Mighty Eighth museum begins restoration of B-24 Liberator

POOLER, Ga. (WTOC) - A massive World War II-era bomber is being brought back to life for a new home but first, it has to be taken apart.

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force has begun restoration on a B-24 Liberator that will eventually be displayed at the museum in Pooler. The aircraft is currently in the first phase of restoration at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, where crews are disassembling major sections and cataloging each component so it can be reassembled with historical accuracy.

The B-24 is on loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

“It’ll eventually come to the museum to be housed indoors just like our B-17, and what that is, that it helps with completing the heavy bomber story of the Eighth Air Force during World War Two,” said Dawn Brosnan, the museum’s director of communications and marketing.

Once restored, it will be displayed alongside the museum’s B-17 “Flying Fortress.” Brosnan said that pairing matters because intact B-24 aircraft are becoming increasingly rare.

“Currently there is only a hand-full of them left in the United States, or in the world actually. And only very few of them are intact,” Brosnan said.

Brosnan said the restoration is also personal, noting her grandfather flew B-24s during World War II. She said preserving aircraft like this helps keep those stories alive as that generation fades.

“We’re constantly losing our WW2 veterans because most of them, the youngest are 99-100 years old,” Brosnan said. “So they won’t be here forever to tell the stories. It is our job and our stewardship to help remember their service, sacrifices, and legacy that they left.”

The museum says phase two of the restoration is expected to begin this summer, and it hopes to have the aircraft brought to Pooler around this time next year. The timeline for its final display has not yet been determined.

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is located at 175 Bourne Ave. in Pooler.