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Thunderbird to restore historic airfield towerThunderbird breaks ground on World War II airfield tower restoration

Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Donald Marsey returned to Thunderbird on Nov. 12 to help break ground on the restoration of a historic airfield control tower that helped American, British and Chinese pilots train during World War II.

“The Tower is the landmark I will always remember,” said Marsey, who came to Thunderbird 1 Army Air Field as a cadet in 1943. “I think it’s absolutely fantastic that they are doing this.”

Construction will begin in January on a project that will turn Thunderbird Tower into a social hub with state-of-the-art facilities for dining, shopping, playing and relaxing.

The Tower, originally built in 1941, closed in January 2006 because of structural damage.

Thanks to a student-led grassroots campaign called “Save the Tower” that collected more than 500 contributions, the Tower will get a second life when renovation is completed in November 2011. Contributions include a $2 million pledge from Miriam Hinrichs in recognition of her husband, Thunderbird Trustee and 1965 Thunderbird graduate Merle A. Hinrichs.

Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs, City Councilman Steve Frate and Thunderbird President Ángel Cabrera joined Marsey at the ceremony, which featured the Luke Air Force Base Honor Guard presenting the colors during the national anthem.

Renovation plans include sustainable building practices that will help the restored building qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

“The tower represents a significant icon of Thunderbird's history,” says Hinrichs, chairman of Global Sources, a Hong Kong-based business-to-business media company. “The engagement by students, faculty, staff and alumni in this project is encouraging and exciting.”

Thunderbird was founded in 1946 following World War II by Lt. Gen. Barton Kyle Yount, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Training Command. Yount became the school’s first president in 1946 when it received its charter to be the first school of business to focus exclusively on international management.

Click here to watch a video of Marsey talking about the Tower.

To donate or for more information about the project, visit www.thunderbird.edu/tower.