The blade will be unveiled during an open house on Dec. 11, ironically the 80th anniversary of when the United States declared war on Germany. Ashworth said that date wasn’t selected because of the anniversary, but because it’s a Saturday.
The propeller was shipped from France to Indianapolis by FedEx and is expected to arrive in Middletown this week.
Even before the Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor attacks, Corson, a teller at Oglesby-Barnitz Bank in Middletown, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
“He was carving out his career,” Ashworth said.
Then his life was cut short on the morning of Dec. 20, 1942. Corson was piloting one of the B-17 bombers flying from bases in England to bomb an aircraft depot and airdrome 65 miles south of Paris, at Romilly-sur-Seine in Nazi occupied France.
About 60 German FW-190 fighters attacked the formation from above, Ashworth said. According to eyewitness accounts, Corson’s plane went into a steep dive after repeated attacks. The tail broke off and the tail gunner fell out and his chute opened.
One of those witnesses was Jean Erisay, 10 years old at the time. The young boy went to the crash site with his two uncles and gathered the housing of a camera and an oil can.
From those two small pieces of the B-17 — named Danellen after Corson’s parents, Dan and Nell — Erisay built a World War II museum in 1994 in honor of the American forces that liberated France 50 years earlier.
One small section of the 5,000 square-foot Musee de Tosny housed the two original artifacts and other pieces from the Danellen, including one of the propeller blades unearthed 30 years after the crash.
Earlier this year, Erisay, 88, died as he was preparing for the 27th season of operating the museum. One month later, his wife Lucienne died and the museum closed, Ashworth said.
Dan Corson, nephew and namesake of the Danellen pilot, had visited the museum twice and developed a close bond with the Erisays, according to Ashworth. During those visits, .Erisay mentioned the propeller should go to the home of the Danellen’s pilot at some point, and when the Erisays died, the fate of the museum fell on one their four children, Cathy Erisay.
She was contacted and agreed to donate the propeller to the Middletown Historical Society.
While traveling on a river cruise four years ago, Ashworth and his wife, Judy Gilleland, former Middletown city manager, met Jean Erisay during one of their stops. He drove them a few miles to tour the museum.
Ashworth had his picture taken with Erisay in front of the propeller. Ashworth called the piece of the bomber “an important connection” with the French who erected numerous WWII museums. He said the French “never forgot” about being liberated through the efforts of the American soldiers.
HOW TO GO
WHAT: Open house to celebrate display of propeller
WHEN: 2-5 p.m. Dec. 11
WHERE: Shartle House, 120 N. Verity Parkway, Middletown
HOW MUCH: Free and open to the public
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