The B-17G Flying Fortress that Art Lacey bought never saw combat in World War II—but spent decades overlooking a gas station in western Oregon.
A particular Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, known today as “Lacey Lady,” didn’t see service during World War II. The famous, or perhaps infamous, bomber was first built in 1945 and only saw service after the war had ended. After its retirement from the Air Force, it became a fixture at—of all places—a gas station in Oregon.
Efforts are now underway to restore the bomber to flight-worthy status—a noteworthy endeavor, as fewer than a dozen B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft are actually flyable today. Although a total of 12,731 B-17s were built between 1936 and 1945, most were sold off after the war, which explains why only a handful remain, with even fewer airworthy. It is unclear if “Lacey Lady” can rejoin this group.
How an Oregon Gas Station Owner Bought a B-17 Flying Fortress
It may seem implausible now, but after World War II ended, the US military had literally more equipment than it knew what to do with. Tanks, warships, and aircraft—many that never saw combat—were sold off to friendly nations, but a lot of items simply headed straight from the factory to the scrap yard. After all, the American defense industry, which didn’t know of the atomic bomb, was still producing equipment at full throttle in 1945, ramping up for an expected invasion of Japan in 1946; the abrupt end of the war caught manufacturers by surprise.
That is why B-17s were still produced even as the war was nearing its end. It is also how Lacey Lady became a roadside icon in Milwaukie, Oregon.
In addition to what was transferred to foreign nations, B-17 bombers were sold at bargain-basement prices to those interested, with most eventually being used for air freight, firefighting, aerial mapping, and executive transport. This is where Art Lacey, a local entrepreneur and gas station owner in western Oregon, entered the picture. After seeing one of the bombers, he reasoned that it would make a great addition to his business. As the story goes, he had a $5 bet with a friend that he’d buy a B-17 for $15,000 (approximately $217,000 today), fly it to Oregon, and display it at his gas station, making it a regional attraction.
A friend loaned Lacey the money, and he purchased a surplus Flying Fortress in 1947 from the US military. He traveled to Altus Army Airfield (AAF), Oklahoma, with plans to fly it back to Oregon. He was a trained pilot on single-engine aircraft, but felt confident he could fly the bomber. When he arrived to pick it up, he reportedly put a dummy in a flight suit in the co-pilot’s seat to fool base officials into believing he and his crew could handle the B-17.
How much of this legend is true remains unclear, but it has been reported that Lacey didn’t get far; he was unable to handle the bomber, and he failed to get it airborne, instead crashing into another plane on the tarmac. That turned out to be good news for Lacey, as the Flying Fortress he originally bought had seen extensive combat in Europe and was in fairly rough shape. For some reason, the base commander reportedly took pity on him and sold him another aircraft.
The B-17G Flying Fortress that Lacey ended up with, tail number 44-85790, never saw combat and was thus in far better shape. Chastened by his initial failure, Lacey didn’t try to fly it home. Instead, the retired aircraft was transported to Oregon by truck, which required assistance from bikers and other volunteers to serve as escorts. Somehow the plane made it to Oregon intact, where it was subsequently installed on the roof of Lacey’s gas station. Dubbed “Lacey Lady,” it sat for more than 67 years, serving as a popular attraction as the “Milwaukie Gas Station Bomber.”
Lacey likely won the $5 bet, but he nearly went broke while obtaining the bomber. Today, aviation buffs are happy he persevered!
“Lacey Lady” Could Return to the Sky Soon
After Lacey passed away in 2000, his family opted to preserve the legacy of Art and Lacey Lady and established the B-17 Alliance Foundation. In 2014, the aircraft was removed from its perch over the gas station and transported to a hangar at Salem Municipal Airport.
For the past decade, efforts have been underway to transform the weathered aircraft back to an airworthy warbird. This has been a daunting task. Time and the elements, as well as far too many souvenir hunters, had ravaged the aircraft. But a determined group of around two dozen volunteers continues to press on, working three to four days a week on the restoration effort.
To date, progress on the cockpit section has included the restoration of new seats, flight controls, and instrument panel structures. The team has relied on original Boeing blueprints, and parts that cannot be sourced have been fabricated in-house. Additional restoration is working on the B-17’s wings and nacelles.
The goal is to return the plane to airworthy status within the next decade. Terry Scott, the executive director of the B-17 Alliance Foundation and husband of Lacey’s granddaughter, admitted it could take far longer. No matter how long it takes, though, Scott told KGW8 News that it will be worth it.
Once restored, Lacey Lady will honor not only Lacey’s wild dream, but also those of the Greatest Generation.
“There’s nothing else out there that can really exemplify a generation like this plane,” said Scott.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
