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Mission Update!                                          July 2014
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force 
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Let the Mighty 8th be a part of your Legacy 
Victory
For more information about Planned Gifts and the Mighty Eighth Foundation, please contact Pam Vining
Legacy of Honor 
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Legacy of Honor program
WWII Veteran
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. 
2014 -2015 Calendar

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is proud to partner with the Buckhead Bomber Girls on the 2014-2016 Buckhead Bomber Girls Calendar! Connecting the "Greatest Generation" of World War II and Korea to the next generation, the 24-month calendar presents vibrant photos of veterans with their children and grandchildren, while presenting their stories of heroism and character. Calendar dates are June 2014 to May 2015.

 

Quantities are limited! Purchase yours today! 

Summer Camp

Kids' Corner

Make Your Own Secret Boiled Egg Message

 

Supplies:

* 12 hardboiled eggs

* 2 tablespoons white vinegar

* 2 tablespoons alum

* Q-tips

 

Some agents during the war hid secret messages in boiled eggs! In this project you'll use two items that are available in your grocery store's spice aisle: Alum and vinegar.

As you write on the egg shell with this mixture, you leave behind messages that can only be seen once you remove the shell! How is this possible? Well, the vinegar dissolves the calcium carbonate in the eggshell, allowing the alum to pass through the shell and discolor the egg white.

  1. With an adult's help, hard boil a dozen eggs. Place the eggs in the water and bring to a boil. Set your timer so that the eggs simmer for 12 minutes.
  2. Have your mom or dad drain the hot water and rinse the eggs in cold water. Place them in a bowl or in their carton, and put them in the refrigerator to cool.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the white vinegar and alum together to make a paste.
  4. Hold an egg in one hand by your thumb and forefinger while you write a message. Use the Q-tip like a pencil, dipping it into the paste.
  5. Store the egg in the refrigerator overnight so the message will have time to seep through the shell and set. Peel the shell off the egg to read your secret message! 
Museum Store

Happy 4th of July!

 

Summer is really here. Vacations are underway and the kids are out of school.  Are they bored yet?  If so, we can fix that. We have puzzles, models, books, toys and much more. 

 

For the big kids that are bored, we have plenty for them too. Our book selection is terrific.   Our insulated Tervis Tumblers are sure to keep your favorite beverage good and cold. So grab a book and a beverage and cool down in the shade.

 

During the month of July all WEB orders will receive a 10% discount. Stock up and enjoy the savings and the summer. 

 

Shop the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth AIr Force Online Store Today! 

A Near-Miracle
by Christy Buechler
 
Elmer Bendiner was a navigator in a B-17 during WWII. He tells this story of a WWII bombing run over Kassel, Germany, and the unexpected result of a direct hit on their gas tanks. "Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi anti-aircraft guns. That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit. 

"Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple. On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck.

"The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11 unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky. It was as if the sea had been parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought.

"Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.
He was told that the shells had been sent to our armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that our Intelligence Unit had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer. Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless.

"Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech. The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling."

Translated, the note read:

"This is all we can do for you now...
Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea."
Operation Cobra
by Samuel Martin
This month the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force follows the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy with the commemoration of Operation COBRA.  Soon after the D-Day landings, Allied ground forces became quickly involved in heavy fighting in the hedgerow country just east of the invasion beaches.  The hedgerow country (called by the French bocage) was a patchwork of small fields enclosed by ancient, thick hedges consisting of hawthorn, bramble, vines and trees that grew out of earthen mounds, and were often several feet thick and up to 15 feet high.  This terrain favored the German defenders and kept the Allied advance slow with heavy casualties.  In early July 1944, American First Army Commander General Omar Bradley devised a plan that would open a corridor through the German defensive positions and allow Allied forces to break out of hedgerow country and operative decisively on better terrain.  Code-named Operation COBRA, the plan consisted of concentrating the complete striking power of both the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces on German defensive positions along the Periers-St. Lo road and immediately rush American ground forces through the newly blown gap.  Bradley's plan soon evolved into a two-phase operation in which a similar massive aerial bombardment to assist British forces, called Operation GOODWOOD, would blow a gap in the German lines near Caen the day before COBRA.  GOODWOOD was originally set for 17 July 1944 followed by COBRA the next day. 
 

Operation GOODWOOD commenced on 18 July with RAF and Eighth Air Force bombers plastering German defenses in the industrial area of Caen and the fortified village of Cagny.  Despite the initial shock to German frontline troops, the British encountered stubborn German resistance including a night Luftwaffe attack on a railway crossing near Cagny.  The ground fighting of GOODWOOD lasted until 21 July in which the British and Canadians had advanced six miles and secured all of Caen but at a cost of over 3,500 men and several hundred tanks. 

