In 1941, more than 2,300 British cadets trained as pilots during World War II at Mesa’s Falcon Field Airport. Recently, the airport received a plaque commemorating those Royal Air Force cadets.
The plaque is a replica made from salvaged wood from one of the airport's original WWII hangars, which was damaged in a storm in 2023. The original plaque is housed at the National Memorial Arboretum in England.
Jocelyn Condon is the vice president of the Arizona Aviation Historical Group, which presented the plaque.
“A few of the pilots actually enjoyed Arizona so much they came back to live. And so we do have some descendants that are currently living in the area," she said.
Condon says Mesa Councilmember Jenn Duff, who participated in the ceremony for the original plaque in England, is one of those descendants.
The replica is on display at the airport’s terminal building lobby.
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