WWII Veteran Rides Rare B-25 Bomber Plane At Tulsa Air & Space Museum

A World War II Veteran who just turned 101 years old got a great surprise for his birthday: a flight in a World War II bomber that's visiting Tulsa.

"I'm sitting at home doing nothing and people saying, 'get in the car we're going over to Tulsa.'" Staff Sergeant Raymond Duncan said. "I go, 'what are we going over to do?' They go 'I don't know'....and here we are."

The B-25 Mitchell was used by the Allied Air Forces during World War II.

Nearly 10,000 of the medium bombers were built, but Tulsa Air and Space Museum Executive Director Tonya Blansett says only about 45 of them are still flyable.

Sergeant Duncan, who took part in the largest air raid on Germany during the war, says seeing this plane was surreal.

"I never expected to see one of these airplanes again," Duncan said.

Blansett says it's not too often a plane this rare comes to Tulsa, so she hopes people from all generations will get a glance.

"It's really special to bring," Blansett said. "It bridges those generational gaps and it's a real-life history lesson that you can reach out and touch."

Blansett says seeing airplane fans, both old and young, experience history, is what it's all about.

"It's extremely special when we get a World War II veteran, but their children, who are now the grandparents and great grandparents, they bring their family members out and they share their stories," Blansett said.

After flying in a bomber for the first time since 1944, Duncan says it might not have been like the war, but he was glad he came for the ride.

"Well, it's much different right now, but it was joyous," Duncan said. "I enjoyed it."

You can see the B-25 at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum until 4 p.m. Sunday.