World War II Army pilot takes controls of restored plane

By Mike Conley

This restored L3B single-engine plane could be seen flying over Shiflet Field Monday morning.

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By Mike Conley | The McDowell News

Published: July 13, 2009

Even after all these years, Paul Harrington can still show them how to straighten up and fly right.
Monday morning, Harrington, who turns 86 next month, took the controls of a beautifully restored U.S. Army L3B airplane at Marion's Shiflet Field. He expertly took off from the grassy runway, did a beautiful flyover at the small airport and carefully brought the single-engine plane in for a nice landing.
"He makes it look easy," said Bill Forstchen, professor of history at Montreat College.
A resident of Hideaway, Texas, Harrington, his son John and his granddaughter Morgen were the guests of Forstchen and Don Barber, who jointly own and operate the restored L3B airplane.
Harrington flew an L4 aircraft, which is similar to this one, under much more stressful conditions during World War II. But it was the first time he had seen an L3B since he had been in flight school back in 1943. And he quickly showed everyone that he had not forgotten what he had learned more than 60 years ago.
Harrington and Barber both got into the small plane. As they taxied and took off from Shiflet Field, an admiring Forstchen could tell immediately who was actually in control.
Originally from Indiana, Harrington served with the 62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion. The 62nd served in the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily and Europe during World War II. The men of the 62nd also received a unit citation for their activities on D-Day at Omaha Beach.
His commanding officer was Col. Donald Bennett, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Bennett later became a four-star general. He retired to Asheville and Forstchen helped Bennett write his memoirs, "Honor Untarnished."
"Col. Bennett was one of the greatest of them all," said Forstchen, who was the keynote speaker at a reunion of the 62nd.
Planes like the L3B were primarly used as training aircraft. Forstchen said that when the war started, these civilian planes were converted for military use.
"They found they were very effective in combat," he said.
Planes such as the L3B proved to be quite useful in reconnaissance. Sometimes, they were put into service as an air ambulance.
"They flew unarmed and flew in harm's way and looked for the bad guys," said Forstchen. "They survived by flying low and slow."
Harrington's job as a pilot with the 62nd was to fly a forward observer who would gather information and spot targets for the Army. "That was my duty," he said. "I tried to avoid being shot down and being shot by our own fire."
Harrington flew missions over the Netherlands, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He managed to fly a mission on Dec. 17, 1944 during the horrendous Battle of the Bulge. In December 1944, the Germans mounted a surprise winter offensive that drove a bulge into the Allied line and caught the American and British commanders off guard. The extremely cold winter weather also made conditions very tough.
"We were the only two flying," said Harrington. "Everybody else was grounded."
Things had already become intense for Harrington. That same month, he was forced to make a crash landing in the snow. A fellow pilot had gotten a local farmer to plow out a landing strip for them with a team of horses and a makeshift wooden plow. The strip was narrow and crooked but they managed to take off from it. They were flying from Belgium to Germany when Harrington lost his fellow pilot in the haze and clouds. He was never found.
Harrington continued on his mission even though he was running out of fuel. After a period of time, he found a break in the clouds and started to descend. The only place that he could land was covered with deep snow. As he made the rough landing, the plane flipped over. He hit his head on the dashboard, which caused him to bleed from his nose. He also skinned his shin on the gas tank. An infantry patrol soon found Harrington and took him to their aid station.
"They said if had I gone any farther, I would have ended up in enemy territory," he said.
Three days later, Harrington was able to rejoin his unit and pick up a replacement aircraft. 
Harrington kept flying with the 62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion until he was discharged from the Army in February 1946. He left as a first lieutenant. But Harrington continued his service through the Army Reserves. He now lives in the gated community of Hideaway, which is located near Tyler, Texas.
Planes like the one he flew on Monday are hard to find these days. "This is a pristine restoration, very rare," said Forstchen. "Seven of these planes are still flying."
Forstchen is an historian and author who co-wrote several alternate history novels with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Barber is a lieutenant with the Burke County Sheriff's Office and president of Shiflet Field. Together, they bought this vintage aircraft that had once belonged to Bud Adams, who operated the golf course in Black Mountain. Adams owned and restored the 1943 plane but never really got to enjoy it. He suffered and died of cancer.
His plane was stored in a hangar at Shiflet Field, which is where Forstchen found out about it.
"I think a lot of (Adams)," said Forstchen. "I think of him every time I fly in it."
Because it flies low and slow, Forstchen and Barber use the plane to help law enforcement and rescue workers look for missing people or anything else that can be spotted from the air. They take extra care of the plane. Barber said if anything should happen to it, they would be confronted by a lot of angry historians.
But they were more than happy to have Harrington take the control of their plane. He's lived through history.