Georgia World War II Heritage Trail

VE Day
2025-05-08

Salute to Victory at the Mighty 8th
2025-05-08 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Halifax) | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
Thursday, May 8, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force invites the public to join in commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day with Salute to Victory, a special one-day educational celebration honoring the end of World War II in Europe.

From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., visitors of all ages (3 to 103+) can enjoy a day filled with interactive, hands-on activities designed to bring history to life. This engaging event will highlight key moments from the closing chapters of WWII, including Victory in Europe Day, Operation Chowhound and Operation Manna, and the liberation of POW camps.

Event Details:Salute to Victory | Celebrating 80 Years of Victory in Europe DayDate: Thursday, May 8, 2025Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.Location: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air ForceAdmission: $6 per child or adultWWII Veterans and children under 6 are always FREE.Museum Members enjoy FREE admission.

Airbase Georgia Open House
2025-05-10 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-08 12:00 - 16:00 | Commemorative Air Force Airbase Georgia, 1200 Echo Ct, Peachtree City, GA, 30269, United States

Flags for the Fallen
2025-05-23 10:00 - 2025-05-27 17:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force honors and remembers the 26,000 airmen of the Eighth Air Force in World War II who never returned home with Flags for the Fallen: 26,000 Flags | One Mission.
This unique memorial flag garden of remembrance includes a 48-star American flag for each of the 26,000 men lost. The men of the Eighth in WWII served and were buried, under this flag.
The public is invited to experience the garden from May 23rd through Memorial Day, May 26th, 2025.
The mission of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is to preserve and share the stories of the heroes of the Eighth; each of these flags represents a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Camp Toccoa D-Day Run/Walk
2025-06-07 07:00 - 10:00 | Camp Toccoa at Currahee, 2351 Ayersville Road, Toccoa, GA, 30577, United States

Camp Toccoa D-Day Commemorative USO Show
2025-06-07 18:00 - 21:00 | Camp Toccoa at Currahee, 2351 Ayersville Road, Toccoa, GA, 30577, United States

Author Talk at the Mighty 8th
2025-06-21 11:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present Dr. Rebecca Youngblood Vaughn, who will be discussing her father’s story in Crumm’s Crew | B-17 Jack the Ripper. This event will take place on June 21st at 11:00 am at the museum. The event is free to the public, but registration is required. Please register here.
About S/Sgt. Rufus Youngblood
Flew on ‘Jack the Ripper’ with Capt. William J. Crumm’s crew – the first 8th Air Force crew to return to the US to consult with the War Department, participate in a training manual for new recruits, and a bond selling tour in Feb. 1943. He then became a 2nd Lt. Navigator and was dual training as an Engineer-Navigator on B-29s when the war ended. After the war, he joined the Secret Service and became the deputy director (1951-1971). He was present when President Kennedy was shot and flung himself over Vice President Lyndon Johnson to shield him when shots were being fired and received the Treasury Dept.’s Exceptional Service Award for his actions.
About the Presenter
Rebecca Youngblood Vaughn, MD, is the youngest daughter of Rufus and Peggy Youngblood. She is a physician and published author. While researching her parent’s history to write their life stories, Vaughn re-discovered the veritable treasure-trove of mementos from her father’s 20-year tenure as a high-profile Secret Service Agent and created a new edition of his memoir, 20 Years in the Secret Service: My Life With Five Presidents. The mother of two young adults, she lives in Acworth, Georgia, with her husband of 31 years. Vaughn is a speaker who brings her father’s legacy to life by sharing his frontline point-of-view of some of the most pivotal moments in U.S. history.

