CULPEPER, VA (Rocktown Now) – The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Capital Wing will host a special public celebration to mark the 80th birthday of “Doris Mae”, the Wing’s fully restored General Motors-built TBM Avenger torpedo bomber on August 2.

The date is exactly 80 years to the day – August 2, 1945 – since Doris Mae rolled off the assembly line and was accepted into service by the U.S. Marine Corps the following day.

The celebration will take place at the Capital Wing hangar, Culpeper Regional Airport in Virginia, located on Beverly Ford Road, RTs 15/29, Elkwood, VA. It will feature a lineup that honors the aircraft, her restoration team, and the legacy of those who flew and maintained Avengers during and after World War II.

“Doris Mae” is a TBM-3E Avenger, built under license by General Motors in New Jersey during the final weeks of World War II. Delivered on August 2, 1945, she was transferred to the Marine Corps and used in postwar training roles. Later, she served in the Royal Canadian Navy as an anti-submarine warfare aircraft, and eventually became a forest firefighting aircraft in Canada before being acquired by the CAF in 2001.

In 2008, the CAF Capital Wing began a full restoration of the aircraft, meticulously returning her to a WWII configuration and honoring the TBM’s original mission. She now flies in the colors of VMTB-143, a Marine squadron that operated from the USS Gilbert Islands during the summer of 1945. Her nose art, “Doris Mae,” is a tribute to the aircraft flown by 1st Lt. William “Billy” Hay, a Virginian who flew combat missions over Okinawa, Borneo, and the Japanese home islands.

The ceremony to honor Doris Mae will start at 10:15am and include a USMC color guard and remarks by the restoration team, current Capital Wing members, and artist Gary Velasco who painted the nose art. The public may start arriving at 9:30am.

Following the ceremony everyone will enjoy the special birthday cake, free food and sodas all day from food truck Law Dawgs, and warbird rides. A very limited number of warbird rides are available for the public and can be purchased by contacting the Capital Wing by email at CapitalWingRides@gmail.com.

“The Capital Wing is committed to keep our fleet of WWII warbirds flying and providing rides for the public and our octogenarian “Doris Mae” TBM Avenger is one of them,” said Pete Ballard, Capital Wing Warbird Rides Coordinator. “In addition to the TBM, the public will have the opportunity to see our other warbirds including a combat veteran Stinson OY-1, US Coast Guard Fairchild UC-61, and a member’s rare French Alouette, the world’s first jet-powered helicopter.”