The plane that led the D-Day invasion was lost for 70 years — until it turned up in a Wisconsin junkyard

OSHKOSH, Wis. (AP) — A plane that led the invasion of Normandy during World War II has been saved from a junkyard and carefully restored in Wisconsin.

The C-47, called "That's All, Brother," carried the first paratroopers who stormed the beaches of Normandy. The aircraft led the more than 800 other C-47s also carrying paratroopers.

WLUK-TV says the plane was lost for 70 years and was accidentally discovered by an Air Force historian at the Basler Turbo Conversions junkyard in Oshkosh in 2015. The group, Commemorative Air Force, started a campaign to restore the aircraft. Employees at Basler have spent more than 22,000 hours restoring "That's All, Brother" to former glory.

Their hope is to fly the aircraft over Normandy in 2019 for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

SEE ALSO: 73 years ago, the Nazis launched their last great western offensive of World War II — here are 13 photos of the Battle of the Bulge

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