H+STEM Day at the Mighty Eighth
2025-08-16 10:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
Motor Pool H+STEM Day at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler, Georgia
Touch, Tinker, Learn: From Trucks to TakeoffSaturday, August 16, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Admission: $6 per guest | Members Free
Join us at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force for Motor Pool, a special H+STEM Day where young learners explore how things move—from trucks and planes to gears and engines. This program is designed for children ages 5 to 10 and focuses on simple and complex machines, including the forces of flight and the mechanics of motion.
Activities include:

Hands-on STEM learning stations

Experience a rare, ground-level look inside the historic B-17 Flying Fortress, with interpretation from museum docents

Touch-a-Truck and Touch-a-Plane experiences

STEM sessions led by Southern Company Educator Wayne Grimes (three sessions during the day)

Learn how history and engineering connect through this engaging program that brings the Mighty Eighth’s wartime logistics and aviation history to life.
For more information, visit www.mightyeighth.org or contact us at (912) 748-8888.
175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, Georgia, 31322

Warbird Rides @ Airbase Georgia
2025-09-06 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-13 09:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-27 09:00 - 16:00 | Commemorative Air Force Airbase Georgia, 1200 Echo Ct, Peachtree City, GA, 30269, United States
Ride in the P-51 Mustang, the SBD Dauntless, the LT-6 Mosquito, the T-34 Mentor, or the PT-19 Historic Tuskegee Trainer.

Author Talk at the Mighty 8th
2025-09-10 11:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present author Becky Aikman, who will be discussing her book Spitfires: The American Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger During World War II. This program will take place on September 10th at 11:00 am at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/162b4pq56sefadHE8
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
They were crop dusters and debutantes, college girls and performers in flying circuses-all of them trained as pilots. Because they were women, they were denied the opportunity to fly for their country when the United States entered the Second World War. But Great Britain, desperately fighting for survival, would let anyone-even Americans, even women-transport warplanes. Thus, twenty-five daring young aviators bolted for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to command military aircraft.
In a faraway land, these “spitfires” lived like women decades ahead of their time. Risking their lives in one of the deadliest jobs of the war, they ferried new, barely tested fighters and bombers to air bases and returned shot-up wrecks for repair, never knowing what might go wrong until they were high in the sky. Many ferry pilots died in crashes or made spectacular saves. It was exciting, often terrifying work. The pilots broke new ground off duty as well, shocking their hosts with thoroughly modern behavior.
With cinematic sweep, Becky Aikman follows the stories of nine of the women who served, drawing on unpublished diaries, letters, and records, along with her own interviews, to bring these forgotten heroines fully to life. Spitfires is a vivid, richly detailed account of war, ambition, and a group of remarkable women whose lives were as unconventional as their dreams.
About the Author
Becky Aikman is the author of two books of narrative nonfiction: her memoir, Saturday Night Widows, and Off the Cliff: How the Making of Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood to the Edge. A former journalist at Newsday, Aikman has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and other publications. She lives in New York.

Author Talk at the Mighty Eighth
2025-09-18 11:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present author Clint Smith, who will be discussing his book Images of Georgia: The Georgia Air National Guard. This program will take place on October 8th at 11:00 am at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/yrYpfFFUFUGbfR8P6
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
Released my Arcadia Publishing in their “Images of America” series, the book chronicles the history of the Georgia Air National Guard. The founder of the colony of Georgia, General James Oglethorpe served as the first Georgia Guardsman. He embodied the legend of the Minuteman, a tradition carried forward by the Georgia Army National Guard. In May 1941, the first distinct aviation unit was created at Candler Field in Atlanta – the 128th Observation Squadron. In September 1947, a federal act officially created the Air National Guard.
Its Georgia units in Marietta, Savannah, Warner Robins, and other locations have played a role in major conflicts around the world as well as post 9-11 assignments and security for the 1996 Olympics. “The rich history of the Georgia Air National Guard is a fascinating, entertaining, and inspiring saga,” Clint Smith said. “I appreciate the opportunity to partner with Arcadia Publishing to present the book to the public.”
About the Author
Clint Smith, a retired member of the Georgia Air National Guard, served at State Headquarters at Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia. He had many responsibilities, including command historian. A board member of the Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard, Smith served eight years in the Georgia legislature where he led on military and security issues. The author of two novels, Smith has published columns on public policy and history.

