Dream flights soared into Bozeman’s Gallatin Field on August 15th, bringing with it a storied aviation history and creating priceless memories for surviving WWII veterans and their families.
The day began with a standing room only recognition ceremony at the Army National Guard facility where the Bozeman Municipal band performed each military branch’s anthem and the national anthem. The late Broadwater County Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore’s family was in attendance and presented with a flag to honor the fallen hero. The flag was made from hoses used to fight the Horseshoe Hills wildfire in 2018.
Family members were invited to talk about their WWII veterans’ lives and the service they gave during the war. Many of these veterans have deep roots in the Bozeman area, stretching back over multiple generations. All WWII veterans are approaching 100 years of age and the accounts of their lives and service were touching.
Following the ceremony, each veteran enjoyed a flight in the 1943 Boeing Steerman piloted by Clint Crawley and supported by his crew chief and wife, Andrea Crowley. Clint met Dream Flights founder Darryl Fisher in 2012 when Fisher was on his second Dream Flights tour. Crawley grew up flying Steermans and after talking about the mission of Dream Flights, he voiced his desire to one day fly for them. Five years later he began flying for the nonprofit and Andrea is now volunteering her piloting skills. Both are visibly energized and inspired by the experience. Clint has since donated his Steerman, the Spirit of the Pacific, to participate in the annual tours.
Each of the eleven WWII veterans enjoyed their dream flight, accompanied by the cheers of their friends and families. Smiles and waves to the crowd were prevalent as they taxied in from their flight. After each flight, the veteran was given the opportunity to sign the tail of the Steerman airplane, and tears were seen in the eyes of many attendees as they shared this once in a lifetime event with these veterans.
Operation September Freedom continues with a special stop at the 51st annual Steerman fly-in located in Galesburg Illinois, which will see all seven Dream Flights aircraft together for the first time. Since all airplanes are working their way towards the event, this will be an opportunity to showcase this special year of flying over one thousand WWII veterans in these rare airplanes. The tour will then continue through the end of the month. If you would like to request a dream flight for a veteran or learn more about the mission of this nonprofit, please visit dreamflights.org.