Editor's note: The story was updated to include the B-17 crash that occurred in Dallas Texas.
Tony Gullo, owner of Gullo Auto Group, donated $300,000 to the Veterans Memorial Park for the construction of the Texas Raiders Memorial.
The Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission held a flag retirement ceremony June 14 for Flag Day. During the celebration, Gullo donated $300,000 for the construction of the Texas Raiders Memorial. Communications Director Tiffany Ladarola for Gullo Auto Group said the Texas Raiders was an American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress that was purchased by the Commemorative Air Force's Gulf Coast Wing "Texas Raiders" group in 1967. Ladarola said the aircraft was maintained and flown out of Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport located in Conroe.
During a June 21 workshop meeting, Jimmie Edwards, chair of the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission, said the memorial will be to honor all of the pilots and crew of B-17 during World War II. Edwards said the memorial is also in honor of the B-17 that crashed during a Dallas aircraft show, where six people died—one of which was from Montgomery, Texas. Ladarola said Gullo decided to make the donation because during World War II, Gullo had two brothers and two brothers-in-law fight in the war, with one of his brothers-in-law passing in a B-17.
