Eagle Scout Overhauls C-141B Starlifter

  • Published
  • By SrA Desiree Economides
  • 452 AMW Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  When deciding on his lasting legacy for his Boy Scout career, never did Jacob Michael Kenneth Medeiros think he would be where he is today, looking at his handy work of overhauling a C-141B Starlifter. 

The journey, beginning in October 2008, seemed nearly impossible for the 17-year-old Moreno Valley local to complete, but his dedication and work paid off for the March Museum and the community. 

"It seems like a lot when you first start your project, but once you know what you are going to do and going to need, it isn't so bad. By now I should be an expert at all of this," said Jacob as he proudly pointed to the completed aircraft project. 

Completion of his Eagle Scout project, just as any other, was not an easy task. Refurbishing the 168-foot C-141B interior required countless hours of planning, preparation, fundraising and research on Jacob's part. 

"Jacob had to not only find all the donations to pay for the project, but he had to also buy the supplies, manage the money for the project, find out what resources he needed to use and even how to complete the different aspects of the project," said Benita Crawford, Committee Chair for Troop 520. "It isn't like you can just take apart a military aircraft; you have to research or find people who worked on them." 

"I learned a lot about Velcro and splicing carpet," Jacob added chuckling. 

Roughly 70 people between the ages of eleven and 60 helped in the three weeks it took to complete the manual labor of the project. Jacob and Scouts from his Troop 210, as well as Troop 520 and Troop 110 from Orange County, helped complete the project. 

"We've reupholstered the seats and cleaned the knobs in the cockpit, cleaned the windows inside and out, steam cleaned all the troop seats in the back of the plane, added new no-slip grip strips to the stairwells, painted and put in carpet," said Jacob enthusiastically. 

"This project has gone far beyond my level of expectation. This is really great," said Patricia Korzec, Museum Director. "He's completely turned this whole plane around. I don't think it looked this good when it was flying." 

For Jacob, the easiest part was choosing the C-141B as his Eagle Scout project. 

"I approached the museum and they gave me a few projects to choose from. I chose this project because I believed it would have the greatest impact for the base and community," said Jacob. 

Scout Austin Davis, Troop 210, adds, "I helped out with Jacob's project knowing that this will benefit everyone within the community for many years to come." 

Revamping the C-141B is only one of the many projects the local Boy Scouts have worked on at the March museum. In the past, Eagle Scout projects included renovating the museum's theatre, polishing the exterior of the Beachcraft C-45 and a landscaping project along the walkway on aircraft row. 

These troops have done extraordinary work for us and completed a lot of the projects we just don't have time or funding to do," said Korzec. 

Each Eagle Scout project is more than just community service. These are projects that make a lasting impression on the kids who will one day be managers and CEOs of companies throughout the U.S. 

"My project helped me to become a better leader. I learned how to manage people, resources and time," said 20-year-old Eagle Scout volunteer Courtenay Franklin. 

"The best part of this experience is being able to see the finished product completed. It's something I didn't think I could ever accomplish and now everything is done," said Jacob with an ear-to-ear smile. "The fact that everything got done is really amazing."