 

Rain on the first day of GOODWOOD forced the delay of COBRA, until the afternoon of 24 July.  An hour before the COBRA was scheduled to begin, American troops pulled back 1,200 yards west from the Periers-St. Lo road to give a minimal safety margin from the bombardment.  German troops quickly crossed the road and occupied the vacated positions.  After the American air armada was airborne, overcast skies prompted a recall of the bombers.  While most of the American bombers received the recall message, over 300 still dropped their bombs.  Some fell short on American positions killing 25 soldiers and wounding another 131.  The partial bombing caused confusion on the ground among both American and German forces.  Unaware of the recall, some American units advanced and were turned back by heavy German resistance.  German commanders believed that they had repulsed a major American attack and moved part of the German Panzer Lehr Division forward across the Periers-St. Lo road and secured positions in the designated impact area for COBRA.

 

Following the recall of the bombers, COBRA was rescheduled for the morning of 25 July.  The bombs that fell on American troops highlighted opposing views between American ground and air commanders on how the bomber force should approach the impact area.  Ground commanders wanted the bombers to fly parallel to the front line to lessen the likelihood of American casualties, but air commanders argued that the bomber force would be exposed to anti-aircraft fire for a prolonged period.  They instead advocated approaching directly overhead the American positions before releasing their bombs which could potentially drop short as happened on 24 July.  Air commanders won the argument.  COBRA was re-launched on 25 July and the overhead approach again resulted in some bombs falling short killing 111 American troops, including Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, and wounding another 490.  Despite the American casualties, the bombing obliterated many German positions including much of the Panzer Lehr Division.  Most Germans who survived in or adjacent to the impact area were wounded or crazed.  The following American ground attack met numerous German counterattacks, but COBRA succeeded in enabling the needed breakout from the hedgerow country, irrevocably shifting the momentum to Allied ground forces in France.    

Passing of a dear friend 

Jim Mulder

 

Jim Mulder was born in Brooklyn, New York.  After the death of his mother when he was four, Jim lived with his Uncle Wilhelm DeWolf's family in Holland and returned to New York in 1934.  His sister Alice lived in Rotterdam with their grandmother until 1946.  During the war she harvested tulip bulbs for food.  Jim enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 after attending Queens College for two years.  Jim trained as a bombardier/navigator and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.  The Army Air Corps assigned him to the 8th AF, 549th Squadron, 385th Bombardment Group at Great Ashfield, England. 

 

On October 6, 1944 Jim's unit flew a bombing mission to a ball bearing factory outside Berlin.  It would be his twelfth and last mission.  The 385th BG was the last group over the target and the 549th was the last squadron in the group.  Jim's plane Back in the Sack was the last plane in the formation, "tail end Charlie."  All eleven B-17G's from Jim's squadron flying that day were lost.  Of the one hundred crewmen in those aircraft, fifty-five were killed in action, seven were reported missing in action and presumed dead and thirty eight were captured. 

Jim's plane began to spiral after being hit.  He managed to escape the plane after being pinned inside by the G-forces only when the plane broke apart from the pressure.  It threw an unconscious Jim from the plane.  Luckily, he regained consciousness and managed to pull his ripcord and landed safely on the ground after being harassed by German fighters.  Unfortunately, Jim's ordeal was far from over.  He landed in Germany near a group of Hitler Youth who beat Jim with their rifle butts. An older one-armed man came along and stopped the beating.  Jim believes he was a WWI veteran. 

The Germans assigned Jim to Stalag Luft I in Barth along the Baltic Coast.  He lost over fifty pounds during his imprisonment.  On April 30, 1945 the Germans abandoned the camp when the Russians advanced into the area. 

 

Jim returned to New York and married his high school sweetheart, Isabelle.  They returned to college after Jim's discharge from the Army.  Jim worked as a comptroller with Mobil Oil and retired after thirty-seven years.  They have three children and moved to Savannah in 1989.  Jim has been a volunteer at the museum since 1996. 

Miss Sophie's Kitchen: Little tin box holds recipe treasures 

by Teri Bell

miss sophie aka teri bell

I am as happy as a pea in a pod these days! My mother and father have moved to Savannah and there's only seven miles from their front door to mine. In 1978, I packed my Toyota Corolla with all my belongings (yes, they fit) and left my hometown of Hazlehurst to move to the big town of Claxton.