Author Talk at the Mighty 8th
2025-10-08 10:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present author Jay Stout, who will be discussing his book Hell’s Angels | The True Story of the 303rd Bomb Group in World War II. This program will take place on October 8th at 11:00 am at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/6zDPK4zJwHRCpvjo7
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
Although the United States declared war against Germany in December 1941, a successful assault on Nazi-occupied Europe could not happen until Germany’s industrial and military might were crippled. The first target was Luftwaffe, the most powerful and battle-hardened air force in the world. The United States Army Air Forces joined with Great Britain’s already-engaged Royal Air Force to launch a strategic air campaign that ultimately brought the Luftwaffe to its knees. One of the standout units of this campaign was the legendary 303rd Bomb Group Hell’s Angels.
This is the 303rd’s story, as told by the men who made it what it was. Taking their name from their B-17 of the same name, they became one of the most distinguished and important air combat units in history. The dramatic and terrible air battles they fought against Germany ultimately changed the course of the war.
About the Author
Lieutenant Colonel (ret) Jay A. Stout is a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot. An Indiana native and graduate of Purdue University, he was commissioned on June 1, 1981 and was designated a naval aviator on 13 May 1983. His first fleet assignment was to F-4S Phantoms at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. Following a stint as an instructor pilot at NAS Chase Field Texas from 1986 to 1989, he transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. He flew the Hornet from bases on both coasts and ultimately retired from MCAS Miramar during 2001.
Aside from his flying assignments, he served as the executive officer of 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, and in a variety of additional assignments with various staffs around the world. During his twenty-year career he flew more than 4,500 flight hours, including 37 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.
Lieutenant Colonel (ret) Stout has been published in various national journals and newspapers and his work has been read on the floor of the United States Senate. Articles published while he was on active duty addressed controversial topics (women in the military, the MV-22 Osprey, the Super Hornet, the effectiveness of the AV-8B Harrier, etc.). His opinions and viewpoints were often at odds with the service’s senior leadership; nevertheless his cogent arguments, logic and forthrightness earned respect and underscored his credibility. Stout has also written eight books—all published by mainstream publishing houses. Many of them won awards and all have been the subject of positive critical commentary.
Stout is a recognized military subject matter expert. He has appeared on the Fox News Network, Al Jazeera and National Public Radio as well as dozens of regional and local network affiliates.
Following his military career Stout worked for a very short time as an airline pilot before being furloughed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He subsequently flew F/A-18s for the Kuwait Air Force for a year before returning to the States where he now works for as a senior analyst for a leading defense contractor.

Bombardier School at the Mighty 8th
2025-10-14 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-15 10:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
One of the greatest accomplishments of the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II was the rapid training of hundreds of thousands of flying and ground personnel. This fall, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force invites students and history enthusiasts to step into that story through an immersive Bombardier School program led by renowned Norden Bombsight expert Dr. Tim Moore.
Attendees will plot real flight paths using dead reckoning and operate an authentic Norden Bombsight, one of the most important technological innovations of the air war. Dr. Moore will guide participants through the process, offering insights into the mathematics, engineering, and split-second decision-making that defined these critical missions.
Program Schedule
Student Session:

Date: October 14, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Duration: 2 hours
Recommended Grade Level: 9–12
Academic Preparation: A basic understanding of trigonometry and geometry is recommended for full participation.

Adult Sessions:

Dates & Times:

October 14, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.
October 15, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

Duration: 3 hours
Audience: General public (ages 18+)

All sessions feature hands-on learning with original equipment and guided instruction by Dr. Moore.
Registration Information
Seating is limited, and advance registration is required by October 13, 2025.

Cost: $25 Non-Members | $15 Members
Members should email pfyderek@mightyeighth.org with the subject line “Bombardier School” to receive their promo code prior to purchase.

For full details and tickets, visit mightyeighth.org or contact H+STEM Educator, Kristin Singleton, at ksingleton@mightyeighth.org.

