Military history, protection of endangered birds and support for military veterans shared an Alameda Point runway on Saturday, April 2, during a lecture tour sponsored by the Naval Air Museum. The occasion was the 74th anniversary of the departure of the USS Hornet to carry out the bombing raid on Japan led by Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle.
Alameda Naval Air Museum curator Larry Pirack discusses the role the Martin M-130 China Clipper played in the history of Alameda. The plane took off from Alameda Airport on Nov. 22, 1935, on history’s first trans-Pacific flight of a commercial airline. The model of the plane, pictured here, and a special room dedicated to the China Clipper are just some of the many displays at the museum located in Building 77 on Alameda Point. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.
