Artifact Friday: B-25 "Yellow Rose"

In preparation for our Warbird Weekend next week, we will be looking at a rotating artifact that will be in our museum and available to view temporarily: the B-25 “Yellow Rose.”

The Yellow Rose is a vintage B-25 Mitchell World War II bomber. The bomber was christened with the name “Yellow Rose” in honor of the song “The Yellow Rose of Texas” due to the aircraft being restored and flown by the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing. The Yellow Rose has been restored to its wartime prime and is now a flying museum piece belonging to the organization “Ghost Squadron.”

Thousands of hours were donated to restoring the bomber, many from the Yellow Rose squadron. The bomber was donated in 1981, and the restoration process took four years to complete.

The B-25 is a twin-engine bomber and was manufactured by North American Aviation (NAA). The bomber served in every theater of the war, and nearly 10,000 of these were produced from North American Aviation factories. After the war ended, Yellow Rose stayed in service for nearly 40 years, and its restoration today serves as a reminder of its former glory and assistance during and after the war.

The Yellow Rose took part in important battles such as the Doolittle Raid, invasions in Sicily and Italy, and island-hopping campaigns in the Pacific. The Yellow Rose is an important part of not just aviation history but of World War II history. Join us on May 30th and 31st, when the Yellow Rose will be joining us at Drake Field in celebration of Warbird Weekend!