HELP US RESTORE OUR WWII-ERA
PBY CATALINA
Thanks to your support, we raised the funding needed to ship our PBY from the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) in Pensacola, Florida to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. This is the same type of flying boat that were the strategic targets during the attack on Oahu on December 7, 1941.
Once the PBY arrives, the real work begins! The PBY will require hundreds of hours of restoration and conservation work to return it to its original condition. This will cost over $500,000.
Can we count on you for a special gift to support the restoration of our Navy PBY Catalina flying boat?
Every dollar will make a difference and get us closer to displaying this historic PBY Catalina on the hangar floor telling the visitor the significant role it played in the war in the Pacific.
HELP HONOR
PBY Flight Engineer CASH BARBER
Lieutenant Commander Clyde Cassius “Cash” Barber
While at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) in Pensacola preparing our PBY for transport, we met WWII veteran and PBY flight engineer, Lieutenant Commander Clyde Cassius “Cash” Barber. At 99 years of age, Cash remains a volunteer at NNAM. His story reminds us of why a PBY must be on display at our museum.
LCDR Barber joined the Navy at age 17 and by November, 1941, Cash had completed “Mech” school and received orders to Patrol Bomber Squadrons flying PBY Catalina seaplanes under fleet Air Wing One, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
After Pearl Harbor, Cash and his squadron flew numerous “Dumbo” missions to rescue aviators and seamen in distress at sea in the South Pacific. Cash’s story illustrates the significance of the PBY during WWII, demonstrating why it is so important to display and restore this historic aircraft here at Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.
As we approached the entrance to the channel at Pearl Harbor, we saw the damage from the December 7th attack. At Ford Island, our small air strip and base for our seaplanes, the aircraft hangars had been bombed and all the PBYs and other aircraft parked there were damaged or destroyed. The sight of all that damage is something that one can never forget.
Lieutenant Commander Clyde Cassius “Cash” Barber
WWII veteran and PBY flight engineer
Watch the Video and Join the Cause
Supporters who make a contribution of $250 or more toward this vital restoration project will have their name recorded and honored in our PBY Maintenance and Restoration Record for all time that we will post on our PBY Catalina website page after we restore the plane. In addition, those who contribute $100 or more will receive a limited-edition PBY reusable tote bag.
donate to support
PBY Catalina
Give to help us restore our WWII-era PBY Catalina.
