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A veteran, a B-24, and a painting of both

Posted at 8:23 PM, Oct 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-22 22:23:26-04

AIR FORCE ACADEMY – On Monday, the Air Force Academy welcomed back retired Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Fitzhenry, a World War II veteran who piloted 64 combat missions over the Pacific Theater of Operations.

The occasion? A new addition of art to the academy, a donation made by this accomplished veteran.

The piece, titled “The Raid,” has been in Fitzhenry’s possession for more than a decade. It depicts the B-24 Liberator, known as the Scootin Thunder, that he and his crew navigated through the war.

The Academy hopes it inspires cadets, cadets that Fitzhenry hopes to spend some time speaking with and imparting wisdom gained through his 20 years of military service.

The one big idea he hopes to cover with cadets, is the importance of teamwork.

“The results of decisions by two or three people, are always better than just one person making the decision,” commented the pilot.

Fitzhenry told KOAA before we left, that teamwork is the main reason he and his team were able to successfully fly 64 combat missions in World War II.