60651495 10158717500913128 5504789841604247552 N — An up-close look at the B-25 before its restoration (USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park / Facebook)

Perfect for history enthusiasts, Mobile’s USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park has a great collection of military weapons and aircraft. For the past several months, the museum and park have been working on restoring a B-25 Mitchell bomber to honor a former Mobile resident.

About the B-25 Mitchell bomber

318242803 10162284266393128 6022056269773439062 N — The B-25 in its new home in the Aircraft Pavillion (USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park / Facebook)

The collection at the memorial park is meant to honor the contributions of Mobile and Alabama residents in World War II. This restoration was recently completed to honor two men who participated in Gen. Jimmy Doolittle’s 1942 raid on Japan. The restoration efforts honor the late Col. Travis Hoover and former Mobile resident Lt. William N. Fitzhugh.

Doolittle’s raid on Japan was the result of a direct retaliation effort in response to Pearl Harbor. A twin-engine Army bomber had not yet made efforts to take off from an aircraft carrier. The B-25 was up to the task with its enlarged fuel load and a large enough bomb load to make it happen.

While the USS Alabama, with its impressive armor protection and 16-inch guns in three three-gun turrets, is the main attraction park, exhibitions like the B-25 Mitchell show guests the importance of events like the Doolittle raid.

What to expect:

101065200 10160002759378128 5172730277679595520 N — A special look inside the cockpit (USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park / Facebook)

Serving as a pilot trainer throughout the 1940s and 50s, the B-25 was eventually sold to a former pilot in the Mobile-area and later used as a crop duster before being donated to the museum.

Previously, the park restored the solid nose of the plane, equipped with .50 caliber machine guns to honor some of the squadrons that used that time of low-level strafing missions. The plane was moved from its outdoor display into the Aircraft Pavillion to make this final and grand restoration a reality, leaving it on permanent display for everyone to enjoy.

How to see the B-25 Mitchell

308680869 10162089452893128 4533202614286329189 N 1 — See Mobile's World War II B-25 plane restored to former glory 1

Now you can see the B-25 Mitchell for yourself! Open every day of the year, except Christmas Day, the museum and park offer visitors a variety of war memorabilia to admire and learn from.