Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
by Bob and Nancy Kendrick
Title
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
Artist
Bob and Nancy Kendrick
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
We have traveled I-95 between northeast Florida and North Carolina many times over many years. On every trip, we saw the large B-47 Stratojet bomber next to the highway, but before the summer of 2013, we had stopped at this wonderful museum outside Savannah, Georgia only once to visit we were either too early or too late in the day to have any time. The one time we had stopped a number of years ago was in the early days of its opening, so not all the exhibits were open. So this time, we made sure we had plenty of time to enjoy our visit.
And enjoy it we did! With replicas of numerous WW II aircraft to aircraft, aircraft from the Cold War era, and the City of Savannah WW II B-17 (currently being restored in the museum), and its many exhibits of the experiences of the 8th Air Force during World War II, this museum kept us totally interested for hours. Add the Memorial Grounds, including the Chapel of Fallen Eagles, and the experiencing a B-17 bombing mission via a movie and a docent relating history, and you definitely have a winner for all ages!
Given that we both had parents who were part of the Greatest Generation, and that Nancys dad flew a B-17 in the war, all we saw was of great interest, and very well presented!
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From various websites:
Located in Pooler, Georgia, just minutes from downtown Savannah on Interstate 95, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum is a nationally significant military history museum that documents the role of the Eighth Air Force in the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II (1941-45).
The Eighth Air Force was organized in Savannah on January 28, 1942. The largest force of its kind at the time, the Mighty Eighth comprised forty-eight bomber groups, twenty-one fighter groups, and three photo reconaissance groups. Each of these groups, in turn, were composed of a number of squadrons. Later in 1942 the Eighth's headquarters, as part of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), moved to England, where its base of operations remained until the war's end in 1945. The mission of the Eighth Air Force was the heavy bombardment of strategic and military targets in Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany.
The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, established in 1996, tells the story of the Eighth Air Force in World War II. The Eighth Air Force played an important role in World War II. The sacrifice and heroism of its personnel stand as an important part of the story of the U.S. war effort in Europe. The museum is a testimonial to that heroism and an important collection that documents the service history and stories of Americans who made up "the last great generation.
Uploaded
July 30th, 2013
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