Lubbock, Texas 1970 Tornado Memorial

This is mostly because my wife seemed interested in it but some people may not know about it, particularly some of the new folks who have moved into Lubbock. This is the 1970 Tornado Memorial, commemorating the disastrous tornado that destroyed parts of Lubbock and took the lives of 26 people and injured more than 1,500 others. It stayed on the ground for about 8.5 miles covering some 15 square miles

Silent Wings Museum

The Silent Wings Museum didn't just end up in Lubbock by accident. Lubbock is where glider pilots were trained. Many of them would also die. Walter Cronkite once said “I’ll tell you straight out: If you’ve got to go into combat, don’t go by glider. Walk, crawl, parachute, swim, float—anything. But don’t go by glider…Riding in one of those Waco gliders was like attending a rock concert while locked in the bass drum. …The field was scattered with gliders on their noses, on their sides, on their backs. It was a scene from hell, but the 101st seemed pleased that it was a successful glider operation.”  This is a main reason why there are so few gliders remaining today 

How dangerous was it? Some estimates place the casualty rate for the training at 25 percent. Many died right here near Lubbock, Texas, as the training center was the South Plains Army Field. 

The Museum's permanent exhibits illustrate the training of the WWII glider pilot, the significance of the glider program to WWII operations, and the experience of glider personnel in the combat zone.

Featured exhibits illustrate many aspects of the WWII glider program and change to fresh themes on a regular basis. Learn more about our most recent featured exhibitions below. However, there is far more here than just gliders. There is a large weapons display, a living area display as well as various uniforms. 

The Silent Wings Museum, a public institution, preserves and promotes the history of the World War II military glider program by creating an environment for collecting, documenting, interpreting and exhibiting artifacts and information for public education and enjoyment.