March 18, 2021
Museum Friends:
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force (Museum), I am pleased to announce that the Museum and the 100th Bomb Group Foundation (100th BGF) have entered into an agreement that will enable the 100th BGF to update and expand its current Museum exhibit. By no means happenstance, this partnership is evidence of the Mighty Eighth Museum’s strategic direction and commitment to engage with Eighth Air Force heritage associations worldwide to ensure the preservation of history.
As you are aware, as with several other 8th Air Force Bomb and Fighter groups, the 100th BGF has maintained an exhibit at the Museum since it opened twenty-five years ago this May. The updated and expanded 100th BGF exhibit will be located in the Museum’s combat gallery that houses the painstakingly restored and iconic B-17, “The City of Savannah”.
The Museum and the 100th BGF will work collaboratively to preserve for humanity the stories of courage, character, duty, sacrifice and honor displayed by the men and women of the U.S. Eighth Air Force from World War II to the present. The 100th Bomb Group’s unit history will be presented at the Museum to highlight its story within the larger context of the history of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and the Museum’s mission.
The 100th BGF has engaged the Hettema Group, whose immersive and interactive work is recognized worldwide. This exhibit design firm has updated, created and completed several museum projects both domestically and internationally. The firm’s work has received numerous awards and recognition for designing innovative and highly experiential presentations to create a new level of engaging museum experiences. Their work can be found in institutions such as the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, The Russian Jewish Museum in Moscow, The Newport Maritime Museum, Newport, CA and the National World War II Museum at New Orleans.
In addition to upgrading and expanding its exhibit at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, the 100th BGF’s collection of artifacts, uniforms, documents and other materials related to the 100th Bomb Group will be housed within the museum’s professionally managed and secure archives. The 100th BGF collection will be available on loan to complement the Museum’s current permanent collection of over 12,000 8th Air Force artifacts; 92,000 photographs; 1,100 oral histories; and 10,000 published works.
Again, please know that information on this development will be communicated to you regularly. The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force looks forward to working with all Eighth heritage associations on the common goal of preserving Eighth Air Force history.
Sincerely,
Scott Loehr
President & CEO
