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 August 2010
Mission Update! News from the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum | Vol 8, Issue 4
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175 Bourne Ave
Pooler, GA 31322
912.748.8888
Open daily 9:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.
(Closed New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving & Christmas) |
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| Flying Legends Summer Camp 2010 | |
Flying Legends is a day camp that is PERFECT for kids ages 6 -11 years old. Heather Thies, our Education Director, teaches about children on the home front, airplane navigation, bombardier and pilot training during WWII and much more!
Summer campers show off their patriotism by making beaded flag pins. The museum held their first half-day camp of the summer during the last week of June.  | Half Day Camp 9 am - 12 pm
Snack included
August 2 - 6
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| 2nd Air Division Exhibit Now Open | 
The 2nd Air Division exhibit is complete and a magnificent addition to the Museum's Combat Gallery. Please plan to visit the Museum and experience this new addition. |
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The 487th Bomb Group Monument
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A new monument dedicated at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum honors the legacy of some of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Our country loses as estimated one thousand World War II veterans every day. Some people have made it their mission to ensure the names of those who fought will never be lost or forgotten. The unveiling and dedication of the 487th Bomb Group Monument was on Saturday July 10, 2010 in the Memorial Gardens. |
359th Bench Dedication
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On Saturday July 10, 2010 members of the 359th Fighter Group gathered in front of the museum to dedicate a bench in honor of their fallen comrades. An honor guard from the 3rd Infantry Division at Ft. Stewart, Georgia presented colors. Taps was played and the Deputy Commander - rear of the 3rd Infantry Division,
Brig. General Jeff Phillips, made a brief statement at the end of the ceremony. Two F-18's flew in close formation over the Museum. It was a fitting end to the dedication ceremony.  |
2nd Annual "Biggest Little Christmas Party"
Friday, December 17, 2010
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 You might consider this a bit early to start your Christmas
plans, but the Events Department is already full of activity with December
bookings. And what a super event they
have lined up for anyone who wishes to join us!
After last year's success, the "Biggest Little Christmas
Party" is in high demand by our local businesses. It is a fun, economical and effortless
solution to celebrate with co-workers and mingle with other area businesses. Tables of ten (10) include DJ, dinner in our
magnificently decorated Rotunda and a cash bar.
Come rock around our Christmas tree - - last year, over 250 people did!
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Model Airplane Building Class
| Children's Model Airplane Building Class
Saturday August 28, 2010
Classes will be held at
10 am, 1 pm & 3 pm
Come join us for our snap together model class.
Great for children ages 3-12. Call the Education Department for details and reservations.
912.748.8888 ext 106
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Join Today!
| Become a member of one of the world's most powerful Museums.
If you are passionate about America, if you believe that preserving traditions, loyalty, democracy, and freedom are more important than ever, and if you appreciate the sacrifice of the men and women who continue to defend our freedom today, then you need to become a member of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum today!
For more information and to join, please click on the link below
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Museum Staff
Brenda Elmgren
Director of Development
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Upcoming Features!
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Be sure to see our next edition of the "Mission Update!" online newsletter for the latest news, "What's New in the Archives", "World War II Memorial Updates", and much more.
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View past Newsletters!
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EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
CHARACTER COUNTS! Is Coming to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum! |  What IS CHARACTER COUNTS!? It's a brand new line up of programs for children, parents, educators, and community leaders. It's an exciting way to continue the legacy of honor and bravery of the Mighty Eighth Air Force by teaching, illustrating, and modeling Six Pillars of integrity: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. In a 1990 interview with the Museum's founder, General Lew Lyle, he stated, "We need to get these stories out to the young people. They need to know about character and the price of freedom."
In keeping with Gen. Lyle's mission for the Museum, the Mighty Eighth has had a successful character education program since opening in 1996. Over time, however, methods used to hold children's attention have evolved and the Museum felt the time was right for a more proactive approach for character education programming. The program needed to expand. The number of people who could hear and experience the character building stories of the Mighty Eighth needs to expand with more school field trips, faculty training, family seminars, and neighborhood alliances.
Earlier this year, the Museum met with officials from the Savannah Chatham County Public School System to explore ways that CHARACTER COUNTS! @ The Mighty Eighth could be employed in local schools. As discussions progressed, one school official commented that the program would need to start with the most basic communications lessons. She remarked, "The word 'character' is not even in the children's vocabulary. They think more along the lines of 'survival'."
Through emerging partnerships, the Museum will reach out into surrounding communities to teach a common language of "character" using the stories, experiences, and artifacts found in the Museum's unique collection. The first interactive partnership has already been forged with Thunderbolt Elementary School, and on August 24, the first-ever CHARACTER COUNTS! faculty in-service program will take place at the Museum. This "train the trainer" seminar will help prepare the Thunderbolt staff to infuse CHARACTER COUNTS! into every element of the school day beginning with the 2010-2011 school year. More than just another program, CHARACTER COUNTS! @ THE MIGHTY EIGHTH will be a change in culture and will motivate children to grow up, doing the "right thing."
. . . More about CHARACTER COUNTS! @ THE MIGHTY EIGHTH in upcoming issues of "Mission Update!" Stay tuned for more!! |
| Museum Gift Store | The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum Gift Store is a unique shopping experience. In it you will find everything from clothing, jewelry, and books to models, patches and pins, and collectibles found nowhere else in this area. Click on the link below to begin shopping today.
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Bunking In!
