CHICAGO – Today, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) hosted a formal ceremony in Terminal 2 at O’Hare International Airport to re-dedicate the replica F4F-3 Grumman Wildcat plane that was flown by World War II Lt Commander Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare.

The ceremony included a Color Guard from USO Illinois and a speaking program with CDA Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino; Alison Ruble, President and CEO, USO Illinois; Captain William Bulis, Great Lakes Naval Station; Chicago Alderman (14th Ward) and Chair of the City Council Committee on Finance, Edward Burke, and Chicago Alderman (41st Ward) and Vice Chair of the City Council Committee on Aviation, Mary O’Connor.

 Lt. Commander Edward H. O’Hare was first U.S. Navel ace of World War II and a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient. He earned his place in World War II history when he shot down five Japanese bombers and disabled a sixth bomber during his first dogfight, two months after Pearl Harbor. O’Hare’s final action took place on the night of November 26, 1943, while he was leading the U.S. Navy’s first-ever nighttime fighter attack launched from an aircraft carrier.

 In 1949, the Chicago City Council renamed Orchard Field as Chicago-O'Hare International Airport to honor Lt. Cmdr. O'Hare.

 The Wildcat fighter plane on display at the airport was recovered from Lake Michigan in 1992 and was expertly restored by the Air Classics Museum.

 The CDA first dedicated the fighter plane with great fanfare on November 20, 1997.

The plane was moved from the ticketing area of Terminal 2 in the early 2000s to a location past security in Terminal 2. It was moved back near its original location in June 2014 and is now visible to travelers in the ticketing area and is accessible to passengers on the secure side of the airport.

 The CDA re-built the base for the aircraft to give it a sleeker and museum-like quality and re-worked all the information panels, as well as the display cases that hold Lt. O’Hare’s artifacts.