73rd Bomb Wing Visits Pratt

Four members of the 73rd Bomb Wing, representing the four bomb groups in the wing, were in Pratt to take a first hand look at the restoration work on the B-29 Museum in the Parachute Building at the airport. They were pleased with what they saw.

The group was looking for a place that would display their historical documents and memorabilia rather than keep it packed away in boxes and that is what Pratt wants to do, said Lefty Palmer, chairman of the 73rd Bomb Wing Association and member of the 498th Bomb Group.
After touring the B-29 All Veterans Memorial and the parachute building, they were impressed with the progress of the B-29 Museum Committee to get the building ready for displays.
“They are really determined to get the building open,” Palmer said.
While they are impressed with the plans, the group is going to wait until the building is actually ready for artifacts before they make the final decision to turn the material over to the B-29 Museum committee, said Phillip Schulz, Chairman of the B-29 Museum Committee.
The group wants to make sure a facility is in place and functioning before they turn over their documents, Schulz said.
The 73rd Bomb Wing Association is anxious to get a home for their artifacts. As their members age, fewer and fewer will be available to handle the necessary arrangements for their documents and artifacts.
Restoration of the parachute building is well under way and the plan is to have the work completed by August or September but have enough work should complete to put in displays before the building is complete. The fact that the B-29 Museum will be open in a few months and not a few years was also a factor in Pratt’s favor, Palmer said.
The committee received a $52,800 Heritage Trust Fund Grant from the Kansas Historical Society and is using those funds to restore the building.
The committee’s drive and dedication helped sway the 73rd committee to look at Pratt as their choice. They had been to several other locations but thought that Pratt would be in line with their wishes for displaying the artifacts, Palmer said.
The 73rd Bomb Wing was meeting in Wichita and the veterans took the opportunity to drive to Pratt to check out the facilities and the meet with the members of the committee.
Making the trip were Palmer, William Greene-500th Bomb Group, Bill Montone-497th Bomb Group and Ed Keyser-499th Bomb Group. Of these four groups, the 497th was the only one that served in Pratt.
Also attending were 73rd Bomb Wing Historian Don Livengood and Ann Keyser, wife of Ed.
The group met with the B-29 Museum Committee at the Pratt County Historical Museum then headed to the airport and spent some time at the memorial looking at the names of others who had served at Pratt.
They spent a long time at the parachute building learning the history of the building and looking at the various elements of the building including the parachute hanging room.
The group then enjoyed a supper at the Park Hills Country Club.