On
the Grounds
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Two
aircraft frame the approach to the Mighty
Eighth Air Force Museum. The first aircraft
was introduced in 1951. The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17A
remained on the frontline of duty with many Warsaw
Pact countries and their client states well into
the 1980s. The MiG-14 went into action in Vietnam
and in many of the African and Middle-Eastern conflicts
of the '60s, '70s and '80s. This Russian-built MiG-17
bears the distinctive insignia and camouflage pattern
of the North Vietnamese Air Force. This aircraft
is owned by the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum.
The second aircraft in the approach
to the museum, the F-4C Phantom, was originally
designed for use onboard Navy aircraft carriers.
In 1962 the Air Force adopted a ground attack version
of the F-4. This aircraft is on loan from the National
Museum of the United States Air Force.
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|  Prelude
to World War II • Battle of Britain
Day of Infamy
 The
Prelude to World War II Exhibit Gallery explores
Adolph Hitler’s use of propaganda to win the
support of the German public, as well as his ambitions
for Europe to be dominated by the Third Reich. In
August 1940, once Hitler conquered Norway, Denmark,
Belgium, the Netherlands and France, he turned his
attention to the United Kingdom.
 This
Battle of Britain Exhibit examines
the plight of Great Britain as it stood alone against
the Nazi war machine in the early days of World War
II. A brief film presentation entitled “Britain
Battles On” runs continuously in the gallery
theater. While Germany was wreaking havoc in Europe
and Africa, its ally Japan escalated its own campaign
of conquest in the Pacific. The Day of Infamy
Exhibit examines the events surrounding the Japanese
surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
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From
Savannah to the UK
  In
the Gallery From Savannah to the UK
visitors glimpse the birth of the Mighty Eighth
in Savannah, GA on January 28, 1942 and its subsequent
transfer overseas to the United Kingdom. Flying
from bases in England, the Mighty Eighth played
a major role in turning the tide of the overseas
air war in the European Theater of Operations. The
arrival of the newly formed United States Eighth
Air Force in England offered the Allies a new weapon
against Hitler’s Reich. These young men endured
severe conditions in un-pressurized aircraft and
fierce enemy resistance to complete their missions.
One
of the Museum’s feature exhibits, the Mission
Experience, enables visitors to attend a
pre-flight briefing in the Quonset hut, receive ground
crew orientation, and then become an observer with
an 8th Air Force flying mission over enemy territory
in the Museum’s immersion theater. Presentations
start every 30 minutes.
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Combat
Gallery
 The
Combat Gallery houses original
aircraft, engines and scale models, as well as a
multitude of exhibits. Inside the gallery is the
Museum’s very own B-17 Flying Fortress, currently
undergoing restoration.
The B-17 and B-24 were the most predominant four
engine bombers used by the 8th Air Force during
World War II. Another authentic aircraft is a Boeing-Stearman
PT KAYDET. The PT-17 was one of the most widely
used training aircraft in the United States. Hanging
above the B-17 and PT-17 are five scale models including,
a P-47 Thunderbolt, a P-51 Mustang, a German ME-109,
a B-24 Liberator and a B-17 Flying Fortress.  The
Combat Gallery features exhibits such as the Navigator
Exhibit, the interactive Gunner Exhibit, the Tuskegee
Airman Exhibit, The Remarkable Story of the Men
& Women of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and the
Second Air Division exhibit including “Fighting
Sam” the actual nose section of a
B-24 Liberator.
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“Mission from Debden” By Wade Meyers
ASAA
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Colonial
Group Inc. Art Gallery
The
Art Gallery displays paintings from the worlds leading aviation artists.
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Memorial
Gardens
The
Memorial Gardens are a quiet testament
to the cherished memory of the veterans. Stone walls
and granite monuments with the names of those who
valiantly served their country line the winding
paths around a dramatic reflecting pool; each having
been designed and funded by veterans and their families.
These memorials are not limited to World War II
and include a Vietnam War Monument and a
Korean War Monument.
 Visitors
have the opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices
made by our veterans as they visit the Chapel of the
Fallen Eagles. This beautiful stone chapel is built
to resemble an English chapel and is meant to give
visitors a place of quiet reflection. Weddings and
Memorials are held in the chapel.
Nearby
is the Garden of Folded Wings Columbarium, which provides
an honored and reverent, yet unique final resting
place for those who recognize and support the importance
of the role of the of the US Armed Forces.
To
emphasize the role of the United States Air Force
during the Cold War years, the Memorial Garden
includes a B-47 Stratojet. This aircraft
was America’s first swept-wing jet bomber. The
B-47 played a vital role in deterring Soviet nuclear
aggression. This aircraft is on loan from the National
Museum of the United States Air Force.
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Downed
Airmen • Escape and Evasion • POW
 An
unfurled parachute representing the airmen who bailed
out over enemy territory; after bailing out or crash
landing his aircraft, would he escape capture and
evade or would he become a POW? The Downed
Airmen Exhibit gallery features an Escape
and Evasion Exhibit and POW Exhibit. The
Escape and Evasion Exhibit is housed
within a helper’s home known as a safe house,
which allowed many downed fliers to escape from
Nazi-occupied countries and return to England. The
POW Exhibit explores daily life
for these fliers, including an examination of their
treatment and living conditions.
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Honoring
the Eighth
In
the Honoring the Eighth Exhibit,
there are collections of artifacts from various World
War II 8th Air Force groups. Rich in stories of heroism
and artifacts, visitors view some of the personal
valuables of the men of the 8th. (This gallery concludes
with a brief film about the 8th Air Force that runs
continuously in the Mighty Eighth Theater.)
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World
War II Cambridge American Military Cemetery &
Memorial
 The
exhibit of World War II Cambridge American
Military Cemetery & Memorial at Madingley,
England is a fitting memorial to all Eighth Air
Force personnel who died between 1942–1945.
 The
8th Air Force alone suffered an estimated 26,000
combat fatalities.
The
Museum’s Roll of Honor holds
names of those who were killed while serving in the
8th Air Force during those years.
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The
Lights Come on Again
 In
the exhibit The Lights Come on Again,
first Germany surrenders unconditionally and then
Japan. World War II has ended. After four years
of blackouts and sacrifice, Americans celebrated
a return to peacetime.
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 The
Jet Age
The
Jet Age provides an insight into the role
of the United States Air Force and especially the
8th Air Force to the present. This exhibit includes
the Commanders of the Eighth Air Force from June
1945 to the present. Artifacts include a McDonnell
ADM-20C “Quail” Aerial Decoy Missile,
a section of a B-52 vertical stabilizer, and a MiG
21 nose section and cockpit.
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Hall
of Valor
 The
Hall of Valor exhibit honors a
number of outstanding individuals who served with
the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Included
are the aces, the Commanders of the Eighth Air Force,
and those awarded the Medal of Honor. Many of these
men paved the way to an end to the war.
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Fly
Girls of World War II
The
Fly Girls of World War II exhibit is devoted
to women in aviation, especially the role of the
Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) during World
War II. This exhibit incorporates original artifacts,
video and audio stations with narrations from oral
history accounts, and photo enlargements.
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Don't
You Know?
On
the second floor of the Museum in the foyer to the
Research Center is an exhibit entitled, "Don’t
you know? There’s A War On! Are You Doing All
You Can? The American Home Front." Here
the focus is on civilian efforts to win the war. Of
special interest is an authentic dog tag machine.
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