Distinctly Montana Magazine

28 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 6 I F THERE'S A PRETTIER CAPITAL CITY IN THE WEST THAN HELENA, I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE. Spread across a rise sur- rounded by mountains in the picturesque Helena Valley, the Queen City of the Rockies is loaded with impressive architec- ture that reflects the city's deep history. From the Neoclassic majesty of the Capitol building to the impressive mix of beau- ty and strength of the Masonic Temple, Helena's cityscape has plenty to brag about. There's one structure that rises above them all, visible from across the valley, one of the most striking build- ings in Montana: The Cathedral of Saint Helena. Built between 1908 and 1924 for $645,000, its gothic revival style was based on the Votivkirche of Vienna, Austria. Fifty-nine stained glass windows grace the ornate walls, but the cathedral's dominant feature is the pair of spires rising 230 feet over the city, an imme- diately recognizable landmark. Most Helenans know the history of the elegant structure, but longtime residents also have spent decades speculating on an outlandish urban legend concerning the beloved cathedral. Many versions of the story have been handed down for generations, and the details change with the telling. The main thrust is that a pilot flew his aircraft between the spires in a daring stunt. There is no photographic evidence nor eyewitness accounts to support the claim, and many his- torians have dismissed the story as apocryphal. But when un- explained mysteries hang around long enough, sometimes an explanation appears. For almost 70 years, the culprit kept his se- cret while the legend grew. Shortly before he died, he decided to come clean. We now know who claimed to have split the spires. Raynor Harve Roberts was born in Miles City in 1920, and grew up in Helena, where his family lived near Carroll College in a small house at 211 West Lyndale Ave. Don't bother looking for the house now, it's long gone. Like his brothers, Sam and Jack, Raynor enlisted in the Army Air Corps after high school. He be- gan flight training after Pearl Harbor drew the U.S. into the war, learning to fly the P-38 Lightning, a twin-engine, two-fuselage fighter plane with a single-seat cockpit. The unique aircraft was highly capable, used mostly to escort B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bombers in the European theater. As part of the 474th Fighter Group, Raynor flew more than 70 missions during his time in the war. The odd-looking P-38 was highly maneuver- able, yet big enough to carry a bomb. Cocky, brave and intel- ligent, Raynor was a born fighter jock and soon distinguished himself as one of the best fighter pilots in the Air Corps as he engaged in multiple dogfights, shooting down several enemy aircraft and always returning to base, gung-ho to get wheels up for the next mission. One of his favorite stories was of the time he landed after his plane had been hit by enemy fire, and he climbed out of the cockpit and stuck his head through a hole in the wing. By the time he completed his tour and returned home, Roberts, now a captain, was one of the most highly decorated Army Air Corps pilots in the European war effort. For example, Capt. Rob- erts was awarded the military's highest honor for aerial achieve- ment, the Distinguished Flying Cross. A bronze oak leaf is oc- casionally added to the medal for extraordinary valor. Raynor's DFC had eleven oak leaves. As the war was winding down, Raynor was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where he underwent training in a new fighter plane, the Mustang P-51. If you've seen Maverick, the Top Gun sequel, the vintage aircraft Tom Cruise is working on is a P-51. It's one of the most iconic WWII-era aircraft, the end product of decades of development. With its sleek styling, pow- erful Rolls Royce engine, hot rod handling and increased range, the P-51 is frequently called "the airplane that helped win the war." Perhaps its most distinctive feature is the plexiglass bub- ble over the cockpit that affords the pilot a near-360 degree view. It's been called by many the greatest aircraft ever built. Naturally, Raynor took to it immediately. In early 1945 Roberts was assigned a mission to fly from Luke AFB to Malmstrom in Great Falls, accompanied by fellow pilot Mac McAdams flying tandem in a second P-51. At the Mus- tang's cruising speed of 275 mph, this would have been about by EDNOR THERRIAULT

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