Stories

Back in a B-25: WWII Veteran Flies Again

Soaring above the clouds eight decades later.

John Preklas waiting to board the B25J “Champaign Gal.”

On August 23, 2025, at 101 years old, John Preklas climbed into the B-25 Champaign Gal, a restored World War II bomber, eight decades after he first saw combat in one as a flight engineer in 1943. With an impressive roar for an 81-year-old aircraft, the Champaign Gal took off into the sunny sky, beginning a meaningful flight that honored both Preklas’ service to his country and our region’s rich World War II heritage. In a year where less than .5% of all World War II veterans are still living, honoring these men and women’s contributions and preserving their stories is more vitally important than ever before. The National Aviation Heritage Alliance was proud to sponsor Preklas’ flight in honor of Montgomery County’s designation as Ohio’s only American World War II Heritage City by the National Park Service.

John Preklas was born on August 1, 1924, to a first-generation Polish immigrant family. His father was a blacksmith and his mother raised seven children, six boys and one girl. After graduating high school in 1942, John wanted to join the Army Air Corps to become a pilot. Preklas recounted in an oral history with Bridget Federspiel earlier this year:

“I always had an urge to fly…I used to dream of the Red Baron and Eddie Rickenbacker. [Flying] was always stuck in my mind. I knew that, in my adult life, I wanted to fly.”

However, John’s parents did not sign off on this action, as they already had two sons serving in World War II- one as an artillery instructor and the other as part of a gun crew on troop transport. Yet John did not have to wait long for his wish to come true: in May 1943, he was drafted into the service. He took a train from Pittsburgh to Fort Meade, where he completed multiple aptitude tests, underwent physicals, and was placed in the Army Air Corps. After basic training in Atlantic City, Preklas was sent to aeronautical training at Seymour Johnson Field in North Carolina and then aerial gunnery training at Buckingham Army Airfield in Florida.

After months of preparation, Preklas became an expert in B-25s:

“We spent six months, eight hours a day learning about the aircraft. I knew everything about how it functioned…I knew how to switch fuel from one wing to the other, or to the bomb bay. If the hydraulics went out, you had to be able to pump down the landing gear [manually]. If the cables snapped, you had to fix it while in flight.”

John Preklas’ (Front, Right) Squadron during World War II.

On October 23, 1944, 20 young men, including Preklas, boarded an ATC C-54 aircraft bound for Kunming, China. John had been assigned to the 14th Air Force in the 341st Bombardment Group, 11th Bombardment Squadron, as a flight engineer and gunner. He and his fellow airmen were charged with protecting and maintaining the crucial “Hump” route, the main air supply line for Allied forces in China during World War II. The route crossed the Himalayas and was treacherous, requiring extremely high flight altitudes in poor weather conditions. In addition to work around this route, the 14th Air Force was instrumental in destroying Japanese shipping routes and supplies during the war.

Preklas recalls completing approximately 25 missions during his time in China and was stationed there until a few weeks after Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945. After spending a few months at a former Luftwaffe base in Germany and transporting planes from China back to Europe, John boarded the Texacana Victory and returned to American soil after two years, nine months, and twenty days of dedicated service in World War II. He returned home to Pennsylvania, met his wife of 78 years and counting, Helen, and worked for the Kodak company, eventually settling in Liberty Township, Ohio, where he still lives today.

When asked how his time in the service changed him, Preklas laughed and remarked:

“I grew up! I was more or less a city boy… and then all of a sudden, you’re exposed to all these different [cultures] and what’s going on in the world and you become more world-oriented… You experienced things that most people never will… And you appreciate the fact that you have the country that you defended.”

The B25J “Champaign Gal” shortly before takeoff.

Just like John Preklas, the B-25J Champaign Gal also saw two theaters of World War II in the United States Army Air Forces. The twin-engine bomber was built in 1944 and used as a navigational trainer and personnel transport. The Champaign Aviation Museum acquired the aircraft in 2008 and has worked diligently to preserve it ever since. Today, the Champaign Gal serves as a flying tribute to our country’s World War II history, regularly amazing spectators and passengers at airshows, flyovers, and special flights. The National Aviation Heritage Alliance regularly supports the Champaign Gal through the organization’s subgrant program, including a 2023 grant to replace the plane’s brake rotors, ensuring it remained in flying condition for the public to appreciate and learn from. As a literal flying artifact from World War II, this B-25 was the perfect aircraft to commemorate a dedicated veteran’s service.

John and his family pictured with the pilot and flight crew of the B-25J.

On his flight aboard the Champaign Gal, Preklas was joined by his daughters and granddaughter, while his wife Helen proudly watched from the ground. While waiting to board, John smiled and shared stories with his family, recalling that he had logged more than 180 hours in a plane just like the Champaign Gal. Reflective but cheerful, he joked easily with his family, and when the plane landed safely and he was back on the ground, amidst applause from on-lookers, he asked the crowd: “should I kiss the ground?” and called out to Helen, asking if she was happy that he had made it back down to earth. The already-special day was made even more memorable by the presence of John’s family, volunteers and staff from the Champaign Aviation Museum, and visitors who paused their tours of the museum to witness the moment. Under perfect skies, the flight became a shared tribute that blended personal history with community memory and commemoration of World War II heritage.

As the world approaches the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on September 2^nd, moments like John Preklas’ flight remind us that history is not only found in books, but in the lives of those who lived it. Montgomery County’s designation as Ohio’s only World War II Heritage City reflects this truth: our community both shaped the war effort and continues to safeguard its stories for future generations. Watching Mr. Preklas climb into the Champaign Gal at 101 years old was both a celebration of his courageous service and a powerful reminder of why preserving this heritage matters.

To learn more about Montgomery County’s World War II Heritage City designation, click here. To learn more about Champaign Aviation Museum and the Champaign Gal, including booking your own flight experience on the restored B-25J, click here. Special thanks to Bridget Federspiel for making this flight possible. You can learn more about Federspiel’s important work conducting oral histories with veterans here.