New Carthage air museum honors past, present veterans of the sky

As many pause to recognize sacrifice this Veteran's Day, a new air museum in Carthage hopes to honor one of Moore County's first military pilots who was almost lost to history.

It's a goal the museum's founder, Roland Gilliam, has been working towards for 10 years. The longtime pilot also owns the Gilliam-McConnell Airport, home to the Pik N Pig barbecue restaurant.

It was then that he learned about James Rogers McConnell's service during World War I.

"I got enamored with World War I and McConnell and I said well I'm gonna build a museum," Gilliam said.

McConnell was a transplant to the Sandhills. He was born in Chicago but moved to Carthage in 1910.

In 1915, McConnell joined the French war effort. He won the French Croix de Guerre, or Cross of War, for rescuing a French soldier.

The following year, he started flying for the French military. It was in that service that he paid the ultimate sacrifice.

"He was killed on March 19, 1917. He was the last one killed before we entered the war," Gilliam said.

There's a monument to the fallen pilot at the county courthouse, but Gilliam says many forgot about it. It's what inspired him to honor McConnell and other pilots with a museum.

The James Rogers McConnell Air Museum opened in Carthage in September.

Its collection includes everything from flight gear and model planes to full-size aircraft.

One aircraft is a 7/8ths scale replica of the plane McConnell flew--a French Nieuport Model 11.

A Grumman Mohawk OV-1 is displayed on the front lawn of the museum.

It's a project Gilliam hasn't been working on alone. He met Curator Debby Campbell a couple of years ago.

She was on a mission to honor her late father-in-law, Tom Campbell, a Vietnam War pilot.

Now his service is remembered at the museum too with models of the planes he flew and his Air Force Cross medal proudly on display.

"I have a sense of accomplishment. It's like when I got my pilots license, this was just as big for me," Campbell said.

Campbell gets to see what it means to other veterans who visit the museum.

"Everybody comes in and they'll tell little stories," Campbell said. "This is a community museum. It's Moore County's only aviation museum, and we want is for the entire community to bring the whole family.And show what their brother or sister or grandpa did for this country."

They hope it makes these heroes and more unforgettable.

Gilliam hopes to build a taxiway to connect his airport and the museum so today's pilots can get to know the ones who cleared the skies for them.

The James Roger McConnell Air Museum is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and during the week by appointment.

The museum also hosts bingo nights on Thursdays to raise money to keep it going.