The Memorial Stadium Rededication Ceremony kicked into gear on Friday.

After more than 20 months of eager anticipation by virtually all of the community, the massively ambitious project was finally finished.

Families of the 44 proudly discussed their lost loved ones, and the memorial monument was unveiled to a crowd waiting with baited breath. 
One of the most anticipated events of the evening was the flyover by the B-17G war bird, the Texas Raiders.

This WWII bomber, restored and operated by the Commemorative Air Force, arrived in El Reno from Guymon Thursday evening.

Its landing at the El Reno Airport a day before the ceremony was a momentous occasion in and of itself, as a plane of that type hasn’t visited El Reno in 26 years.

Texas Raiders has been touring the country all summer, and its last stop before Oklahoma was in Colorado.

The plane is expensive to maintain, costing more than $2,500 in fuel per aerial hour. 

El Reno High School educator Brian Rukes, the man who spearheaded the Remember the 44 project, said that the CAF feels that it’s worth every penny to preserve the history of WWII. 

“The CAF keeps history alive in a way that couldn't be done otherwise,” he said. 

The bomber will be available for the public to tour this week, and brave souls can even go up for a flight.

Both Rukes and representatives from CAF said that safety for the crew and the passengers is of paramount importance. 

There remained lots of preparation on Thursday evening, from aircraft safety checks to checking up on the monument. That evening, Rukes said, put everything into perspective. As he looked at the tarp covering the memorial, he realized that the wait was finally over. 

“To me, it’s surreal that all of this is coming to a head - it’s actually happening.”

RemembER the 44 is extremely important to Rukes, as it is to the families of the fallen soldiers.

For the ceremony, they came from all over - Texas, Georgia, California, Florida, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, South Carolina, Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa and Montana. Some of them were already staying in El Reno hotels on Wednesday night.

Rukes said that the value of honoring the 44 and their families is almost beyond comprehension.

“It blows me away that so many people have been willing to do so much for this. I can’t put into words how much it means.”

Rukes thanked everyone who helped with the project, from city and school officials to donors and T-shirt customers. He said he has feelings of thanksgiving, appreciation and gratitude.

“I am extremely thankful for all support from so many different people. The project was so big, I absolutely could never have done it on my own.”

Tours of Texas Raiders will be conducted today through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding flight times. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 12. To schedule a flight, starting at $475, call 1-855-359-2217.

El Reno schools will have educational trips to see the B-17 starting Monday for all grades.