LANSING (WKZO-AM) — Michigan’s state bird is the robin. Its state tree is the white pine and it official mammal is not the wolverine, but the white-tailed deer. Soon, Michigan’s official airplane could be the B-24 Liberator.
A bill has cleared the state Senate officially designating the World War Two-era bomber. Over 8,600 of them were manufactured by Rose Will Monroe, “Rosie the Riveter” and her co-workers at a converted Ford Plant at Willow Run Airport.
The plane known as the “Flying Boxcar” served in every theatre of the war, in every branch of the service and was sold to a number of Allies for their war effort as well.
A total of 19,000 B-24s were made at plants around the country, more than any other plane ever manufactured. It’s one of the reasons that Detroit became known as the “Arsenal of Democracy” during the mid-20th Century.
Organizers at Willow Run are trying to reclaim the Guinness record for the number of women dressed as Rosie The Riveter in one place at one time this weekend. It’s a fundraiser.
They are trying to save the old plant and turn it into an air museum.
– John McNeill
