More than 30 pieces of nose art from actual World War II combat aircraft made their first-ever trip outside their home museum, with the TTF AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh chosen as the first public display location for this rare collection.
The collection from the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) headquarters in Dallas, Texas, made its debut in November after a month of preparation in the TTF museum’s Eagle Hangar, which honors the people and aircraft of World War II. The artifacts have been designated by the National Trust for Historical Preservation as an official project of Save America’s Treasures, which seeks to preserve historic structures, art, and published works throughout the nation. It will be on display at EAA throughout 2016.

“This collection is simply incredible; there’s no other way to put it,” said Bob Campbell, director of the TTF AirVenture Museum. “We’re honored to be the first museum chosen by the CAF to receive this priceless collection on loan. It tells a unique story of the common soldier and airman during World War II, how this artwork was created, what it meant to these young men mostly between 18 and 25 years old, and the individual tales of these aircraft that returned along with those that didn’t.”