Albert Lea Area WWII Vet Gets A Surprise
Charity Provides Free Ride In A Stearman
November 1, 2021

Jim Hanson
Sgt. Crumb is a member of the New Richland, Minnesota, American Legion. Author Jim Hanson asked if the Legion could send a representative. They sent two Legion Riders.
A WW II open-cockpit biplane dropped into Albert Lea Airport on short notice Aug. 31. Though WW II aircraft are increasingly rare, this wasn't unusual.
What WAS unusual is that it made a special trip to give a ride to WW II veteran Richard Crumb. The WW II trainer is one of six belonging to Dream Flights-a charity covering the entire United States, a historic national effort to locate and honor WW II veterans. As part of Operation September Freedom-a belated 75th anniversary of the end of WW II-(postponed by COVID-19) the charity is giving free flights in the biplanes to 1,000 veterans. Vi...
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