BENTONVILLE (KFSM) - A WWII veteran, who flew on the famed Flying Fortress B-17 Bomber, was in Northwest Arkansas to take a trip down memory lane Tuesday (Sept. 9.)
The Texas Raiders B-17 is currently at XNA.
The piece of history is on display for people of all ages to experience, with tours and flights available to the public.
"If you stop and think of what went on in World War II, you'll never see that again," said 90-year-old William Toombs, a veteran who flew more than 20 missions on a B-17.
The Texas Raiders is one of the nine B-17’s that remains in good enough condition to fly.
On Tuesday, Toombs took a hour-long flight on the B-17.
"It brought back a lot of memories," Toombs said.
When Toombs enlisted, he signed up to be a mechanic, but was switched to a bombing crew.
He tells 5NEWS that he was on a crew before he had enough experience on the plane.
"I had very little flying time, maybe 10 hours," Toombs said.
Toombs said his B-17 was shot down during WWII.
After the plane made an emergency landing, the Canadian’s helped save his entire crew.
Those who tour the nation with The Texas Raiders B-17 say stories like Toombs’ are what make their jobs worth it.
"The bomber crews, it is just unbelievable what they went through back then," said Rick Baker, a member of the flight crew. "You just can't imagine what these young men did.”
Toombs said his flight on the B-17 in Northwest Arkansas brought back clear memories of his time at war.
Toombs told 5NEWS that one of the strongest memories that came back was when the plane was taxiing down the side of the runway, preparing for takeoff.
He said the flight was perfect for bringing back memories of his time spent on the B-17 Bomber.
"All of that went into my mind when we took off," Toombs said.