The 2015 International Aerospace Art Exhibition is being shown in the Colonial Group, Inc. Art Gallery of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. This juried exhibition is presented by the American Society of Aviation Artists, a non-profit organization founded in 1986. ASAA brings together individuals who share a love of art and aviation in an organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and public appreciation of Aerospace Art. Their 2015 exhibit features artwork by 32 artists including Keith Ferris who together with Jo Kotula, Robert McCall, R.G. Smith and Ren Wicks founded this organization. The International Aerospace Art Exhibition can be seen now thru August 28, 2015.

By Dr. Vivian Rogers-Price

The histories of Hunter Army Air Field and the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force are intertwined.   On 7 December 1941 Hunter Field had 308 officers and 3006 enlisted men.  In the official wartime history of Hunter Field, the 28 January 1942 activation of the Eighth Air Force was recorded as the Outstanding Event for 1942.  Eighth Headquarters were located in Savannah at the National Guard Armory, Bull Street and Park Avenue, while the various units assigned to the 8th Air Force constituted the better part of all organizations at Hunter Field.  As a result, all training and other activities on the base pointed towards the preparation of the Eighth for combat service.  During its stay for approximately three months an intensive training program was carried out and with its departure there was a noticeable letdown in activity. 

The 1940 decision to christen this base in honor of Frank O'Driscoll Hunter, Georgia's only World War I flying ace, who at that time was a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Air Corps proved prophetic for the Eighth Air Force.  In April 1942 Hunter was promoted to Brigadier General and in May joined the Eighth Air Force as Commanding General, Eighth Fighter Command.  He held this command until August 1943 when he was named Commanding General of the First Air Force and in November 1943 was promoted to Major General.    

During the period from October 1940 to February 1943 Hunter Field served as a training base for bombardment groups and indeed some 80 different units trained there.  At its peak in July and August 1942 nearly 10,000 personnel were stationed at Hunter.  Thereafter Hunter Field served as a staging area moving personnel and equipment overseas to combat.  Thus from March 1943 to V-E Day 70,000 individual combat crew members flew over 9,000 aircraft overseas to combat.  Many of these crews and aircraft joined the Mighty Eighth in England to carry out a strategic bombing campaign to end Germany's ability to wage war.  One B-17 is particularly famous having been paid for by the citizens of Savannah though war bond purchases.  This B-17, City of Savannah, was the 5000th plane processed through Hunter Field in 1944 and is commemorated by this museum's B-17 restored as the City of Savannah.  As these 70,000 combat crew members processed out of Hunter Field to fly off to combat, they walked over a 1938 terrazzo floor designed as a compass rose by WPA Artisans.  This terrazzo floor has been moved and is undergoing restoration.  Visitors may see it near this Museum's Chapel of the Fallen Eagles.  

Restoration of 1938 Terrazzo Floor
 

by Teri Bell 

Now that they live in the "big city" of Savannah, my parents are going to miss their neighbors and friends dropping off fresh vegetables at their door steps.

When you live in a small town and own a funeral home, everybody knows you. And when you bury one of their loved ones, you become something like family to them, and they share their crops with their families.

My parents were good at what God called them to do and their compassion for grieving families made people want to do something for them in return. Baxley wasn't a rich town in the sense of high dollar jobs, but its soil was rich and the bounty of the ground was shared lovingly with them. People would just stop by the funeral home and leave some fresh corn, squash, beans, onions or whatever they had plenty of just as a thank you for helping them out in such a vulnerable time.

I guess that's one of the reasons I love summer vegetables. There's nothing like a slice of vine ripe tomato and a sweet Vidalia onion with some peas and stewed squash. If I were having my final meal, that's probably what I would ask for. I know we can get these things year-round now, but there is a big difference in taste in the vegetables harvested a few miles down the road and the ones that have been shipped in from who knows where. Our dirt just makes them taste better.

While we've still got a few more weeks before the peas and beans mature, summer squash - or yellow squash - are beginning to show up at some markets. The early ones are usually the best; tender and sweet. Squash is one of the vegetables that you want to buy a lot of smaller ones instead of one large one. The large squash has usually been left on the vine too long and will be tough and devoid of flavor. So now is the time to grab some up and begin enjoying the first fruits of summer. Here are my favorite recipes, including Miss Sophie's now famous squash casserole. It is one of most requested recipes and was always a best seller especially in the summer months - and it's so easy to make!

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

Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.

Miss Sophie's Squash Casserole

1 ½ lbs of yellow summer squash, sliced

1 sweet onion, diced

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 stick of butter, melted

½ cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup crushed saltines

Grated cheddar for top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish with spray or butter.

2. Place onion and squash into a large saucepan, cover with water, add salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until squash are tender, approximately 30-40 minutes.

3. Drain squash well and pour into a large bowl.

4. Stir melted butter, milk and cheddar cheese into squash, mixing well.

5. Add eggs and saltines and stir.

6. Pour into greased casserole dish and cover the top with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and the center is hot and bubbly.

Serves 4-6

Squash & Onion Packets

4 sheets (approximately 12X12) aluminum foil.

2 small yellow squash (8-9 inches long)

½ Vidalia onion, sliced

2 tablespoons Butter

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Spray foil sheets lightly with cooking spray.

2. Cut squash in half lengthwise and lay each half on a foil sheet, top with Vidalia onion slices.

3. Cut butter into small pats, distribute between the four packets. Salt & pepper to taste.

4. Bring up sides of foil over the squash and fold down. Double fold both ends of foil to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place the 4 packets on baking sheet without letting the foil packets touch the side of the pan.

5. Bake 15-20 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and, using a knife, make a small slit in foil to release the steam. Open packet and transfer to plate, drizzling the melted butter and juices over the squash.

Note: If you have a large squash, cut it into slices instead of in half.