Honoring Heroes & History Through Their World-Class WWll Museum

Kristine and her son Harris have a heartfelt conversation with Ron Fagen about legacy, his father Ray, his family's passion for aviation and World War Il history. Ron's father Ray was a D-Day hero with three battle stars (Normandy Invasion, Liberation of Paris & Battle of the Bulge). Ray was the inspiration for Ron, his wife Diane and their family to build a world-class WWll museum in Granite Falls, Minnesota that preserves this history for future generations. Opened in 2012, the Fagen Fighters WWll Museum houses every fighter aircraft used in WWII, plus vehicles, a Holocaust exhibit, and a restored railway boxcar from Germany. Their Christian faith and Ron’s father's work ethic ("do it right the first time") guide everything they do. Ron's entire family - wife Diane, sons Aaron and Evan, daughters-in-law, plus five grandchildren-are all involved in the museum. Through exhibits, interviews with veterans (captured in "Voices of Valor"), and hands-on experiences, Ron and his family ensure that the sacrifices of WWIl heroes are never forgotten and that young people understand what the Greatest Generation did for our freedoms. Ron learned to fly at age 13 from his father Ray, who was both a decorated WWII veteran and a passionate pilot. This sparked Ron's lifelong obsession with warbirds and led him to restore and fly P-51 Mustangs and other aircraft. The museum serves everyone from locals to international visitors, thousands of school groups annually and keeps history alive!

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