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Mission Update! February 2015
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
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Stay Connected
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Let the Mighty 8th be a part of your Legacy
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For more information about Planned Gifts and the Mighty Eighth Foundation, please contact Pam Vining
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National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Legacy of Honor program
Please help us keep admission free for World War II Veterans by donating $10 to the "Legacy of Honor Program" Follow the link below to make your donation.
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Apply for the French Legion of Honor Medal Today!
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by Dr. Nancy Toombs
As many of you know, the 8th Air Force Historical Society has been working hard to relay the message to all our WWII veterans about the French Legion of Honor Medal. This is the highest award that France can bestow and it is given to all branches of service personnel who participated in the liberation of France. I can't emphasize enough how important it is for every eligible veteran to make application, as it can take up to one year for your application to be approved. The main criteria for eligibility is the veteran must have participated in one of the four French campaigns.
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On February 15, 2015, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force will host a lecture and fundraiser by Dr. Donald L. Miller, author of "Masters of the Air", the soon to be HBO 10 part miniseries on the Eighth Air Force. Plan to join us on February 15 at the Skidaway Island United Methodist Church at 5:00 PM, followed by refreshments and a book signing. Tickets are $15.00 per person. Please call Meghan Lowe, Director of Development, at 912-988-1847 with any questions or to reserve your ticket.
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| Deep in the heart of Texas "Those Miles Boys" Story of Service from WWII to Today |
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by Meghan Lowe
Those Miles boys," Abe, Ellison, and Glynn grew up in the small town of Liberty, Texas with their father Clopton and mother Nora. Clopton and Nora's values of hard work and service had a significant impact on the boys' upbringing. Clopton was an educated man who served as the town banker, county tax assessor, selective service judge and mayor during his career. Nora volunteered at the local Baptist Church and even turned the Miles home into a boarding house for those impacted by the Great Depression. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States officially entered World War II, "those Miles boys" extended their values of hard work and service to our nation when Abe, Ellison, and Glynn volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
Abe was the oldest and was as a pilot in the Tenth Air Force during World War II. From 1942 - 1943, Abe served in the China Burma India Theater of Operations, flying with the Air Transport Command. Ellison was six years younger than Abe and shared a common love of flying with his older brother. Glynn was the youngest and served as a radio operator and gunner with the 98th Bomb Group, 415th Bomb Squadron. He was stationed in Italy during the war.
Read Further
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 Mark your calendars! Super Museum Sunday is February 8, 2015. If you are in or around the Savannah area on this date, admission to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is FREE all day. Bring the whole family to Super Museum Sunday, where you are sure to enjoy a tour of the Museum.
Steve Snyder, author of the book "Shot Down", will have a book signing from 12-4 in the Gift Store.
A UCLA graduate and retiree from the national sales and sales management fields, Mr. Snyder belongs to numerous WWII associations and serves on the Board of Directors for the 306th Bomb Group Association. A California native, he has made it his mission to learn everything possible about the WWII experiences of his father, pilot Howard Snyder, and his crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth.
Howard Snyder was a B-17 pilot stationed in England during World War II. On February 8, 1944, his plane was shot down over the French/Belgium border after a mission to bomb Frankfurt, Germany. "Shot Down" tells the true story of events leading up to and after that harrowing day. Of the ten man crew, some died, some ended up in prison camps and some evaded capture. What makes this book unique is the varied, detailed, and amazing story of what happened to each crew member, in particular Howard Snyder-who evaded capture and was missing in action for seven months.
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| City of Savannah Dedication |
In January 2009, the massive, aluminum-body aircraft arrived at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in assorted pieces after its journey down Interstate 95 from a Washington D.C. airplane hangar.
Six years later, nearly to the day it was moved indoors, the Pooler museum's B-17G Flying Fortress sat stoic at the center of the institution's Combat Gallery - finally restored to its full World War II combat configuration.
Hundreds of spectators - including World War II veterans, current military service members and museum volunteers - crammed into the Mighty Eighth on Wednesday afternoon as the museum dedicated the bomber that's been dubbed the City of Savannah, in honor of another B-17 - the 5,000th combat aircraft to be processed at Savannah's Hunter Field during World War II.
