A Road Trip to the 8th Air Force Museum!

[B-Man2]

If you happen to be traveling north or south on Interstate 95 near Savannah Georgia , you will pass the exit for Pooler Georgia. Now if you have some free time and are looking for an enjoyable way to spend it, get off on that exit and follow the signs to the 8th Air Force Museum. Those signs will lead you to this sign .

A quick turn will take you right to the Museum and a very enjoyable couple of hours doing what we do best, looking at jackets. Not just any jackets but WWII flight jackets and the stories of those who wore them. That’s exactly what Tim ( you guys know him as “Young Medic”) and I did today. Needless to say we had a great time .
As you enter the front doors you walk into a huge entry that is impressive, but then the entire museum is impressive. Here’s Tim …. taking in some of that impressiveness.

Once you pay your $12.00 entry fee the place gets even more impressive. Now they say a picture is worth a thousand words , so I’m going to shut up now and post a few pictures and then pass it off to Tim for his comments. If I find any additional photos when Tim is finished I’ll come back and post those . So here we go!
Enjoy

 

[B-Man2]

 

[B-Man2]

 

[B-Man2]

 

[B-Man2]

 

[B-Man2]

 

[B-Man2]

One of the highlights of the trip was the Chapel where every window was a stained glass window that was just beautifully made . Weddings and Celebrations of life are held there and there’s a mausoleum out back that has the remains of a number of 8th Air Force veterans. Ok so I’ve posted enough about the trip let’s see what Tim thought about it .

 

[mulceber]

Man, I gotta get there some day... Looks like you guys had a blast!

 

[YoungMedic]

One of the things I enjoyed most about the museum is their impetus to make it about the people involved in the conflict. The men , women and children of Europe, and the men and women of the 8th that answered the call. It wasn’t just a collection of artifacts but also stories that made the human connection very tangible.

 

[YoungMedic]

Here’s a look through the top turret

and here is B-Man Hilts walking out to the flight line

Really a terrific experience and to share it with such a great steward as B-Man is a treat in and of itself . Cheers Burt!

 

[Tattoo A2]

Thanks for sharing, guys, looks like a great place to visit. Love the artwork on some of those flight jackets. The weather looks alot nicer than the foot and a half of snow we just got in the Catskills.

 

[B-Man2]

If anyone would like to see more of the 8th Air Force Museum, you can click on the link below :

 

[Micawber]

Brilliant, thanks for sharing chaps.
Some of your photos brought back very fond memories of a bomb group memorial association reunion held over a week in Savannah that my wife, months old baby son and I attended about a year or so after the Mighty Eighth Museum opened. I was representing a museum organisation over here in the UK and unlike today the vast majority of attendees were veterans, wives and some immediate families.
We had at least one very full day at the Mighty Eighth Museum. To be among scores of vets from the bomb group our own museum represented while they explored the then new museum was a tremendous experience. So many wanted to share memories of experiences and events, while their wives made a fuss of our baby son. The passage of time means that experience would be impossible now but it remains seared into memory. A privilege and an honour we will never forget.
This thread has revived many memories of the friends we made all those years ago, friends who are no longer with us.
Thank you.

Edited to add an apology for rambling on about my own experiences there. That museum is a great place and well worth a visit.

 

[Thomas Koehle]

THX for sharing those pics ... - some interesting and pretty unique specimens on display

 

[Brettafett]

Fantastic!

 

[MikeyB-17]

Cor stripe me pink! That looks like a hell of a day out! That’s going on the bucket list! ‘Course what they’re missing is the bucketing rain, fog and cold of the UK! Fine set of photos boys, thanks for sharing them.

 

[Dany McDonald]

Very nice and some interesting display for sure. Thanks for sharing.

D

 

[Silver Surfer]

Wowza. On the bucket list……and, man, how about those stained glass windows. Not many peeps do stained glass work, and less who can do it as well as the ones in the chapel. Thanx bruddas for doing this posting.

 

[DJS48]

B Man and YoungMedic,
Wonderful and excellent photo essay. Well done!
Don

 

[Erwin]

Amazing trip, thanks a lot for sharing B-Man2!