Author Talk at the Mighty 8th
2025-10-18 11:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present Jean Allen, who will be discussing her book, on her uncle, William Davis Allen | Beloved Son, Brother, Uncle, 2nd Lt., American Navigator. This program will take place on October 18th at 11:00 am at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/HQXTsF9RNdqmi2m6A
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
In April 1944, fresh out of the Army Air Forces Navigation School, newly commissioned officer, 2nd LT William D. Allen, arrived in the European Theater of Operations, Thurleigh, England. He was assigned to the 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 423rd Bomb Squadron, Eighth Air Force, and suddenly thrust into navigating combat missions over Germany and France. Following the Normandy invasion, U.S. and Allied combat missions continued to help quell the advance of German soldiers and military equipment to France’s northern coast.
The 306th’s mission on 15 June 1944 was fraught with more peril than the airmen could have imagined. Once the 54 Flying Fortress B-17s arrived over France, and dropped bombs on railroad bridges being used by Germans, a barrage of 88 mm anti-aircraft artillery filled the skies, exploding into and around the B-17s, striking more than half the formation. William’s plane was hit badly and the pilot ordered his crew of eight airmen to “BAIL OUT!” The stunned airmen were suddenly parachuting into smokey, noisy, dangerous skies. They watched the rest of the formation continue on the mission as their B-17 hurtled to the ground. They must have been filled with a foreboding sense of dread knowing enemy forces surely had seen their parachutes against the morning sky. Little did they realize, French villagers below would risk their lives trying to help them. What transpired over the next 11 hours was nothing short of shocking and terrifying, starting with one French villager’s deadly betrayal–her traitorous collaboration with Nazis…
The men and women who sacrificed and served during World War II saved the world from fascism

Author Talk at the Mighty 8th
2025-10-22 11:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present Yvonne Caputo, author of Flying with Dad: A Father, a Daughter, and the Hidden Gifts of His Stories from WWII. The book tells the story of her father, Captain Michael Caputo of the 467th Bomb Group. The program will take place on October 22 at 11:00 a.m. at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/UxEB9Kfh6r9zoceKA
Optional Lunch: $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
In Flying With Dad, Yvonne Caputo charts her journey to her father through the re-telling of why he went from repairing planes to being a B-24 navigator in WWII, how heavy German flak led to post-war nightmares, and why he suffered years of guilt after one particular bombing run over Unterschlauersbach, Germany.
Over the years, Yvonne would ask her father questions about this past. She’d listen, pay attention, and found that he was paying attention to her as well.
As she learned to meet him where he was, instead of where she wanted him to be, the result was an intimacy, a deep abiding respect, and a no-regrets final goodbye.
Flying with Dad is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming story of a daughter striving to understand her father and him opening up about the experiences that shapes so many soldiers and can get in the way of the rich relationships they and their children deserve.
About the Author
Yvonne Caputo has been a teacher. She taught in public schools for 18 years. She has also been the Vice President of Human Resources at a retirement community, a corporate trainer and consultant, and a psychotherapist. She has a master’s degree in education and clinical psychology, and she is currently the president of the 467th Bomb Group Association.
Her father, Michael Caputo, was a navigator for that bomb group. When he first told her one story about his experiences during World War II, she asked for more. Her book, Flying with Dad, is a compilation of those stories, and it became the bridge for them to experience a deep and lasting relationship.

