Piece of living history visits Shaw's air show

Published May 10, 2010
By Airman 1st Class Alexandria Mosness
20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. -- History came to life on the flight line here as the famous North American B-25 Mitchell bomber made an appearance at ShawFest 2010.

Larry Kelly, the pilot and owner of the B-25 bomber "Panchito," showed his dedication to those who served at the three-day air show by giving them a glimpse of the heroes before them.

"I was never in the military," Mr. Kelly said. "But, I have always had a huge respect for all who have served, including my father and most of my family."

But this did not stop him from flying planes and finding his way to honor those in the military across the United States.

"I have teamed up with the Disabled American Veterans to do about 20-25 air shows a year," Mr. Kelly said. "The DAV's purpose is to build better lives for our disabled veterans, and they offer free services to them."

Mr. Kelly and crew brought the famous World War II era B-25 bomber "Panchito" to give the Shaw community a glimpse into history.

The B-25 bomber achieved fame when the Doolittle Raiders launched from an aircraft carrier in April 1942 to attack Tokyo, just four months after the Pearl Harbor attack.

"I have always wanted to do the Shaw air show," Mr. Kelly said. "But, due to scheduling conflicts I've never been able to make it out here. Everyone this weekend has been great and been very welcoming."

"It has been a privilege meeting the veterans and hearing their stories this weekend," said Marvona Welsh, DAV event coordinator. "The public was very appreciative of what we do. Veterans also signed a poster throughout the weekend which we presented to the 20th Fighter Wing commander Col. Joseph Guastella."

Mr. Kelly has felt this magnetic pull to planes since he was a small child.

"I've always had strong attraction to old military airplanes," the Enterprise, Ala. native exclaimed. "When I was younger people used to call me the classic airport rug rat. I used to live about a mile away from the airport, and I had a bicycle. There were many days where I had to pick cotton in the fields, milk the cow, and do all my chores for the day. But, by golly, you bet when the chores for that day were finished I was sweeping down at the airport just to be close to the airplanes."

Mr. Kelly has been flying planes for more than 30 years, and he can still remember his first time flying.

"I was nine years old when I sat on my uncle's lap and helped him fly the plane," he added. "By the time I was 14, I was flying the plane by myself. It was just a tailor craft, but I can still remember flying from my uncle's farm to my grand daddy's, but my uncle never allowed me to fly to the airport because I didn't have a license."
One of his fondest childhood memories has to be his trips to the local ice cream shop, he said

"I was able to fly down to the ice cream parlor and park right out front and get some ice cream," he said with a chuckle. "But that was back then; now days, you might get arrested if you tried that."

Mr. Kelly was the first to go to college in his family and described himself as a country boy in the big city.

This country boy managed to get his degree, start his own business, and get into a position where he could buy his first plane. He has not stopped adding to his collection ever since.

One spectator made his way to the air show specifically for the B-25 bomber.
"I saw a B-25 bomber fly over our neighborhood, and I was pretty impressed," said Jackson Nichols, a Sumter, S.C., native. "That is what got my family and me down here. I love living by the base. The military are great, and it's comforting to know there are F-16s down the road."

As this page of history closes at Shaw, Mr. Kelly continues his mission of honoring servicemembers and sharing his love of aircraft.

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