The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

Today we visited the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, GA.  We have seen the sign many times as we drove past on I-95, but we never stopped.  It was one of the places we wanted to stop on this trip.  We are so happy we did.  We thought it was a small museum, but it took us over 3 hours to go through the museum.  They say it is "One of the World's Most Powerful Museum Experiences" and they are right.  Major General Lewis Lyle, retired B-17 veteran with 70 combat missions during WWII and other veterans began planning a museum in 1983.  They wanted a museum to honor the men and women who helped defeat Nazi aggression by serving in or supporting the greatest air armada the world had ever seen-the 8th Air Force. On May 14, 1996 the museum opened.
The Eighth Bomber Command was activated on 28 January 1942, at Hunter Field in Savannah, Georgia. BG Ira C. Eaker took the headquarters to England the next month to prepare for bombing missions against Nazi occupied Europe.  The 8th AF became the greatest air armada in history.   By mid-1944, the 8th AF had reached a  total strength of more than 200,000 people.  It is estimated that more than 350,000 Americans served in 8th AF during the war in Europe.  At its peak, the 8th AF could dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission.  For these reasons the 8th AF became known as the "Mighty Eighth."  
The Museum exhibits begin with the Battle of Britain showing the plight of Great Britain as it stood alone against the Nazi in the early days of World War II. Day of Infamy outlines the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America's response.  It moves to the birth of the Mighty Eighth and its beginning in Savannah and the United Kingdom.  In the Combat Gallery there is a B-17 being restored,  engines, scale models and many other exhibits.  There is a replica of a "Safe House," a P.O.W, exhibit, and collection of artifacts from various WWII Eighth Air Force groups.  Outside is a Memorial Garden, Chapel of Fallen Eagles and a B-47.  On our tours in England we visited many of the 8th AF airfields in East Anglia.  We lived in the town of Leiston where one of the P-51 airfields was located.  Most are farm fields again, but some have small museums in old control towers or other buildings.

 Battle of Britain exhibit

 The birth of the Mighty Eighth from Savannah to the UK

 The B-17 that is being restored

 The B-17 

 Nose section of a B-24

 Ray in front of a British Phone Box

The Reflecting Pool in the Memorial Garden

 One of the many personalized plaques on the Wall of Valor

 One of the several Walls of Valor around the gardens

Another example of the plaques around the gardens

B-47  

The Chapel of Fallen Eagles

 Inside the Chapel.  The walls are lined with beautiful stained glass windows

 

 

 

 

Just some of the stained glass windows

In front of the museum.  Notice Cracker Barrel behind the flags.
That was our next stop!