George Bauer
George R. Bauer has a special connection with the B-25 History Project. While researching his book: "Fairfax Ghosts, the Bomber Builders and Others Who Made a Difference", he met our own Jim Stella. Jim was working on B-25J-35 SN 44-86893 then flying as "Fairfax Ghost" as a member of the K.C. Warbirds. George also contacted the NAA-K B-25 Bomber Builders Newsletter which I was involved. Indeed, this connection is how Jim and I met as well as the start of the B-25 History Project.
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, but raised in St. Joseph Missouri during the war, George was familiar with the role the area played in the history of the B-25. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Baker University in 1954 and a Master of Arts degree from Denver University in 1960. His Doctorate was awarded by the University of Kansas.
After two years of service with the U.S. Army, George spent 20 years in education. He spent time as a social studies teacher, counselor, and education consultant. In the early 1970s he became interested in the emerging computer field and started work as a division manager for a computer software firm. He used that experience to transfer back into the education field as a director of public school computer centers in both Texas and Kansas.
Throughout his life, George had many opportunities to travel abroad. He spent two summers in Western Europe in the 1970s. In August 1990 and April 1991, he traveled throughout Central Europe. During the 1991-1992 school year, he consulted with English teachers in Prague. He also spent time instructing at workshops for Czech teachers of English. This resulted in his first book, "Letters From Prague". In 1993 he returned to Prague to work on a second book entitled: "The New Czech Republic: Year of Turmoil" which was published in 1997.
After returning from his travels, George started work on his first book related to the B-25. When he was asked why he wrote the book "Fairfax Ghosts, the Bomber Builders and Others Who Made A Difference" he said: "The story has never been told". Although this would be the third book written, it would be his second published in 1995.
"Fairfax Ghosts" is a great summary of the history of the B-25. To my interest, the focus of the book is the "human" experience. Many stories direct from the "Bomber Builders" themselves are throughout. Many, if not all of these stories exist in print today because the Newsletter was able to connect George with these people. We, and indeed I am grateful for that today.
George was really excited to give something back to the men and women that he was writing about. As he wrote in his first book:
Unhappily, the North American bomber plant is no more. Only bare ground and a fence remain. Fairfax Airport is no more; the buildings are all gone and the runways are covered by a huge automobile assembly plant. Not so much as a tablet exists on the site to tell us what the "Bomber Builders" did there. Not one square foot of ground anywhere in Kansas City is dedicated to reminding us of their sacrifice.
Jim Stella made a suggestion to George. It would be possible to take a piece of a B-25, like a vertical tail and rudder assembly, restore it, and let former bomber builders sign it. The completed artifact could then be donated to a museum in their honor. Sunday, August 18, 1996, George was there for the first project to right that wrong. A B-25 vertical tail and rudder assembly was donated to the Wyandotte County Historical Museum by Carl Scholl thanks to the efforts of George Bauer. This piece of history was restored by Jim with funding from the Kansas City Warbirds. Now signed by over 100 former bomber builders, it still stands at the Museum.
George wasn't ready to stop there. On that Sunday in August, he announced plans to erect a permanent monument in their honor. His plan was to build an aviation museum to focus on the B-25 and the men and women who built, flew, and maintained them. A stone monument would stand outside as a permanent reminded of their sacrifice. On Saturday May 2, 1998 the "NAA-K B-25 Bomber Builders Memorial" was dedicated. Although not as he had originally planned, the memorial stands today.
Printed in 1999, George's final book: "A Century of Kansas City Aviation History the Dreamers and the Doers" touches on the B-25 story. This is a much broader book that contains information local airport history as well as other aircraft and even airlines. Again, there is an obvious attempt to write a book from the perspective of those who lived it. A year earlier, he published: "Life's Lessons Learned: Living and Loving in an Unrelenting World".