June 16th is Father's Day.  We have a great selection of items sure to please your dad or granddad. All hats 15% OFF! 

If you're looking for something unique for dear old dad, try an 8th logo tie bar or belt.  We also have lighters.  Choose from all branches of military or an 8th logo lighter.

Does dad need something to spruce up his office or "man cave"?  We have clocks, propellers and much more.

Don't forget coffee mugs.  We have a huge selection starting at only $9.99.

Happy Father's Day! 

Shop the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Gift Store Today!

Jack Nilsen came to the Mighty Eighth with more than 40 years of experience in the aviation industry.  He told us that he has been interested in airplanes as far back as he can remember, and there was never any doubt that his life would be centered on aviation.  Jack was born and raised in New Jersey. He attended The Academy of Aeronautics in New York City for both his high school diploma and a certificate as a qualified Airframe and Power plant mechanic.  His talents were immediately noticed after graduation, when he was hired as a test technician by Reaction Motors Corporation, where he worked on the engine that was used in the famous X-15 aircraft.  Soon, however, the US Army came calling, and once again Jack's qualifications were noted.  He spent his military tour of duty in Alaska as a Nuclear Weapons Specialist.  After his discharge Jack found employment in the general aviation business where he had a very successful career, first as a mechanic and eventually as a Service Manger.  He added two more credentials to his resume during those years, earning certificates as an Inspector and as a pilot. He and his wife, Pam, raised three daughters and a son while living in New Jersey. In 1992, Jack had had enough of the corporate world, he and Pam moved to Hilton Head Island, where he started his own aviation maintenance consulting firm.  The City of Savannah project got a major break when Jack visited the museum in late 2009 and was told by a docent that a B-17 would soon be arriving, and that volunteers were needed for its restoration.  Jack was literally the first volunteer to fill out an application to work on the project.

In his own words - "I can honestly say that this project has reignited my passion for both history and aviation.  The honor of putting my hands on history and sharing such a special experience with the caliber of people I have had the pleasure of working with has been a gift.  Not many people get to experience the camaraderie, exchange of knowledge, laughter and accomplishment that comes with being a part of the City of Savannah B-17 project. I will be forever thankful that I was one of the few who did.  I am, and will remain, grateful for the opportunity to participate in this endeavor as I know we all are."

As the school year comes to an end, I would like to update everyone on our Character Counts! program.  We have had a very busy year working with the Savannah Chatham County Public Schools (SCCPSS) and feel like we are making great strides to bring more awareness to both the Character Counts! Program and the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.  Besides our Character Counts! Conference held in September for educators, and the Community Celebration open to the public held in October, we also sponsor the Character Counts! Student of the Month and host "Super Saturdays" once a month. 

Our Student of the Month program is a bit different from typical Student of the Month programs that are usually based on academics.  We felt strongly that while good grades are very important, it is equally important to display good character as the men of the Eighth Air Force did.  We asked teachers and staff in the entire low country area to nominate students who displayed exceptional character, either in their every day behavior or by overcoming a challenge in their personal life.  Winners receive prizes from the museum, are interviewed by WTOC and are featured in an article in the Savannah Morning News.  The response has been wonderful and it is so nice to hear about good kids at our schools for a change.  For example, we have had students who won for overcoming academic struggles and worked hard to make better grades; and students who go out of their way to assist special needs kids in their class. We had a student who was hit by a car walking home and required grueling surgery and therapy.  When she came back to school, she was grateful and humbled for all the support she received from her classmates and teachers. All these students are good kids who may not get the best grades or be the best athlete in their class, but they are good people who deserve recognition.

In the middle of the last school year, we also started "Super Saturdays", which are a two-hour character education class plus lunch and a tour, paid for entirely by the museum. We designed the classes to fit elementary, middle or high school groups.  We found that it was difficult to get older students as they have more extra-curricular activities and jobs on the weekends so we began to focus on elementary students. It seems we can have a greater impact on younger students.  Keeping this in mind, we turned our focus to the SCCPSS program for at-risk youth called the '21st Century Program'. Their goal is to provide early intervention for kids who are in high-poverty or low-performing schools by providing resources for those struggling in reading and math. This federally-funded program provides tutoring, hands-on learning and field trips to help these students keep up with their peers. The museum invited one 21st Century group to attend a Super Saturday when they came out for a field trip. The response was so positive that next school year, the Director of the 21st Century Program will require all 21st Century groups to come to the museum to attend a Super Saturday. The kids (between the ages of 7-12) absolutely loved the museum and the Character Counts! program, which included various activities, games and even guest speakers from Memorial to discuss healthy food choices. They were enthusiastic, happy to be here, eager to share stories of good choices they made, and share things they would like to do in the future to help make their homes, schools and communities a better place. 

