WWII-era warbirds arrive in Hawaii to mark the 75th commemoration of the war

Updated: Aug. 5, 2020 at 8:05 PM HST
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HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Fourteen WWII Warbirds arrived in the islands for Hawaii’s Legacy of Peace Aerial Parades as part of the 75th Commemoration of WWII.

Despite the pandemic, the “Salute Their Service, Honor Their Hope” themed Commemoration will commence as planned on Sept. 2, 2020.

Some of the Warbirds arriving include a North American P-51 Mustang, a Grumman FM2 Wildcat and even a Boeing-Stearman Model 75.

Veterans and civilians who participated in WWII will be recognized and contributed to the actions that led to the end of the war.

All events will be private and exclusive — a safety measure implemented to ensure the safety of WWII veterans, their guardians, Warbird crews, and the community of Hawaii.

Fifty-two veterans commuting to the islands self-quarantined two weeks prior to arrival. They will arrive Aug. 30 and leave on Sept. 3. The 75th Commemoration Committee will keep them isolated from the public.

“Along with the veterans, the group that is most health conscious are the aircraft owners, pilots, mechanics and crew,” said Tony Vericella, the Director of the Committee. “They have lived for an opportunity of this type to be here, to honor the greatest generation, and they don’t want anything to go wrong to sacrifice that.”

The ceremony will include three Legacy of Peace Aerial Parades.

Flyovers of the Warbirds will include:

  • Around Oahu (August 29)
  • Connecting the Military Bases (August 30)
  • Over the Battleship Missouri Memorial to Waikiki (September 2).

“Millions died of this conflict and we are trying to really try and show our respect and honor to those that are examples of how we all could better face conflicts in this day as well,” said Vericella.

For many of the WWII veterans this will be the last opportunity to see these significant Warbird airplanes.

“These events are especially significant because of the role all of our islands played in the efforts to help bring global peace, and our historic connections with the military.” stated Major General Darryll Wong and Captain Steven W. Colon.

For more details, visit 75thwwiicommemoration.org

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