MEDIA ALERT – WWII Hero to Receive Military Honors at Reno-Tahoe International Airport

What:      Plane-side honors ceremony for WWII veteran 2^nd Lt. Lowell S. Twedt, missing in action since 1944

Who:       Family of 2^nd Lt. Twedt

                Army and Air National Guard

                Southwest Airlines

                Honor Flight Nevada

When:     Friday, July 31, 2020

                6:15 p.m.

                Escort will leave to go airside immediately at 6:20 p.m.

Where:   Reno-Tahoe International Airport

                Meet at the Ski Statue | Main Lobby

                Park in Media Staging

RSVP REQUIRED

Please call 1-844-RNO-INFO in advance to schedule the special escort.

In 1944, 2^nd Lt. Lowell S. Twedt was assigned to the 71^st Fighter Squadron, 1^st Fighter Group. On October 20, he piloted a P-38J Lightning aircraft as part of an escort for a B-17 “Flying Fortress” bombing mission targeting oil storage tanks in Regensburg, Germany. The mission encountered enemy anti-aircraft fire around Bolzano, Italy, and three P-38Js, including Twedt’s, went down as a result.

2^nd Lt. Twedt’s remains were found in 2017 and identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) in December 2019. He will be buried in Fernley.

###

The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority receives no state or local funding. All operating revenues are derived from tenant and concession fees. The Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is the 66^th busiest commercial airport in the United States, with more than 4.45 million passengers per year. For more details, visit www.renoairport.com.