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U.S. Army Air Corps’ WWII glider program showcased at Lubbock, Texas

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WWII CG 4A glider on display at Lubbock, Texas Silent Wings Museum
Tom Wilmer
WWII CG 4A glider on display at Lubbock, Texas Silent Wings Museum

WWII gliders showcased at Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, Texas.

Lubbock, Texas is the home of the Silent Wings Museum—a showcase of the U.S. Army Air Corps, glider aircraft program. Approximately 14,000 glider aircraft were manufactured for combat roles in the European theater of WWII.

The gliders first saw duty in Italy and subsequently played a vital role in delivering troops and material during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

C-47 aircraft model that towed the glider aircraft during WWII on display at Silent Wings Museum
Tom Wilmer
C-47 aircraft model that towed the glider aircraft during WWII on display at Silent Wings Museum

Only five glider aircraft remain in the world and one is showcased at the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock.

CG 4A glider interior at Silent Wings Museum, Lubbock, Texas
Tom Wilmer
CG 4A glider interior at Silent Wings Museum, Lubbock, Texas

Glider training bases were located around America. Lubbock served as one of the key training facilities where more than 5,000 glider pilots received their wings before shipping out overseas.

Today, just a stones throw from the old South Plains Army Air Corps airfield is the Silent Wings Museum with an incredible array of historic artifacts, including a fully restored CG 4A glider.

This show is re-shared as a best-of-the-best Journeys of Discovery podcast that remains as a timeless classic.

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You are invited to subscribe to the six time Lowell Thomas Award-winning travel podcast, Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer, featured on the NPR Podcast DirectoryApple Podcastand more than twenty other podcast hosting sites including iHeartRadio and Spotify

Tom Wilmer produces on-air content for Issues & Ideas airing over KCBX and is producer and host of the six-time Lowell Thomas award-winning NPR podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer. Recorded live on-location across America and around the world, the podcasts feature the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine & spirits, brewpubs, and the culinary arts--everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls to interviewing the real Santa Claus in the Arctic.
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