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The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is raffling off a new A-2 Bomber Jacket on May 16, 2015! Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and can be purchased at the Museum or online. Click here to purchase tickets online.
The "Type A-2" bomber jacket was standardized on May 29, 1931 and was manufactured under contract until 1943. It was the regulation Army Air Corps intermediate flying jacket and was issued and used until the end of WWII. The A-2 takes credit for being one of the most famous WWII flying jackets and was considered a must-have jacket by both pilots and flight crews. The natural distressing and personalized details give each leather garment its own unique signature and character. Retail Value: $359
Winners do not have to be present to win, so get your tickets before the raffle on May 16!
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Valentine's Day is almost here. We have some great coffee mugs filled with assorted chocolates and kisses for only $9.99. These mugs make a great gift for your special valentine. We have t-shirts and ball caps for the men in your life. We haven't forgotten the ladies. We have Rosie t-shirts and lovely fleece jackets that are sure to make her smile. Send us your order and we'll get it out in time for Valentine's Day. On Sunday, February 8th from 11-4, we will have Steve Snyder here at the museum autographing his book "Shot Down". If you can't be here for the event, we will have Steve sign a copy for you and mail it to you. Please let us know by Friday, February 6th how many books you would like. During the month of February we will have all baseball caps on sale for 10% off. We have a great selection so stock up now. Again we want to thank you for supporting The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.
Shop the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Online Store Today!
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The deadline has been extended. For more information contact Heather Thies
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On Monday, January 19 school was out and the winter day campers arrived at the museum for a great day spent outside having fun learning Army tactics and WWII history. The day campers learned to high and low crawl, form up as a squad as well as some WWII history about the Italian Campaign. Lunch, fun and lots of exercise were included. Sign your child aged 7-11 up today for the Monday, February 16 day camp! Only $30 per student. Email education@mightyeighth.org for details.
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What actually happened to the Rosenthal Crew?
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by Samuel Martin The Eighth Air Force returned to Berlin on 3 February 1945 for the first time in nearly two months. The overcast skies cleared just as the American air armada reached the city. While the improved visibility helped the Mighty Eighth find their targets, it gave German anti-aircraft gunners a clear view of the attacking bombers above. Major Robert Rosenthal of the 100th Bomb Group led the Eighth's Third Air Division into the blanket of flak over Berlin. Just before reaching their bomb release point, a German ground-fired rocket hit the nose section of Rosenthal's B-17, killing his navigator. Fire and dense smoke quickly filled the cockpit and nose section of the aircraft. With hundreds of bombers set to drop their bombs with Rosenthal, he managed to keep on course and his bombardier released their bomb load over the target. Rosenthal knew that he could not keep the damaged B-17 in the air much longer. Steadily losing altitude, he pulled out of formation and flew toward the Soviet lines, just east of the city. Minutes later, hoping they had flown far enough, Rosenthal ordered the crew to bail out as he struggled to keep the aircraft steady. As soon as his crew parachuted away, the right, inboard engine exploded sending the aircraft into a spin as it plunged to the earth. Rosenthal fought the centrifugal force of the spin and managed to bail out through the bomber's nose hatch. Jumping at a low altitude, his parachute opened only moments before he hit the ground breaking his arm. Rosenthal looked up to see three soldiers rapidly approaching him. Noticing the red star insignia on their hats, he pulled an American flag from his escape kit and yelled "Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Lucky Strike, Coca Cola, bombing Berlin." The Soviet soldiers identified Rosenthal as an American and helped him up, hugged him, and took him to a Soviet field hospital. Read Further Besides Rosenthal's B-17, two additional 100th Bomb Group B-17s lost on the 3 February 1945 mission against Berlin were shot down by German ground-fired rockets. The B-17 pictured here is believed to be 42-102958, one of the two others, moments before it nosed over into a steep dive. |
The Veterans Tribute Towers stand as a lasting tribute to honor the past of America's veterans, and as a salute to our present veterans.
Our goal is to pay tribute to all military personnel from every service branch and from every time period in American history. These are the brave men and women who have sacrificed to keep this nation free and they deserve our respect.
A plaque on the Veteran Tribute Towers is a unique way for you to pay tribute to our fallen heroes; and to remember the servicemen and women who are no longer with us today.
