- Since mid-august, the Minter Field Air Museum has been under renovation removing several decades of paint, while adding a new coat to bring the building back to its former glory. Though the museum has been in mild disarray due to the project, they have been open to the public during the museum's regular business hours. The renovation is expected to be completed by Monday, Oct. 16.
- The museum itself has a TUG vehicle that is potentially one of the few remaining from World War II. The vehicle in possession of the museum was at Wheeler Field in Hawaii, during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
- The TUG is still operational and is used by the museum for several events.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
You might remember a few weeks ago we did the story on the Minter Field Air Museum, getting a fresh coat of paint. And as you can see behind me, they're nearing the completion of that process.
Museum Board Chair Ronald Pierce said the renovation project won’t be finished before the end of this weekend, but in just a few short days, it’ll look nearly brand new.
“We are in the final countdown. They figure by Monday, this building will be completely repainted and ready to go," said Pierce/
The project funded by a grant was started in august, but during the project the museum remained open to visitors and if you were smart enough to cross the street, it’s possible you saw a piece of World War II history that survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
“That is correct. Clark built some special tugs, a tug is a unit that pulls the airplanes around on the field so that they don't have to start them,” said Pierce.
As far as Pierce knows, the vehicle was brought back from Wheeler Field in Hawaii and stored at Minter Field at the end of the war before being auctioned off. From there, the vehicle was used by private businesses before it was donated back to the museum for them to restore and use for various events.
“It's something that we're proud to have because we're not sure that there's another one out there that's still run about and still in this kind of — this kind of condition.”
And as the renovation comes to an end, pierce said he and everyone affiliated with the museum are thankful to see something they love continue on.
“It's not just me. It's all the members, all the volunteers of the museum. I think they all feel grateful that that we are able to step ahead and preserve something that's over 80 some — 82 years old, and be proud of what we represent.”
Though the renovation won't be done just yet before the end of this weekend, the museum is still open during its regular business hours.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
