By Judy Roddy

Margo McLeod

Margo began volunteering at the Museum Annex in City Market in 2011.  When the Annex closed, she brought her considerable talents to the Research Center.  We are very fortunate to have her capable help.  Margo enters information into the Veterans' Data Base, assists guests in the Research Center and helps out wherever needed.

Margo formerly worked in Washington, DC, as a writer, trainer and organizational development expert for a variety of government agencies, including the State Department's US Agency for International Development.

Upon her return to Savannah, Margo was employed as the registrar at Savannah College of Art & Design.  After retirement, she started her second career as a volunteer.  Along with her hours at the Mighty 8th, Margo also has volunteered at Hospice Savannah for almost three years.

Margo's contributions are invaluable in the Research Department.  She is capable, cheerful and always ready to help any of the department employees.  Margo has acquired an extensive knowledge of the data bases, books, collections and other materials in the Research Department.  We are very grateful for her many volunteer hours and hope she will be with us for many years to come.   

by Jaime Hanna

After six long years of fighting in Europe, the Germans finally agreed to an unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945.  The documents were signed at General Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims, France and marked the end of the war in Europe.  Unlike World War I where the German military collapsed much more quickly than anticipated, the Allies foresaw the German defeat as inevitable and began to discuss surrender documents months ahead of time. 

The European Advisory Commission (EAC) made the recommendation that the instrument of surrender be signed by a member of the German High Command to avoid the "stab in the back" myth that circulated Germany after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.  Before Hitler's suicide on April 30, 1945, he appointed Admiral Karl Donitz as his successor.  Donitz sent Alfred Jodl, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to represent Germany at the surrender ceremony, which fulfilled the EAC's request that a representative of the High Command execute the document on Germany's behalf.  General Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed his Chief of Staff, General Walter Bedell Smith, to sign on behalf of the United States, in addition to the representatives sent from both the Soviet and French governments.  With the document signed, the United States and England designated May 8th as 'Victory in Europe Day', or V-E Day.  The Russians, ever difficult, had a variety of objections to the signing of the surrender in Reims and insisted on a second ceremony held in Berlin on May 8.  As such, they mark the end to what they refer to as "The Great Patriotic War" on May 9. 

Celebrations varied from the subdued to the wildly uproarious.  In England, where six years of rationing and making do had worn down most of the country, an estimated million people crowded the streets around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.  Although the King and Queen of England were met with cheers and applause, it was Winston Churchill who was the man of the hour.  When he stepped out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace, one eyewitness wrote that "there was a deep, full-throated, almost reverent roar."  Elsewhere in the Commonwealth, celebrations were not so boisterous, especially in Australia which was keeping a wary eye on Japan.  One Australian newspaper begged the question, "Since when has it been customary to celebrate victory halfway through a contest?"  Many soldiers, marines, and sailors in the Pacific also found little to celebrate as the possibility of a land invasion of Japan still loomed ahead.

While the surrender of Nazi Germany did not mean the end of the war altogether, it still marks a monumental victory.  It was truly a triumph of good over evil.  For us here at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, it gives us an extra special feeling of pride knowing the Eighth Air Force was a huge contributor to that victory.  It is an honor and a privilege to tell their stories to visitors from around the world each day.  

By Teri Bell

Article courtesy of Savannah Morning News

I made my first trip to the garden center last week.

Every year about this time I have visions of a big vegetable garden and a yard full of flowers, but I live in a townhome and, thankfully, don't have a whole lot of space to plant my dreams. It's a good thing, too, since by the middle of June I no longer have the desire to water, weed and prune. When the temperature gets above 90, I'm an inside kind of girl.

I haven't had much luck with growing vegetables. I would like to blame it on the limited space, but it wouldn't matter if I had an acre to plant, I have a brown thumb when it comes to growing vegetables. So I happily defer to those who God has gifted with a green thumb and purchase the fruits of their labor at farmer's markets. It's much easier that way.

The one thing I can grow is herbs. I should correct that to one thing we can grow since Steve takes care of the watering.

