Follow the journey of destroyer Laffey artifacts from Patriots Point museum to Normandy (2024)

Artifacts from a vessel on display at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum recently journeyed abroad to be part of D-Day anniversary ceremonyin Normandy, including a stop at an airport security checkpoint.

The Laffey, known as "the ship that would not die," is the last remaining U.S. destroyer to see action during the pivotal 1944 invasion in the north of France.

An original piece of the hull, a valve-control wheel and a damage-control plug were to be flown overseas by the Commemorative Air Force nonprofit group aboard a World War II-era C-47.

Chris Volpe, unit leader of the group's Dallas-Fort Worth wing, said the cargo plane, nicknamed "Ready for Duty," picked the items up in Charleston and took them to Connecticut for a rendezvous ahead of the transatlantic crossing.

But the 80-year-old airplane experienced some mechanical issues, requiring a pivot.

So the group booked commercial passage from John F. Kennedy International in New York City to Paris, where the items were later loaded onto a historic aircraft that flew the parachute drop the night before D-Day.

But clearing U.S. airport security with more 150 pounds of metal from various World War II ships and other relics was "an unexpected adventure" Volpe said.

"I don't recommend trying to go through JFK airport with hunks of steel," he quipped. "They were looking at them kind of cross-eyed and very confused. They had never seen pieces of a destroyer before, I'm sure. They insisted on putting it through the X-ray machine, even though I told them it wouldn't work. Eventually we got it sorted out."

The artifacts from the Laffey and other warships involved in the D-Day invasion were flown over Normandy on June 6 as part of the international gathering that included President Joe Biden to mark the contributions to the Omaha Beach operation from the ground, sea and air.

In all, 10 planes flew in tight formation that day — five C-47s followed by five fighters.

"They are time machines," Volpe said of the historic aircraft."Our job is to keep the airplanes alive and moving to keep telling these stories."

Volpe said seeing thousands of onlookers below cheering was in stark contrast to the thousands of soldiers who stormed the shore from landing craft to engage in battle 80 years ago, now the site of Normandy American Cemetery.

"You're on this roaring airplane vibrating in the air, that is not pressurized," Volpe recalled from the flyover. "Air is whistling through the hull and looking out the windows you see the other transport airplanes wingtip to wingtip and beneath you is Omaha Beach."

The items from the Laffey aren't coming back to Patriots Point immediately. The next stop is the Sywell Airshow in England June 22 and 23. Then it's back to the U.S. for a July aviation event in Oshkosh, Wis., where the items will be on display alongside the "Ready for Duty" aircraft.

"We see this as a great opportunity to bring the Laffey and the other ship museums to people where they are, to bolster awareness of their stories and hope it inspires people to come visit the ship in person one day," Volpe said.

Meaghan Silsby, director of development forThe Yorktown Foundation, said as time passes and the public's collective memory of world-changing events wanes, educational outreach opportunities like the D-Day flyover and the airshows become more vital in keeping history alive and relevant.

"The unique effort aligns with our foundation's dedication to making history accessible to all and ensuring that the sacrifices of those who serve are never forgotten," Silsby said. "The Laffey has an incredible story, and this ensures the legacy endures for generations to come."