WIX Archives
Memphis Belle Update
Posted by B Darnell on Wed Jan 14, 2004 08:35:48 AM
In reply top null posted by null on null
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal
Belle a treasure that belongs in Memphis
By Guest columnist James L. Fri Jr. is a World War II U.S. Army veteran and president of the Memphis Belle War Memorial Foundation.
January 13, 2004
With the United States continuing its battle against global terrorism, how tragic it would be if Memphis lost a historic, internationally known treasure that is a symbol of our country's willingness to fight for freedom.
As president of the Memphis Belle War Memorial Foundation, I am concerned about the status of the Memphis Belle and the continuing debate about where it should be located when its restoration is complete. The circumstances and issues surrounding the historic airplane's display, restoration and future have not been adequately explained, but I hope the public will come to understand the critical importance of keeping the Memphis Belle in Memphis.
The Memphis Belle War Memorial Foundation was founded in 1999 with the goal of building a suitable museum to display the historic B-17. Our group became the second tax-exempt organization chartered under the federal government's 501(c)3 provisions to support the airplane's preservation and display; the first group to be so organized is the Memphis Belle Memorial Association, which was founded in 1967.
Our group's efforts began in early 1999 when a small group of World War II veterans and interested businessmen formed the foundation with the intention of building a permanent structure on Mud Island to house the Memphis Belle, in the spot where the Belle Pavilion is located. We supported and were responding to the United States Air Force Museum's mandate that a permanent, enclosed structure with proper temperature and humidity control was required to preserve what is arguably the most famous aircraft to come out of WWII.
The foundation communicated our plans to the Riverfront Development Corporation. After a series of public meetings to develop plans for revitalizing the downtown riverfront, the RDC informed our group in writing that a permanent structure could not be built on the pavilion site because a land bridge that was planned to join Mud Island to the mainland would cover that area. Unfortunately, the RDC did not make any alternative locations available for housing the Memphis Belle within the time allowed by the Air Force Museum, which owns the airplane.
With the assistance of Shelby County officials, a permanent home for the Belle was identified on Forest Hill-Irene Road, one-half mile south of the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, in the Memphis annexation reserve area and next to the highly successful Mike Rose Soccer Complex. The location is an excellent one for the museum, as the soccer complex draws more than 380,000 visitors a year and connects to the planned Belle site via an existing tunnel under Bill Morris Parkway.
Our organization and the Memphis Belle Memorial Association adopted a letter of agreement on July 19, 2000, that outlined our shared goals, responsibilities and commitments. The MBMA, authorized by the Air Force Museum, would continue custodial care, restoration and historic interpretation of the Belle and would place the aircraft in the museum. Our group would raise funds, select a site and design and build a suitable museum for housing and displaying the airplane.
With those firm commitments in place, we began to move forward.
The MBMA continued its custodial care, the docent/historic interpretation activity at the Belle on Mud Island, and planned for the restoration. With the site selected, our foundation began planning for the museum. We hired the nationally known Rouse Group of Cincinnati to develop a museum concept plan and Memphis architect Met Crump to design an appropriate structure to display the Belle. With the help of then-Shelby County mayor Jim Rout, the County Commission and the City of Memphis, we leased the excellent site and started fund-raising planning.
In November 2001, more than 500 veterans and other Belle supporters attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the Forest Hill-Irene location. Site work is now complete, ready for construction on the museum to begin, and the location is marked by a large sign.
Early on, it became apparent that the two-organization structure supporting the Belle's restoration and move to its new home was unworkable. One voice was needed to conduct a successful national fund-raising effort. Our foundation and the MBMA both devoted considerable time and effort toward creating one organization with a unified board of trustees to carry out that mission, but the effort has not been concluded and fund-raising has been delayed. The MBMA has subsequently moved the Belle to a Naval Air hangar in Millington for restoration.
It is not clear where the famous B-17 will be displayed once the restoration is finished. Now is the time for public and private action to assure the Memphis Belle remains in Memphis. The city and county governments need to join hands in a leadership role with the MBMA and our foundation to support the effort to house the Belle at the Forest Hill-Irene site in a suitable and attractive museum building, such as the one that Crump has designed.
We are convinced that strong private financial resources are available and that the community is committed to keeping the Belle in Memphis. We expect more donations to the project once the coordinated fund-raising effort begins to move forward again.
The Memphis Belle belongs in Memphis, where it has been since July 17, 1946, and where it can continue to teach future generations about the dedication and commitment of its crew and of all who served and sacrificed for our country during World War II.
commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN