The PBY Memorial Foundation
Several years ago a former PBY plane captain, Win Stites, wanted
to establish a memorial to the PBY5A and the flyers who flew them
in WW II. He didn't desire a plaque or a large stone to remember
them by, he wanted a real PBY5A and a hangar to house it at the
Oak Harbor seaplane base. Just a year ago Win organized the first
meeting of those of us who shared his dream and we met at the
Chief's Club at Ault Field. Since then the PBY Memorial Foundation
was formed, articles of incorporation were established, a board
was formed and a non-profit status from the IRS was applied for.
We now have received that formal approval and can now go after
the money that we need to obtain the PBY and build the hangar.
I'm sure that all of us remember those long hours flying in our
dear old PBYs. They may have been slow and we may have been ridiculed
but our PBYs certainly helped us materially win WW II. And now,
we want to remember and preserve the memory of the PBY as a tribute
to those who flew them to victory in WW II.
It is significant that the PBY Memorial Foundation and the Final
Reunion of Fleet Air Wing Four is being held here during the first
anniversary of Win's first meeting at NAS Whidbey.
There are very few PBY5A's left but there was an auction on August
30th of 5 PBYs over at Moses Lake. Three were greatly modified
water bombers which we could not use yet one of the five still
had the original engines and had not been modified. We didn't
even have one dollar so there was no incentive to even drive over
to Moses Lake to look at the planes.
The Navy at Whidbey has given us their complete support in our
goal to build our hangar subject to the approval of higher command
and we are receiving applications for memberships from people
of all ages who have expressed interest in our project and want
to be included in our efforts. I have left applications for membership
in the PBY Memorial Foundation at some of your tables and invite
you to spend some time to read them. - Here is my gold card.
We also would like to invite you to donate your old uniforms,
log books, letters, pictures and other memorabilia of WW II to
us so that they may suitably displayed in the hangar to be built.
Meanwhile, we are presently storing some of these items in a display
case on this station.
We are going to establish an account with a large national securities
broker so that those of you who would like to transfer your shares
of stock as a charitable gift to the PBY Memorial Foundation.
I can't think of a more meaningful memorial for we veterans of
Fleet Air Wing Four than for a real PBY5A to again appear on the
seaplane ramp at Oak Harbor.
Gene
PBY Memorial Foundation
P.O. BOX 941
OAK HARBOR, WA 98277-0941
