The Douglas A-26 Invader first went into combat in November 1944 and quickly earned a reputation for being a rugged and dependable aircraft.
The Invader saw combat in Europe and in the Pacific theaters. It served with distinction during the Korean War as a night attack aircraft and was also used in the early days of the Vietnam conflict.
The Douglas A-26 twin-engine light bomber had been the 122nd Bomber Squadron’s primary aircraft from 1947 to 1957. The group began a four-year quest to obtain an A-26 for the museum, a task that at times seemed to be impossible. Finally one was located in Santiago, Chile, and with the aid of Senator John Breaux and then-Representative Bob Livingston, the aircraft was brought to New Orleans.
Some twenty members of the 122nd Restoration Group worked for eighteen months restoring the aircraft. The A-26, Ser.#44-35937, was put on display in April, 1997 in a newly constructed Air Park at the Jackson Barracks Museum, surrounded by six jet fighters.
