World War II plane part of Fly-In

Published Friday, August 29, 2008

Brad Deckert’s 1945 Grumann TBM Avenger was getting plenty of attention Thursday afternoon as volunteers prepared the grounds and buildings for Saturday’s Battle Lake Fly-In. The event also is the second annual tribute to Gerry Beck. Beck died while flying at an air show July 27, 2007, at Oshkosh, Wis.

Fly-in events will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

“It took me about two and half hours to fly the plane from Chicago to Battle Lake. I arrived here about 4 p.m. on Tuesday,” sad Deckert, who lives in Peoria, Ill.

The Battle Lake Fly-In is a fundraiser for The Red Tail Project, the restoration of a rare World War II fighter P-51C Mustang, and the Beck Wing of the Fargo Art Museum. In conjunction with the Fly-In, sponsored by the Battle Lake Community Fund, will be a motorcycle and classic car ride.

Beck often flew to Battle Lake and was the owner of Tri-State Aviation, a Wahpeton-based World War II aircraft restoration facility.

Deckert’s mother is a Battle Lake native and he’s spent time at West Battle Lake for many years. He owns the TBM Avenger with Linda Schumm.

The 1945 Grumann TBM Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It eventually was used by several air and naval personnel around the world.

“The TBM was the heaviest single-engine airplane of World War II,” Deckert said. “It was the first plane designed with a wing-folding mechanism created to maximize storage space on an aircraft carrier.”

There were three crew members who flew the Grumann TBM Avenger. In addition to the pilot and turret gunner was a third person who had three duties — radioman, bombardier and ventral gunner.

In June 1943 future President George H.W. Bush became the youngest aviator of all time, at the age of 19. While flying the TBM over the Pacific Island of Chici Jima, his plane was shot down. Bush was rescued by American forces.

From March 1945 to September 1945 Deckert’s TBM Avenger served with the Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 234.

“This was one of the squadrons aboard carriers at the end of the war,” Deckert said. “My plane served in the Okinawa Campaign during World War II.”