Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park Honoring Renovo Area Airmen who flew in bombers in WWII

RENOVO, PA- The Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park has commissioned local artist, Robert “Haney” Calhoun to create a tribute to the stories of local veterans who served in bombers during World War Two. The project, a ten foot by ten foot mural entitled “Flyboys of WWII,” will be prominently displayed on the eastern wall of Tony’s Hardware at 7th Street and Huron Avenue in Renovo. An unveiling and dedication ceremony is being planned for May 28, 2023.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, North American B-25 Mitchell, B-26 Marauder, Douglas SBD Dauntless, Boeing B-29 Super-fortress, and B-32 Dominator are all bombers that played a significant role in changing the course of events in battles in the European, African, Asian, and Pacific theaters .The late John Curcio returned to Renovo after serving on bomber crews during the Battle of the Bulge and many other notorious missions in Europe and Africa and made it his life’s work to see that the legacy of these “flying fortresses” and their crews would live on.

Curcio passed these stories and those of other locals who were members of bomber crews on to Robert Calhoun. Calhoun, a US Navy veteran, comes to this mural project with a unique insight and perspective that will enable his designs to draw visitors into the mural’s story.

“Flyboys of WWII” is the latest addition to Heritage Park’s ongoing program to create and recognize public art in the Renovo area that contributes to sharing the story of our region’s heritage. Most recent is the Renovo Railroad Heritage mural on the eastern wall of Lingle’s on 15th Street. Three life-sized statues of CCC workers, carved in black walnut, are currently on exhibit at the Chapman Township Municipal Building. In the Renovo Post Office is a WPA mural entitled “Locomotive Repair Operation” that was painted in 1941 by renowned muralist Harold Lehman.

Like the Renovo Railroad Heritage mural, this high-tech project will be designed as a 100 square foot digital image rendered on a vinyl sheet and adhered to a pvc/aluminum backing. The vinyl is treated with a UV substance to resist the fading effects of sunlight – all intended to prolong the life of the mural. Brownie’s Signs in Dunnstown will build the project and prepare it for installation.
To offset the cost of the project, we are asking for donations. Any monetary donation is appreciated and can be sent to: The Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park, 530 Erie Avenue, Renovo, PA 17764. Checks can be made payable to “GRAHP.”
Follow the project on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/renovoheritage) and on The Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park Website (https://renovoheritage.org) For further information contact Heritage Park President Mary George Rhone at mrhone@renovoheritage.org.
The Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park was established in 2000 for the purpose of uniting, preserving, and promoting the history, heritage, culture, and community pride of the Greater Renovo Area; to build a heritage park center to become the focal point of the area’s ethnic, industrial, and commercial past; to help develop the local economy by supporting new business and nonprofit endeavors inspired by the heritage of the Renovo Area; and to illustrate how the area’s past ties to the present.

“The GREATER RENOVO AREA HERITAGE PARK is a 501©(3) organization – contributions to which are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. The official registration and financial information of the GREATER RENOVO AREA HERITAGE PARK (EIN #23-3016475) may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.”