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World War II glider, military museum opens

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. — The wait is finally over.

After going through about six years of work and restoration, Menominee Range Historical Foundation members and volunteers recently celebrated the grand opening of the World War II Glider and Military Museum in Iron Mountain.

They were joined by a crowd of approximately 200 people who were anxious to get a look at the museum’s main attraction — a fully-restored CG-4A glider from World War II.

During the war, the Ford Motor Co. plant in Kingsford produced eight gliders per day, for as total of 4,190 gliders throughout the war.

The crafts were used to transport troops, equipment, and vehicles to the battlefields. One glider could carry a pilot, copilot, and either 13 troops or a jeep, howitzer, or other equipment.

Chaplain David Anderson, a veteran of the Vietnam War, praised the glider restoration project during his keynote address.

“Contributions of glider pilots haven’t received the recognition they deserve,” he said. “This place will always remind me of their sacrifices.”

Restoration on the glider, and the idea for a glider museum, started out in the fall of 2005 when the historical foundation received a deteriorated fuselage frame owned by Vernon and Janice Anderson of Metropolitan. It had been sitting on their property for years.

Foundation Board President Ken Sovey explained that despite the museum’s grand opening, there are still finishing touches to perform on the glider and the museum building.

All work is expected to be completed in the near future, he added.