Heman Lodinger Memorial Lecture at the Mighty Eighth
2025-10-28 18:30 - 20:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The Herman Lodinger Memorial Lecture is on October 28th at 6:30 pm at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Lee Pollock is an award-winning historian, writer and public speaker on the life of Sir Winston Churchill.
Winston Churchill is an icon of modern history. From his first election to Parliament in 1900 to his retirement as Prime Minister in 1955, he towered over the world stage, influencing almost every significant issue of his time.
The arc of Churchill’s career intersects with the most significant events in the history of the Jewish people: Zionism and the Balfour Declaration, the rise of Hitler and the catastrophe of the Holocaust, followed by the creation of the State of Israel and the lasting divisions that affect the Middle East today.
Churchill’s relationship with the Jewish people helped to define his own remarkable life and career and his decisions dramatically impacted their fate. From his earliest encounter with the Jews of England in the waning years of the Victorian age to the re-making of the Middle East in the aftermath of the Great War and the tragic and turbulent years from 1933 to 1945, Jewish issues and concerns frequently became his own. Yet even though Churchill’s admiration for the Jews and support for Zionism are well known, some contemporary critics nevertheless claim that his deeds fell short of his words at the most critical time in Jewish history.
The program is free and open to the public, however registration is requested: https://forms.gle/WmnAmgtkADh64Lp89
About the Presenter
Lee Pollock was formerly Executive Director and remains a Trustee and Advisor to The International Churchill Society, a member organization with offices in Washington and London. He assumed his Executive Director role in October 2010 after serving as a Member of the Society’s Board of Trustees since 2009. A native of Montreal, Canada, Lee graduated from McGill University in 1971 with Honors in Political Science and Economics and subsequently received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.
Lee has spoken about the life and times of Winston Churchill to audiences throughout the United States, Canada and Britain. Among his subjects have been Winston Churchill: Secrets of Leadership; Franklin and Winston: The Friendship that Saved the World; At Churchill’s Table: Dining and Diplomacy with History’s Greatest Leaders; Churchill and the Jews: Zionism, Holocaust and the Making of the Middle East; and Churchill and the Civil War. Lee and his wife, Jill Gosden, split their time between Chicago, Sun Valley and Palm Beach. They have two adult children.
About the Heman Lodinger Endowment Fund
This lecture is made possible through the Herman Lodinger Endowment Fund, established for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force by a gift from Mr. Lodinger’s daughter and son-in-law, Holly and Paul Mandelkern. Second Lieutenant Herman Lodinger was a lead bombardier on a B-24 heavy bomber assigned to the 389th Bomb Group. His plane was shot down in July 1944, and he was captured by the Germans and held prisoner until his 1945 liberation.

Author Talk at the Mighty 8th
2025-11-12 11:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present author Donald Pattillo, who will be discussing his book Romance in Flight. This program will take place on November 12th at 11:00 am at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/cybVDYYZBA9xDoSo6
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
Donald Pattillo, an accomplished aviation historian, makes his historical fiction debut with the story of a young female journalist, Ellen Hobson. She begins as a newspaper reporter, a field usually not open to women, in her home city of Pittsburgh in 1904. Soon, becoming restless at being limited to covering local news, Ellen gains the opportunity to travel to Dayton, Ohio, in Spring 1905, to report on the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright, who claim to have developed a powered flying machine. She meets the rather reserved brothers and is permitted to witness their flying experiments at Huffman Prairie, a field outside Dayton. Although initially skeptical, Ellen comes to believe in the Wright brothers’ work and publishes well-received articles about them and their flyer. She continues her reports over the next four years as the brothers pursue recognition and success, leading them to Washington, Kitty Hawk, and then to Europe. Their path is far from smooth however, as they deal with political difficulties as well as legal challenges to their invention. Ellen’s involvement with the Wright brothers changes her life in a way she would never have anticipated, including professional recognition, travel, and, unexpectedly, love. Prepare for this compelling story of self-discovery, romance, hope, and ultimately, heartbreak, at the dawn of aviation. Donald Pattillo’s novel, A Romance of Flight artfully combines credible fictional characters with a detailed factual portrait of the Wright brothers, their family, and their legacy as inventors of the flying machine.
About the Author
Donald Pattillo has been a historian of the American aircraft industry for more than twenty-five years. He served in the United States Air Force in the 1960s. He holds a PhD. in business from Georgia State University, and taught finance and international business in a twenty-year academic career. In the 1990s he turned to his first love, aviation, and researched and published two histories of the American aircraft industry, Pushing the Envelope, published by the University of Michigan Press, and A History in the Making, 80 Turbulent Years in the American General Aviation Industry, published by the McGraw-Hill Book Company. Later, he published articles on the history of the aircraft industry and of commercial airlines in the Scribner’s Dictionary of American History, 2003. In 2015 he published The Nonexistent Threat, an extensively researched account of the Cold War Soviet nuclear bombing threat to North America, in the AAHS Journal. A revised and updated Second Edition of the general aviation industry, entitled The General Aviation Industry in America, was published by McFarland and Company, 2020.
With completion of the historical works, Dr. Pattillo turned toward a novel involving the Wright brothers. Long fascinated by their lives, he developed a historical romance blending their actual lives and accomplishments with an imagined romance. The result is A Romance of Flight, published in 2021 by Mountain Arbor Press.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day at the Mighty 8th
2025-12-07 14:00 - 15:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is proud to host a special event on December 7th at 2 pm to commemorate Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Sponsored by the Navy League of Savannah, this event will feature keynote speaker Captain Leonard Jones, along with readings, music, and a special tribute to Pearl Harbor survivors and WWII veterans.
We invite you to join us for this special occasion with a Two-Bell Ceremony and presentation of a flower wreath to honor those who fought valiantly for our country. This program is free and open to the public. Let us come together to pay our respects and show our gratitude to the brave men and women who served our country during WWII.