Within these towers you are able to pay homage to Medal of Honor Recipients, Prisoners of War, Generals, Admirals, as well as the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines whose story has not been told. All performed honorable service to this nation and many of them gave their life to keep us free. The Tribute Towers are solid red granite and the plaques are magnificent bronze. They are a fitting memorial to our heroes.
For more information please contact Peggy Harden
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Miss Sophie: Unlocking the healing powers of soup
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by Teri Bell
Welcome 2015! I started the New Year with a nasty cold, and being the good wife I am, I shared it with Steve. He hasn't been very thankful for my gift!
He really should be thanking me. Because he didn't feel well, he got to watch almost non-stop football. If he had been well, he would have been busy doing other things and felt guilty about watching so much football. See, it really was a gift!
On Sunday night, I threw one last Hail Mary and made a pot of potato soup. If anything is going to cure you, potato soup will do it. In fact, potato soup has its own branch in our family tree.
I've shared the history from grandma to mama - from mama to me and from me to my children.
My son had the flu last month and I got a text one evening from him that said "she made potato soup for me!" The next generation has taken up the torch! I made it for my father-in-law the last month of his life. He could only drink the broth - but he declared the next morning that "it's a miracle!" because he slept all night for the first time in days.
I did a little research to see if I could find out why soup has the reputation of healing powers. The best answer I could find (or believe) was that slow simmering of foods "leach out the energetic and therapeutic properties of the foods," which makes them easier for your body to absorb. Sounds plausible, right?
I also found a Chinese proverb that said "a good doctor uses food first, then resorts to medicine."
Hopefully, you won't need a pot of "miracle" soup, but the temperatures are dropping the next couple of days and it would be a great time to make a big pot of homemade soup. The great thing about soup is that there are no rules for soup. You have to have a liquid, but what goes in it and how much goes in it is up to you.
I would love to share my homemade vegetable soup recipe, but it's never the same. I make it with whatever vegetables I have in the freezer!
My favorite way of making it is to boil a hambone for a couple of hours and then add vegetables and tomatoes, but I also have made it with ground beef or with no meat at all - and that's the way every cook should approach a soup. Add a little bit of this, taste and then add a little bit of that.
If you're new to cooking, the one advice I would give you is to have a good stock. The flavor of a soup is decided by its liquid. Flavorless liquid equals flavorless soup.
Ideally, you would make your own - but in reality, you'll probably purchase broth more often than make it.
Be sure not to pinch pennies on this part of the soup. I personally love Knorr home-style stock concentrate. It comes in a box of four small tubs of a gelatin consistency. Just add water, season to taste and you're off to a good start.
Then, add what you like, vegetables, pastas, meats and you've got your own version of homemade soup!
Here - once again - is my potato soup recipe with a twist. (Mama forgive me.)
When I made it this past Sunday, I added some spinach that I needed to cook so I stirred it into the pot. It added some color and flavor to the soup and since spinach is packed full of nutrients and anti-oxidants, it added to the healing properties of our soup! By Monday night Steve and I both felt better, so who knows? Maybe it is a "miracle!"
Teri Bell is co-owner of Miss Sophie's Marketplace at the Mighty Eighth in Pooler. Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.
POTATO & SPINACH SOUP
Serves 3-4
One medium size onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups baby spinach (optional)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat, then stir in the onions and sauté at a very low temperature, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent. Add the stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Add the spinach and cream, return to stove and bring to gentle simmer just until the cream is warmed. Top with cheese and/or bacon bits or, if desired, Cornbread Cakes.
CORNBREAD CAKES
Every bowl of soup needs a grilled cheese sandwich or cornbread to dip into the soup! These are scrumptious!
1 3/4 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1 egg lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
Combine cornmeal mix, egg, buttermilk and butter just until moistened. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Pour 1/3 cup batter into a skillet for each corn cake, cooking three cakes at a time. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Drain cakes on paper towels. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and batter. Allow cakes to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
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National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force | 912.748.8888 | m8afnews@mightyeighth.org | http://www.mightyeighth.org
175 Bourne Avenue
(I-95 at Exit 102)
Pooler, GA 31322
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