Buffett donates two WWII era planes to Battleship Park
Buffett donates two WWII era planes to Battleship Park
Jimmy Buffett, an avid flyer, anonymously donated two World War II era planes – a Boeing Stearman and a Grumman Goose – to USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in 2022. The Boeing Stearman was a prop in Buffett’s video for the song “Trip Around the Sun.” The Grumann Goose was part of the Royal Canadian Air Force and patrolled the Canadian border during World War II. The planes were shipped in pieces and re-assembled at the Medal of Honor Pavillion at Battleship Park. Both planes are now on display in the pavilion. With Buffett’s passing, Park officials revealed the donations and added a wreath and an iconic Hawaiian-styled shirt by the Grumman Goose in honor of Buffett.
“Jimmy wished to remain an anonymous donor. As the world mourns his passing, we are pleased to finally be able to share his generous contributions to the park,’’ park officials posted.
Buffett once crashed a seaplane near Nantucket while taking off and swam to safety with only minor injuries.
In 1996, Jamaican police suspected his airplane was being used to smuggle marijuana and shot at it. Bono and Buffett’s wife and daughters were among those on the plane. He wrote about the experience in the song “Jamaica Mistaica.”