U.S. military
- The executive producer said without the B-17 bomber, World War II would have ended very differently
- The Memphis Belle is on permanent display at the Air Force Museum
The film honors the legacy of the Memphis Belle, one of the most important combat planes in the history of the U.S. military, and the brave men that flew the plane on one of the deadliest missions in U.S. history.
Special guest Tim Evans, the executive producer for the film, was on-hand for the event. He said without the B-17 bomber, World War II would have ended very differently.
"The B-17 can be said to be the plane that won WWII,” Evans said. “Without B-17 bombers taking out German factories and taking out the other German planes, we could not have had D-Day. There might be no victory in WWII.”
The “Flying Fortress,” became a symbol of American prowess and freedom, and its pilots are national heroes.
One of the only surviving pilots to fly a B-17, John H.“Lucky” Luckadoo was present for the premier of the film and he said being back around the B-17’s brings back strong memories, good and bad. But he’s happy the film and event are bringing the Belle the recognition it deserves.
“Well, it’s wonderful for it to be made public that people did this sort of thing when they did and why they did it and how they did it,” Luckadoo said. “And it does deserve public recognition because otherwise they wouldn’t be here and neither would we.”
The Memphis Belle is a permanent display at the Air Force Museum and the film will air on the Smithsonian channel November 10.