October 1, 1942

The first B-24 bomber rolled off an assembly line near Ypsilanti.

In December 1940 the federal government asked the Ford Motor Company to build B-24 Liberator bombers. In April 1941 construction began on the Willow Run Bomber Plant near Ypsilanti. In 1944 bombers came off Willow Run’s mile-long assembly line at the rate of one per hour. By 1945, Willow Run produced more than 8,500 bombers.

Thank you Michigan History Magazine for this glimpse into our past.  See more at www.michiganhistorymagazine.com.