Photos to accompany this article are available. Please contact Kay Crites, director of public relations, at (432) 567-3007 or at atrevino@cafhq.org.

COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE FLIES SUPPLIES INTO
LOUISIANA FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS

Midland, Texas (Sept. 8, 2005) - Mirroring the humanitarian efforts of the Berlin Airlift in 1948, three vintage World War II era planes owned by the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) joined the effort to get supplies into areas of Louisiana ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. On Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005, a C-47 cargo plane, an R4D (Navy version of a C-47) and an A-26 landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to begin loading supplies. The R4D and C-47 were military transports during World War II and played a huge role in the Normandy landings and post-war in the Berlin Airlift. The A-26 was probably the most impressive and one of the fastest twin-engine bombers of the Second World War.

The planes took flight when retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Doug Burnett called the Commemorative Air Force Headquarters in Midland , Texas , on Monday Sept. 5, to request help, after receiving a call from his former commander with the 4 th Recon in Mobile , Ala. "He told me I had to make this happen," said Burnett. Working with the World Relief Organization and the Southern Baptist Convention Men's Ministry Disaster Relief Team, which is working in conjunction with the Red Cross, Burnett began gathering supplies.

"What we have been doing until Tuesday" said Burnett, "is flying in food and water using Cessna 172s and Beach King Airs, but we had to step things up because so many in Louisiana are going to the emergency kitchens that they are running out of food."

"I had a friend who knew someone in the Commemorative Air Force. We couldn't reach that person, but I just called the Headquarters in Midland and left a message. The director of operations returned my call and said they could help."

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