VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The Military Aviation Museum announced a $100 million donation on Saturday, which is believed to be among the largest charitable gifts from an individual in Virginia history.
The gift by founder Gerald Yagen contains some 70 vintage military aircraft that have been collected and displayed over the years. It also includes the land upon which the museum was built, the historic buildings that were relocated there from sites around the world and $30 million to establish the museum’s endowment.
This money is designed to keep the aircraft flying — a core part of the vision Yagen had for his collection.
The gift was revealed during the Museum’s annual Warbirds Over the Beach air show.
“In the beginning, I saw this as my personal challenge to preserve history and these
beautiful warbirds,” Jerry Yagen said. “I just didn’t want to see them disappear to time.
I never believed so many would volunteer so much to help Elaine and I do this. I realize
it is no longer an individual challenge.