Historic D-Day plane salvaged from the rubble heap

Dan Daru
·1 min read
31

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — “That’s All Brother” are the words painted on the nose of the C-47 transport plane as it taxied up to its resting point at Centennial Airport.

It’s one of over 800 C-47s that dropped more than 13,000 paratroopers on D-Day during World War II.

“This one is very unique. It was the leader aircraft of 821 that led the invasion of Normandy on D-Day,” said Rod Anthony, Commemorative Air Force copilot.

Retired Denver officer has a cop car collection in the thousands

Miraculously, this WWII veteran of the skies was saved from obscurity by the Dallas-based Commemorative Air Force.

“We rescued it out of the weeds. It was up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, across the field from the airport there,” Anthony said.

Somebody recognized the plane’s serial number and realized this very C-47 led the way on D-Day. Defying all odds, “That’s All Brother” survived.

“It was always a dream of mine to fly a DC-3 (a similar civilian airliner), but when I learned that story, it just became something I had to do,” Anthony said.

Belgians to honor Coloradan’s WWII pilot father, shot down there 79 years ago

Thanks to the Exploration of Flight Center at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum and the Commemorative Air Force, one can now see, touch and hear a part of history — truly, a veteran of D-Day.

It’s even more poignant now, because the men who flew it and jumped from it are all but gone.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.