The airplane now known as “Rosie’s Reply” landed at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport. The airport is located just a short hop across the Missouri River from the Fairfax district in Kansas City, Kansas, where the plane was built in the 1940s.
Some of those at the airport to welcome the bomber home were a few of the women who helped build it more than 70 years ago. The iconic image of “Rosie the riveter” came to symbolize all of the women who contributed to the war effort by working in manufacturing plants to build airplanes and other weapons. The women, many now in their 90s, have become known as “Rosies”.
This is the first time the plane has been back to Kansas City since it left the North American Aviation plant in the Fairfax district during WWII. The bomber will be flying around Kansas City all week long taking paying passengers for rides and will fly over the Fairfax Festival at Kaw Point Park on Thursday, October 7.
Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber built at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax, arrived at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, the first time it has been back to Kansas City, Kansas, since it flew out for World War II. Debra Carver, left, and Wendy Albers are Tribute Rosie the Riverters, volunteers with the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Michigan, which owns and maintains the plane. Rosie’s Replay is scheduled to fly over the Fairfax Festival Oct. 7. Rosie’s Replay is scheduled to fly over the Fairfax Festival Oct. 7. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Tim Peterson, a member of the B-25 flight crew with the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Michigan, cleans a window of Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber built at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax. The plane arrived at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, the first time it has been back to Kansas City since it flew out for World War II. Rosie’s Replay is scheduled to fly over the Fairfax Festival Oct. 7. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Freda Renick, left, and Emma Newland, both 97-year-olds from Lee’s Summit, helped build planes during World War II as Rosie the Riverters. Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber they helped build at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax, arrived at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, the first time it has been back to Kansas City since it flew out for World War II. The bomber will fly over the Fairfax Festival Oct. 7. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Freda Renick of Lee’s Summit, left, talks with Tim Peterson, a member of the B-25 flight crew with the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville, Michigan, before climbing up and looking inside. Renick, 97, helped build the plane, Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber built at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax. It arrived at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, the first time it has been back to Kansas City, Kansas, since it flew out for World War II. Rosie’s Reply is scheduled to fly over the Fairfax Festival Oct. 7. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Emma Newland of Lee’s Summit drives rivets in a dog tag with the help of Dan desko, president and CEO of the B-25 History Project. Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber built at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax, arrived at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, the first time it has been back to Kansas City since it flew out for World War II. Newland was a Rosie who helped build the bomber at Fairfax. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Emma Newland of Lee’s Summit shares a light moment with pilot Delane Buttacavoli while driving rivets into dog tags with the help of Dan desko, president and CEO of the B-25 History Project. Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber built at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax, arrived at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, the first time it has been back to Kansas City since it flew out for World War II. Newland was a Rosie who helped build the bomber at Fairfax. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber built at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax, arrived at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, the first time it has been back to Kansas City, Kansas, since it flew out for World War II. Pilot Delane Buttacavoli will fly Rosie’s Reply over the Fairfax Festival Oct. 7. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
Rosie’s Reply, a B-25D bomber built at the North American Aviation plant in Fairfax, takes off for a VIP flight. The arrival of Rosie’s Reply at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, marks the first time it has been back to Kansas City since it flew out for World War II. Rosie’s Replay is scheduled to fly over the Fairfax Festival Oct. 7. Jill Toyoshiba jtoyoshiba@kcstar.com
A ÒRosieÓ helped assemble an airplane at the North American Aviation Fairfax plant during WWII. File The Kansas City Star
Sometime near the end of WWII, B-25 bombers neared completion at the North American Aviation Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kansas. Wyandotte County Museum
A ÒRosieÓ helped assemble an airplane at the North American Aviation Fairfax plant during WWII. File The Kansas City Star
Visuals Editor Chris Ochsner leads The Star’s talented staff of photojournalists and video producers. He’s had his hand in directing visuals coverage since 2002. Ochsner led the visuals team in its coverage of four Super Bowls and two World Series.
