North American B-25J Mitchell Yellow Rose

The Commemorative Air Force B-25 Yellow Rose was built in 1943 as B-25J-5-NC, serial number 43-27868. The aircraft was assigned to the 334th Bombardment (Medium) Group (Third Air Force) and later, to the 331st AAF Base Unit (Combat Crew Replacement Training), 3rd AF, Greenville Army Air Field (AAF), South Carolina. There were deployments to Myrtle Beach AAF, SC and Columbia AAF, SC during this period. In February 1945 The Rose was assigned to the 128th AAF Base Unit (Continental Air Force), Greenville AAF, SC. In December 1945 The Rose was assigned to the 112th AAF Base Unit (ConAF), Hartford AAF, CT. In January 1946 the aircraft was assigned to the 112th AAF Base Unit (ConAF), Westover AFB, Massachusetts and in February 1946 was placed in storage at the 4168th AAF Base Unit (Air Technical Service Command) at South Plains AAF, Texas. In July 1947 she was transferred to another storage location at the 4141st AAF Base Unit (Air Material Command) at Pyote AAF, Texas. The bomber was removed from storage in July 1949 and assigned to the 3750th Technical Training Wing (Air Training Command) as a ground instructional airframe at Shepard AFB, Texas. It remained there for almost seven years without flying. The aircraft was flown to the Birmingham Modification Center in April 1956 where Hayes Aircraft Company converted it to a TB-25N and returned it to flying status. She was assigned to the 3640th Pilot Training Wing (ATC) at Laredo AFB, Texas in June 1956 and that assignment included a deployment to Offutt AFB, Nebraska. In September 1958 the aircraft was put back into storage at the Arizona Aircraft Storage Branch (Air Material Command) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. The Rose was sold to Fogle Aircraft Co., Tucson, AZ for $1395. Later, in February 1960, Dothan Aviation Corp bought the aircraft for for $2,500. The bomber was sold to John Stokes of San Marcos, TX in October 1975. In September 1977 John Stokes was approached by future CAF partners and he sold to Charles Skipper of Boerne, TX, Charles Becker, of San Antonio, TX and Jack Jones, of San Antonio, TX. The aircraft was sold to the Confederate AF in Harlingen, TX in 1979, The registration was changed to N25YR in 1991 and the title transferred to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, Midland. TX. Limited Edition. Signed and Numbered by the Artist. Licensed by the CAF. See More...