Suitland-Silver Hill

He was not wrong.

The Smithsonian eventually moved her to their Silver Hill storage facility in Maryland, disassembled, fuselage here, wings there, engines somewhere else, still not properly stored, still deteriorating.

For decade after decade, veterans groups, particularly the veterans of the 509th Composite Group, wrote letters and made phone calls and showed up in congressional offices demanding that the aircraft be properly preserved.

For decades, not much happened.