When the Japanese bombed the airfields around Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they concentrated on the planes that were a danger to them: the combat airplanes that could blunt their attack or enact revenge on their carriers. The Japanese forces did not get around to destroying non-combat aircraft like the airplanes of Utility Squadron One, including the Sikorsky JRS-1 utility transport, recently put on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Join us on Facebook Live as curator Laurence Burke talks about the Museum's only Pearl Harbor survivor and how it was pressed into the dangerous role of scouting for the Japanese fleet on the afternoon of the attack.
Planning to attend in-person? Meet near the JRS-1 in the Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
Every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. we will go live on the National Air and Space Museum Facebook page with an Ask an Expert talk. We’ll select a different aviation or space topic each week, and a Museum staff member will discuss the history, stories, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the Museum. Tune in on Facebook Live each week to join the talk and ask our experts questions.