D-Day + 75 Years: A Tribute to the Mighty Eighth
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Cocktail Hour : 6 pm
Dinner Starts: 7 pm
Live and Silent Auction
Live music and entertainment
Click HERE to learn more about purchasing tickets, a table or sponsorship opportunities!
“In the spring of 1944… we were masters in the air. The bitterness of the struggle had thrown a greater strain on the Luftwaffe than it was able to bear… For our air superiority, which by the end of 1944 was to become air supremacy full tribute must be paid to the United States Eighth Air Force.”
– Winston S. Churchill
From humble beginnings in Savannah, Georgia, to becoming the greatest air armada of all time, the Mighty Eighth Air Force significantly influenced the outcome of World War II. By mid-1944, the Eighth Air Force had a total strength of 200,000 men. The Eighth could launch more than 2,000 bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission against Nazi Germany and occupied Europe. Such missions assured Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the 60,000 troops on the beaches of Normandy that the aircraft overhead on June 6, 1944 would be friendly.
Although the world has a profound understanding of the sacrifices made by the Soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, the contribution of the Eighth Air Force to the success of D-Day is often overlooked. The mission of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is to preserve and present the rich, remarkable history of the Eighth Air Force.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The Mighty Eighth Museum is commemorating this history-changing event with a year of special education programs, exhibits and public events. On May 11, 2019, the museum will host its 14th annual gala, D-Day + 75: A Tribute to the Mighty Eighth. As the museum’s primary fundraising event, this gala serves as a meaningful way to support the museum’s core mission and history education programs that annually reach more than 25,000 schoolchildren. More than 300 museum friends will enjoy this memorable evening.