While most people have been very supportive and encouraging of the Character Counts! Program, a few people have commented that we will not be able to make a difference. I would challenge those people to come see a Super Saturday and witness the excitement of these kids. This past Saturday's event was absolutely inspiring.  Many of these students come from extreme poverty and have never been to a museum in their life. They loved the character-related games and had a ball coming up with their own beat for a Character Counts! song.  When it came time for lunch they were most grateful - many couldn't tell me the last time they had eaten a full meal at home. We gave away some free gifts and t-shirts to kids who showed good character while here and they were astounded to receive anything. One kid asked with astonishment, "I get to take this shirt home?!?" Many told me they did not want to leave when their bus pulled up to take them back to their school, and I received countless hugs. Maybe we can't save every kid, but I can tell you that every kid who walked out of here on Saturday was happy, excited and appreciative of the day spent at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. We will be able to reach more students next school season and we are going to strive to be a positive influence and leave a lasting impression on as many kids as we can.  Thank you to everyone who has donated to this program - I can assure you we are doing our best to make a difference!

In February 2006 W.J.E. Hill tried to locate the Eighth Air Force crew member who had given him a silk escape map as a memento.  During World War II, Hill had served as a Royal Marine, and sixty-nine years later, he reminisced that on about 10 June 1944 as he patrolled the waters off Juno Beach, Normandy in a "minor landing craft," he observed a B-24 Liberator fly low over the anchorage and ditch in the sea.  His boat rescued one of the crew.  Once on board Hill's duty boat, the rescued flyer presented Hill with his escape kit and silk escape map.  Unfortunately, Hill failed to record the name of the B-24 crew member or the exact date of the rescue.  Hill kept the map and in 2006 began to try to find the man he met in June 1944.  He realized that "the date might even be a day or so out," but as he explained "they were exciting times and other events came and went."  He never found the airman he rescued, and after his death, his son donated his father's "keepsake" map to this museum.

The B-24 Liberator that most closely fits Mr. Hill's memory flew in the 491st Bomb Group and ditched in the Channel on 11 June 1944.  Five men were KIA and five were rescued.  An Air Sea Rescue Walrus picked up the Pilot and Navigator and an ASR launch rescued the Co-Pilot and Bombardier.  Hill recalled rescuing only one man who, in this case, would have been the Radio Operator, Everett Robbins.  

W.J.E. Hill received this silk map as a keepsake in June 1944

Article Courtesy of Savannah Morning News

For Christmas last year, Steve's beautiful daughter Trish gave me "The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion."

I'm a pretty easy person to buy for - just buy me something about food-and she didn't disappoint. This book jacket touts having "more than 6,700 entries" and I can get lost for hours in between its pages (days if I didn't need to sleep).

In alphabetical order the book defines foods, cooking terms, preparation hints and kitchen equipment. I sometimes just open it up to a random page and read the definitions. In the middle of a page defining common cooking items and terms such as ham hock, hard ball stage, and Hare, you discover a definition for Hangtown Fry: "This dish is said to have been created during the California Gold Rush in a rowdy burg called Hangtown (now Placerville) because of the town's frequent hangings. It consists of fried breaded oysters cooked together with eggs and fried bacon, rather like an omelet or scramble." The same page has an inset for "Burger Basics" that gives six tips on how to make a better burger.

There are more than 40 glossaries about specific topics: beer and ale, cookies, apples, potatoes, melons and many more. The fats and oils glossary explains and lists the smoke points of oils and fats and discloses that canola oil is actually the oil from the seeds of the rape plant. For obvious reasons, the name of the oil was changed.

The fish glossary, with a list of fish I've never heard of, also shares this fact about flatfish such as flounder. " ... flatfish are known to have both eyes located on the upper side of their body, they don't start out that way. A young flatfish begins life with one eye on each side of its head. As the fish becomes an adult, one eye moves across to the other side and the head and mouth rotate as well." Sounds like a sci-fi movie!

The ingredient equivalents glossary answers many of those puzzling questions like that it takes 22 vanilla wafers to get 1 cup of crumbs and 28 saltines to get 1 cup of crumbs. The substitution chart and safe cooking temperatures chart are just two of the quick reference charts found at the back of the food.

The pages are spattered with food quotes. One of my favorites is by Rosa Lewis:

"Some people's food always tastes better than others, even if they are cooking the same dish at the same dinner ... because one person has more life - more fire, more vitality, more guts - than others. People without these things can never make food taste right ... they have nothing in themselves to give. You have got to throw feeling into cooking"

This quote is truer than you might imagine. I tell my staff that a smile while you're cooking makes the food taste better.

Teri Bell is co-owner of Miss Sophie's Marketplace at the Mighty Eighth in Pooler. Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.

HANGTOWN FRY

When I am looking for a classic recipe, Saveur Magazine is my first stop. The recipe below is an adaptation of their Hangtown Fry.

12 oysters, shucked

Salt and black pepper, to taste

¼ cup flour

7 eggs

½ cup panko or bread crumbs

4 tablespoons butter

4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Put flour, 1 beaten egg, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Salt and pepper oysters. Dip each oyster in flour, then egg, then crumbs; place on a floured plate. Heat butter in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oysters; fry, flipping once, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Whisk remaining eggs in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add eggs to pan with half the bacon and scallions. Cook until eggs are just set, about 3 minutes. Smooth over top; cover, and cook until top is set, about 5 minutes. Transfer omelette to a plate, and garnish with remaining bacon and scallions.