We grow rosemary and thyme year round, but this time of the year, I like to add basil, oregano, dill, parsley and whatever else piques my interest as I wander dreamily down rows and rows of options.

Herbs are easy to grow and there is something about stepping out the back door and clipping herbs for a dish that makes me feel like Martha Stewart!

I'm always looking for recipes to use our herbs. By mid-summer, we usually have more than we can use so I have to get creative. I toss them in fresh salads, make herb butters for bread, and use them in flower arrangements.

I also use them in desserts. Savory herbs add a new depth of flavor to cakes, cookies and fruit. Below are a few of my favorite recipes, but if you've got an abundance of a different kind of herb, all you need to do is type the herb followed by the word dessert into your search engine and you will be rewarded with a plethora of recipes.

While growing herbs is pretty simple, storing them can be confusing. Here are a few hints to keep your herbs fresh and ready to use from the first course to the last course.

* Tender herbs like parsley, basil, and cilantro like to be treated as flowers. Snip the stems and put them in a glass of fresh water. By changing the water every couple of days, your herbs will last up to a week this way. Parsley and cilantro can be stored in the refrigerator, just slip a plastic bag over the tender tops. Basil doesn't like the cold and its leaves will turn brown when refrigerated, so keep the basil on the counter. I like to snip my herbs and put them in vases with flowers. Then, when I ready to use them, I can just clip off what I need.

* Woody herbs like thyme, rosemary and oregano are best stored wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a resealable plastic bag, in your crisper. I've kept thyme and rosemary this way for two weeks.

* Don't wash your herbs until you're ready to use them. The added moisture will make them decay much faster.

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

Lemon Basil Cake

1 box (16 ounce) of white cake mix or your homemade white cake recipe

Zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped

Strawberries, blueberries or raspberries

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans or a bundt pan. Prepare batter as directed on box. Fold in lemon zest and basil. Bake according to directions.

Slice and top with fresh fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Lemon & Rosemary Cookies

2 sticks butter, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

Sugar for dusting

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until blended. Add the rosemary, lemon zest, salt and flour and mix well. Divide dough in half and shape into log. Roll logs up in wax paper about 1 ½ inch in diameter. Chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut logs into ¼ inch slices, roll in sugar and place on parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 12 -15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Strawberry & Thyme Sugar Tarts

(Before I get in trouble for using a purchased pie crust in this recipe, let me say that if you make your own pie crust, then by all means use it for this recipe. Like everything - homemade is by far the better choice - but time is always a problem.)

1 refrigerated pie crust (not the frozen one)

6 -8 strawberries (or fresh peaches)

3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1/3 cup sugar

Whipped Cream

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease tart pan(s) or ramekins. On a floured cloth or countertop, unroll the pie crust. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of thyme over the pie crust. Using a rolling pin, roll thyme into crust. This will also thin out the crust making it easier to fit into tart shells. Divide the pie crust between the tart shells. Prebake the crust for 10-12 minutes. In a medium size bowl, using your hands, rub the thyme into the sugar. (This releases the oil in the thyme) Divide the strawberry slices between the prebaked crusts. Sprinkle the peaches with a generous amount of thyme sugar. Return tarts to oven for 5-10 minutes to warm fruit (optional). Top with whipped cream and a thyme sprig, if desired.

Thyme-Honey Roasted Plums

1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar

1/4 cup local honey

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup fresh thyme sprigs

4-6 large assorted ripe but firm plums halved, pitted

Whipped Cream

Additional fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 475°F. In an ovenproof non-stick skillet, stir sugar, honey, butter and thyme sprigs over high heat until butter melts. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will bubble vigorously). Add plum halves, cut side down. Cook plums without stirring for 2 minutes. Turn plums over and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until caramel is deep brown, checking frequently to prevent burning, about 4 minutes.

Divide plum halves among plates. Spoon sauce from skillet over plums, leaving most of thyme sprigs behind. Drizzle plums with whipped cream, garnish with additional thyme sprigs, and serve.