A World War II aircraft will be a part of an exhibit at the Foley Railroad Museum.
The city council approved the purchase of the 1941 N3N biplane. The U.S. Navy’s aviation training center in Foley used the same model as a training aircraft at Barin Field.
The National Park Service previously designated the city as an American World War II Heritage City.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the purchase exemplifies how Foley wants to celebrate that designation.
“I think it'll be a real winner for our city,” Hellmich said. “This is something that could be a real jewel for our city.”
Barin Field trained more than 5,000 aviation cadets from 1942 through 1947 and 1953 through 1958.
“We want to have displays that really identify how Barin Field affected us as a city,” city administrator Mike Thompson said. “Many people who live in Foley today are here because their father or grandfather came here to learn to fly for the Navy, and after the war, they came back here, and they made Foley their home.”
The U.S. Navy still uses Barin Field as an outlying landing field.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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