Nobody Likes Ike

When Hurricane Ike cut a destructive path across southeast Texas on September 13, the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston was among the casualties. Ike pummeled the museum, leaving behind 7 to 8 feet of water in the hangars and Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. Airplanes on static display suffered major water damage, the Hall of Fame exhibits were destroyed and the entire contents of the gift shop were lost.

Fortunately, the museum managed to evacuate its flight-worthy warbirds prior to Ike’s arrival. The Commemorative Air Force graciously provided long-term shelter for Lone Star’s B-17G Thunderbird and B-25N Doolittle Raiders Special Delivery at its Midland, Texas, headquarters. The museum’s DC-3, F8F Bearcat, PT-17 Stearman, P-47 Thunderbolt, F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, SBD Dauntless and T-6 Texan all found temporary homes elsewhere in Texas.

Ten days after Ike’s unwelcome visit, Lone Star president Larry Gregory reported that with the help of numerous volunteers the museum was already making good progress in its recovery effort. Seabees from the U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 and sailors from the amphibious assault ship Nassau spent two days cleaning out 300 cubic yards of debris from the museum. “Their efforts will forever be remembered by the museum,” said Gregory. The Collings Foundation donated equipment and volunteers, who took charge of corrosion-proofing the water-damaged aircraft. Some artifacts from the Hall of Fame exhibits were recovered.

This cooperative effort between museum staff, local volunteers and members of the aviation community to save Lone Star’s irreplaceable airplanes and artifacts is a testament to the can-do spirit that emerges any time America is faced with a crisis. As Commemorative Air Force president Stephan Brown noted: “It is important to the warbird community that we support each other….It does not matter to whom these aircraft belong, only that they are kept safe and continue to bring history to life for our future generations.”

For his part, Lone Star president Gregory is grateful for all the help his museum has received. “I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who has helped us after the storm,” he said. “You mean more to us than you realize.” He added: “Hang in there with us. We’ll be back.”

For information on how you can help the Lone Star Flight Museum’s recovery efforts, visit lsfm.org.

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