 

I had been promoted to Assistant Manager at the TG&Y store in Claxton and for the first time in my life, I couldn't get to my Mama and Daddy in 10 minutes. Since that move, we have had to travel more than an hour to see each other. While I realize that an hour is much closer than many, I so missed face to face talks on a regular basis.

 

I must confess that I am a bit of a Mama's girl. I used to call Mama when I was sick even after I had three children. I always said she could reach right through the phone and give me a hug and make it all better. As the years flew by, I found myself calling to check on their health rather than lamenting my own health.

 

While their health is still good, the years are creeping up on them and I wanted to get them where I could get to them quickly if I needed to. My mother isn't ready for the rocking chair yet so she is joining the Miss Sophie's team as our bookkeeper. We're going to probably find some work for Daddy, too, just to keep him out of trouble in the big city!

 

Of course moving has been a chore, but we've enjoyed the walk down memory lane. Things like Daddy's pipe stand which has been put away for over 20 years. All the pipes bearing Daddy's teeth marks are still there. It brought back memories of the Florida room covered in wood paneling and the table next to Daddy's chair where the pipe stand rested. As a young girl I liked to sneak in and lift the lid on the center canister to smell the tobacco. I loved the smell of pipe tobacco - but Daddy didn't approve of my smelling it because I kind of didn't close it tightly a few times and his tobacco lost its freshness.

Mama found some more old recipes stuck back on the shelves. She gave me a tin recipe box full of recipes. The box has Ladies Home Journal across the lid and the quote "Never Underestimate the Power of a Great Meal."

 

Being the recipe nerd I am I was just tickled pink! Even though I was exhausted, I came home and sat down to see what treasures were residing in this old tin box. There were handwritten recipes with no instructions, just ingredients. Recipes with titles like "Marguerite's Cake" and "Harriet's New Salad." Most of the recipes are probably from the '50s and '60s, but they are mixed in with some '70s recipes, too. I found a lot of salads using clear gelatin (shiver). I'm not eager to try a mixture of celery, carrots, onions, bell peppers and Le Sueur Peas in a gelatin ring! I am also passing on the "Sweetbread Aspic."

 

The box contains recipes from easy to hard. Some of the cake recipes start with a "box of white cake mix." There are several chicken casserole recipes and easy salad recipes. In the back are recipes clipped from the newspaper. One of the clippings bears a date - May 14, 1970. These were recipes that were tried long before television shows used exotic ingredients and the "chefs" were young wives and mothers, not tattoo laden, in-your-face celebrities. Recipes were taken from papers, magazines and neighbors, not downloaded or viewed on an iPad docked in the kitchen. They are simply recipe treasures in a little tin box.

I picked out a few to share. I share them exactly as they are written on the card.

 

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

Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.

 

PINEAPPLE ANGEL LUSH

1 pkg (4 serving size) Jello Instant Pudding (Vanilla flavor)

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained

10 small strawberries

1 cup thawed Cool Whip topping

1 (10 oz) prepared round angel food cake

Mix dry pudding mix and pineapple with juice in a medium bowl. Gently stir in whipped topping. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place bottom cake layer, cut side up on a serving plate. Spread 1 ½ cup of the pudding mixture onto cake layer; cover with middle cake layer, spread 1 cup of pudding mixture onto middle cake layer, top with remaining cake layer. Spread with remaining pudding mixture. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store in refrigerator. (Note: The recipe didn't say what to do with the 10 strawberries! I imagine they were to decorate the top layer - but use them however you like! )

 

SKIPPY TRUFFLE COOKIES

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In small bowl with wooden spoon, combine all ingredients except chips until blended. Stir in chocolate just until combined. On ungreased baking sheets, using slightly rounded teaspoonfuls drop dough 2 inches apart. (Do not flatten) Bake 9 minutes or until cookies are puffed & golden. Cookies will be soft. On wire rack, place baking sheets and let stand 5 minutes. Remove cookies from sheets and cool completely. (Note: It is not a mistake that flour isn't listed in this recipe. These cookies need no flour.)

 

QUICK BLUEBERRY JAM

1 (11 ½ oz) can frozen white grape juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (colored portion of peel)

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries.

In a large saucepan, combine grape juice concentrate, lemon zest and blueberries; bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently to prevent the berries from sticking or burning, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 1 hour. Pour the jam into hot, clean jars to within ¼ inch of lips. Wipe rims clean, attach lids and screw the caps on tightly. Invert the jars briefly for a quick vacuum seal. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate up to 1 month. (Note: Yes, this works. I have 3 jars In my refrigerator and they're scrumptious!)
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Winged 8
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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