Mel Allen

We began collecting WWII books, equipment, accessories and uniforms in 1988 and helped form the Carolina Historic Aviation Commission in 1990. We are historians for Morris Field Army Air Base that was here in Charlotte and have provided displays for the veterans groups' reunions at the NC Air National Base that is there now.

Mel co-wrote a book about a WWII pilot who crashed his A20 Havoc behind his house when he was a 3 years old. You can read about the incident at this website: http://www.cmstory.org/homefront/places/buddAndrews.htm

We own a 1942 Ford script jeep that represents a base jeep at the 91st Bomb Group, 411 Squadron, Bassingbourn. We visited the tower museum there while touring the old bases in England a few years ago. A couple of our close friends were there during the war (the late "Dusty" Hoffmann and Bob Morgan). It was wonderful to see the old bases, although there is not much left of most of them. We were both officers (CPT & MAJ) and air crew members in the NC Wing, Civil Air Patrol. My dad was a 34 year career Army officer, so I have always been immersed in the military. Mel is a commercial pilot and of course represents a WWII pilot, and I was a nurse so I represent an air evac nurse, as we have friends in a medevac unit here at the ANG.