Clear Lake man will mark D-Day anniversary in unique way

by Kim Pardon

Commemorative Air Force

Doug Rozendaal, Mason City businessman and Clear Lake resident, is marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in a unique way.

Rozendaal has embarked on a transatlantic flight from Connecticut to Duxford, England in the recently restored C-47, That’s All…Brother. The airplane is traveling to Europe for the D-Day invasion anniversary, where it will take part with 26 other transports in a paratrooper drop over Normandy, France.  The airplane will travel from there to Germany, where it will commemorate the Berlin airlift before returning to France to participate in the Paris Air Show.  Rozendaal will be at the controls for most of the journey.

“This particular C-47 was the lead aircraft in the D-Day invasion,” Rozendaal states.  “There were other C-47s launched the day before for pathfinder missions, but when the actual invasion began, this very airplane was the first one launched – loaded with paratroopers who jumped into France in the dark and fog, and an unknown fate, during the early morning hours of June 6.”

  The C-47 That’s All…Brother was found three years ago in an aircraft “boneyard” at Basler Turbo Conversions in Oshkosh, Wis. Once discovered, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) moved swiftly to purchase the aircraft and raised over $3 million to have it meticulously restored to its original specifications.

  “The airplane is essentially brand new,” says Rozendaal.  “It had been sitting in the Wisconsin weather for several years and was in pretty sad shape. If the CAF had not purchased the airplane it would have very likely been scrapped – lost to history.”

In addition to the Normandy invasion, the airplane participated in Operation Market Garden during World War II and the Berlin Airlift from June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949.

  Rozendaal is a longtime pilot whose hobby is flying vintage military aircraft. He is certified in numerous aircraft types

[wlm_nonmember]To read more of this article, please login or sign up for our E-Edition[/wlm_nonmember][wlm_ismember]

including the P-40 Flying Tiger, P-51 Mustang, F4U Corsair, B-25 Mitchell, Japanese Zero, and B-29 Superfortress among many others.  He has performed in airshows around the country for over 25 years.  Rozendaal has been a longtime Commemorative Air Force member and is the current president of the Board for the organization.  He was born in Iowa and grew up on a farm near Newton. He received his pilot certificate during his late teens and, in his 20s and 30s, flew freight at night part time in old C-47s and Beech 18s while operating his business in Mason City during the day.

  Rozendaal began his historic journey in Oxford, Conn. last month, where 15 C-47s traveling from the United States gathered for training. There was a 15-ship formation flight over the Hudson River in New York City before the aircraft headed to Goose Bay, Canada to begin their journey. The planned stops are Narsarsauq, Greenland, Reykjavik, Iceland, and Prestwick, Scotland before arriving at Duxford in the U.K. to prepare for the Normandy mission.

[/wlm_ismember]