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Labor of love lands at new exhibit

A volunteer group labored for months restoring the fuselage of a storied aircraft from World War II. Soon the public can admire it.

By Allie Shah

January 30, 2009 at 6:18PM

1:28

(Jerry Holt/Jerry Holt)

Like a new mother waiting for her baby to be placed in her arms for the first time, the men huddled together at the Minnesota History Center on Thursday morning, looking nervous and excited.

Their eyes fixed on the C-47 aircraft fuselage, they watched closely as a giant crane lifted it off a flatbed trailer parked outside the center's loading door.

"We done did it!" one of the men said, nodding to his friend. They smiled proudly.

As members of a local volunteer group made up of military veterans and non-veterans, they've been working for months to restore that vintage C-47 for an upcoming exhibit at the History Center. The 6,000-square-foot exhibit, "Minnesota's Greatest Generation: The Depression, The War, The Boom," opens May 23 in St. Paul.

The largest piece in the exhibit is the fuselage from a vintage 1943 Douglas C-47. The C-47 was one of the most memorable airplanes of World War II, used to transport troops and supplies, and drop paratroopers. It was one of several artifacts that arrived Thursday at the History Center.

'I hope they don't break it'

Ross Sublett, one of the local volunteers who worked on the C-47, said he wanted to witness the delivery.

"We all look at this as our child," he said. "We've helped re-create something and I think that's pretty significant."

And like any labor of love, there were moments of anxiety.

"I woke up a couple hours early thinking about it," said Sublett of Stillwater. "I was thinking, 'I hope they don't break it.'"

Outside the History Center, the Army green-colored fuselage dangled from the crane. Dressed in coveralls and hard hats, members of the delivery crew took their posts and prepared to move the aircraft, tail end first.

Two workers planted themselves at the tail end and yelled to the guys in the front: "OK!"

Then with both hands wrapped tightly around the heavy-duty straps tied to the plane, they tugged hard. One worker bit his lip, groaning as he pulled.

The C-47 inched forward.

Sublett shifted from side to side, watching. Outside, the delivery crew chief commanded: "OK, shove her in, guys!"

A low rumbling sound echoed inside the exhibit hall as the plane rolled in. The crew, aided by the volunteers, parked it in one corner.

Later, they stood in front of it, posing for a picture and beaming with pride.

Allie Shah • 651-298-1550

At the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, Bob Biczen of Rocket Crane Service helped guide the fuselage of a restored 1943 Douglas C-47 to the loading bay. The artifact will be the largest at “Minnesota’s Greatest Generation: The Depression, The War, The Boom.” The exhibit opens May 23. A volunteer group of military veterans and non-veterans worked for months to restore the C-47 for the exhibit. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Jim Carroll, who flew as a paratrooper in the Douglas C-47 during World War II, was pleased to see his plane arrive to be part of an exhibit at the History Center. The aircraft transported troops and supplies and dropped paratroopers. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

about the writer

Allie Shah

Deputy editor

Allie Shah is deputy local editor. She previously supervised coverage of K-12 and higher education issues in Minnesota. In her more than 20 year journalism career at the Minnesota Star Tribune, Shah has reported on topics ranging from education to immigration and health.