This museum unique to the State of
Colorado is a tribute to American military
airmanship and is the largest collection of
vintage aircraft on the Eastern
Range. On June 30 1972 the first aircraft a
Douglas A-26 Invader arrived on
site followed soon thereafter by a Lockheed F-80
Shooting Star.
The other aircraft currently on display
are on loan from the various military
services with the exception of the McDonnell
Douglas F-101 recorded as having a
civilian owner.
Located six miles east of the city on
highway 50 at the Pueblo Memorial Airport
the aircraft display and the International B-24
memorial Museum occupy space
on what was the Pueblo Army Air Base during WWII.
The museum is free and open to the public seven
days
a week.
Members of the Pueblo Historical
Aircraft Society a volunteer group of
ex-military and civilian personnel manage and
operate the aircraft display as
well as performing the repair and restoration of
the aircraft.
The Society is open to all who wish to
join and become a part of the team
dedicated to preserving the aviation history of
the city of Pueblo. The organization
may be contacted by writing to Pueblo Historical
Aircraft Society 31001 Magnuson
Ave.. Pueblo CO 81001.
INTERNATIONAL B-24 MEMORIAL MUSEUM
In 1986 the Pueblo Historical
Aircraft Society was requested to create a number
of 8 foot by 10 foot display panels depicting the
manufacturing and military history
of the B-24 Liberator bomber of world War II fame.
These panels were transported
to Ft. Worth Texas where they formed a major
display at the 50th reunion of the
first flight of the B-24
After the reunion the panels were
returned to Pueblo for permanent display as
a memorial to the B-24 training base of WWII which
was in operation from
1941 to 1946. This display formed the basis for
the International B-24 Memorial
Museum which was formally dedicated on July 15
1989 by Colonel Robert
Vickers. USAFR of Albuquerque New Mexico.
The B-24 Museum is of special importance
to the citizens of Pueblo and Pueblo
County as it is a reminder of Pueblos military
heritage and its place in military
history. The Museum is also a reminder that
thousands of aircrew members
trained here and then went on to military
assignments in all the various theaters of
operation.
The main purpose of the museum is to
honor all those involved in the design
production and military deployment of the B-24
Liberator. It is unique in that it is
the only known museum dedicated to a specific
airplane.
Although the museum lacks an actual B-24
to display the indoor collection of
B-24 technical and design data military uniforms
airborne radio equipment
photographs flight log books and other military
aviation memorabilia accurately
portrays the B-24.
Text courtesy of The Pueblo Historical
Aircraft Society