A Night at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
|  Bunking In, the new sleepover at the museum education program, is proving to be a great success. Students from fifth grade to eighth grade have explored the museum at night as part of a highly educational yet fun and memorable overnight experience. The program is open to all ages. The night starts with dinner and a guided tour of the museum. Students immerse themselves in bombardier training, search through the museum on a flashlight scavenger hunt and finish the night with a movie. Just like in boot camp, the morning starts with a bugle call and breakfast leading into a last WWII adventure. School groups, scouts and other organizations can book a night of World War II immersion. The Bunking In program is available any night by prior reservation. Bookings for the new school year have already begun and we are excited to begin the adventures again. Please contact the Education Department for details and availability. education@mightyeighth.org
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Restoration Project Update |
The B-17 Restoration Project is steadily moving forward. The DuPont Corporation is making a special primer/top coat for the interior of the plane. The night crew continues work on the installation of the Nose Gun Blister manufactured for us by LMICorporation.
"City of Savannah" taken in Hazen, North Dakota, with the Benz brothers who flew the plane to its first non-military home, a school yard, on June 11, 1947  |
The goal of our restoration is to have the B-17, "City of Savannah" restored to its original factory condition. You can be a part of history and the Museum's B-17 Project. The Museum appreciates all financial gifts, and for $100 or more you will receive a certificate of participation, suitable for framing, which recognizes your part in this historic Museum event. Please make checks payable to "B-17 Project" and mail to:
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
P.O. Box 1992
Savannah, GA 31402
If you would like to make a donation by credit card, please call Tameka Ford at
912-748-8888 ext. 101. |
Eighth Air Force Historical Society Reunion
by Vivian Rogers-Price
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The Eighth Air Force Historical Society held its
2010 reunion in Tucson, AZ on July 21-25. Attendees enjoyed trips to the Pima Air Museum and Boneyard, Old Tucson, and the Sonora Desert
Museum. In addition, President Mark S. Copeland
presented the Roger A. Freeman Memorial Symposium - "Valor in the Heavens" with Eighth Air Force veterans, Paul Shull, Earl
Wassom, Norm Bussel, and Russ Chase telling of their experiences in the Mighty
Eighth. On Saturday, the 2010 Grand
Banquet Gala featured Brigadier General Mark John MacCarley as guest
speaker. His distinguished career has
been inspired by his father, John, who served in the Eighth Air Force, 379th
Bomb Group during World War II. I was
fortunate to attend this reunion and enjoyed the camaraderie of visiting with Eighth
Air Force veterans and their families. I
recorded a series of oral history interviews with veterans attending. These have been added to the research center
at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum
and a copy will be sent to each interviewee.
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Museum Volunteer Scott Stovall
by Heather Thies
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Scott Stovall
 Scott Stovall was commissioned into the Air Force from ROTC
upon graduation from Georgia Tech in 1964.
He trained as a pilot at Webb Air Force Base which was called Big Spring
AFB during WWII and used to train bombardiers in high level precision bombing. After training, Scott piloted C135s and C141s
mostly to Vietnam and
occasionally to Europe from McGuire AFB. At twenty seven, he received an early out
from the Air Force and worked for Delta Airlines as a pilot for thirty two
years. He moved to Savannah in 1996. In 1997, he visited the Mighty Eighth Air
Force Museum and after viewing the Mission Experience he spoke with volunteer
Jack Clarkson, a top turret gunner/flight engineer on a B-17. Scott asked about volunteering and  was told to
come out the next week and start giving tours.
Scott has been volunteering ever since and loves talking to all the
veterans who visit the museum.
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Feature Exhibit
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Rouen France
August 17, 1942
The Eight h Air Force began
their quest to defeat Nazi Germany on August 17, 1942 with their first
All-American supplied assignment. Several
previous missions had used borrowed English planes and materials. This mission
to Rouen, France's railroad marshalling yard
would assess the readiness of the Eighth's daylight precision strategic bombing
plan. The one hundred eleven men from
the 97th Bombardment Group in twelve B-17 Flying Fortresses on this bombing mission into Nazi-controlled France
would eventually grow to become approximately twenty thousand men on two
thousand B-17's and B-24 Liberators flying missions deep into Germany. Six more
B-17's flew as a diversion. Major Paul Tibbets flew as lead pilot to Rouen with 97thBG
commander Colonel Frank A. Armstrong Jr. as his co-pilot. Brigadier General Ira Eaker, head of the
Eighth Air Force Bomber command, flew in the lead plane of the second
element. The mission escorted by British
Spitfires was considered a "milk run" by later standards but was the first test
of the theory that daylight bombing could be accomplished. The mission proved successful but soon the
crews learned of the true difficulties the air war over Europe
would present.
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2010 Membership Drive
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 As many of you know, joining the Mighty Eighth Air Force
Museum takes a special kind of vision. Members commit to the values that filled the air January 28, 1942 -
when, on the wings of history, the Eighth Air Force was launched to become the
greatest armada of all time. Fifty-four
years later, in 1996, those same values opened the doors on this great Museum:
Courage, Character, Patriotism.
This year's membership drive is an opportunity to help
strengthen that vision. When you become
a member of the Museum, you get to enjoy unlimited admission for one year, a
subscription to the Museum e-newsletter, a 10% discount at the Museum Gift
Store and a personalized membership card.
If you are already a member, why not tell your friends and family about
the many rewards of becoming a part of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum?
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Memorial Benches
Peggy Harden Memorial Gardens Coordinator | 
Years from now, imagine the feelings a young family will experience when they see and touch a memorial to one of their own - perhaps a grandfather or great - uncle recognized for their unselfish heroism, sacrifice, and valor. Their legacy lives on, thanks to your thoughtful gift today to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Musuem Memorial Bench Project. Peggy Harden, Director of the Memorial Bench project, states that the project is need of more donors. It's a way to honor those who flew in combat missions during the war. For more information contact Peggy Harden: finance@mightyeighth.org |
| Tell Us What You Think! |
You are very important to us. Your comments and suggestions are welcome and encouraged.
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