Documentary Film Screening at the Mighty 8th
2025-12-11 10:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present a documentary screening of the Kriegie Kids: On our Father’s Trail with three of the participants for a Q & A to follow. This program will take place on December 11th at 10:00 am at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/kcNxFX5KKgqHdnLY6
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Film
The film follows five strangers, brought together almost eighty years after the end of World War II, to follow the paths their fathers endured as German prisoners of war. They call themselves “Kriegie Kids,” children of US airmen who were shot down and taken as prisoners of war by German forces. The Kriegie Kids follow their fathers’ trail through Germany and Poland, learning about their fathers’ closely guarded secrets. Their search for the truth honors the collective experience of the airmen who fought in the deadly skies over Nazi Germany and acknowledges the impact such events have had on subsequent generations.
All the Kriegie Kids are sons or daughters of airmen who were imprisoned at Stalag Luft IV, a POW camp for non-commissioned Air Force officers located near the Baltic Sea in what was Pomerania (now Poland). Part of their quest was to follow the path of the brutal forced march from that camp, often referred to as the Death March or the Black March, which lasted as long as 86 days and covered 600 miles. The conditions were horrendous. The prisoners marched on and on, day after day, carrying all their belongings on their backs. Many developed severe frostbite. They had very little food and lost a massive amount of weight. At night, they were locked in drafty barns, packed tight, side-by-side. Some nights were spent outside in freezing temperatures. There was no ability for the men to keep themselves clean. All became infested with lice and fleas. No clean water was provided. Almost all developed dysentery. The story of this march chronicles the sufferings of a patriotic and heroic group of young men who sacrificed for both American and European freedom.

84th Anniversary of the Eighth Air Force
2026-01-28 10:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is excited to invite you to the museum in Pooler on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, to celebrate the 84th anniversary of the creation of the Eighth Air Force.
On January 28, 1942, the charter for the Eighth Air Force was created in a former National Guard Armory in Savannah, Georgia. The Eighth Air Force played a crucial role in the Allied victory during World War II and continues to serve as a vital part of our nation’s defense.
To honor this historic occasion, we are offering discounted admission for only $8. This is a great opportunity to explore the exhibits and learn more about the history of the Eighth Air Force. We hope to see you!

H+STEM Day: Space & the Eighth
2026-01-31 10:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
H+STEM Family Day | Space and the Eighth
Saturday, January 31, 2026 | 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Chatham County, GA – Blast off into discovery at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force during H+STEM Day, taking place Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This special event launches the museum’s first H+STEM Day of the year and is part of the museum’s 30th anniversary programming, celebrating three decades of education, innovation, and inspiration.
Designed for curious minds of all ages, H+STEM Day features engaging, hands-on activities and interactive exhibits that explore space science, aviation history, and the legacy of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. From problem-solving challenges to immersive learning stations, visitors will discover how history, science, technology, engineering, and math intersect in exciting and unexpected ways.
This event is proudly sponsored by the Cynthia Lake Charitable Trust, whose support helps make impactful educational programming possible for families and learners throughout the region.
Admission is $6 per child or adult, with free admission for museum members. Children under six are always free. Advance registration is strongly encouraged to ensure availability. Guests typically spend about two hours exploring the museum, with plenty of hands-on experiences to make the visit both educational and fun.
Celebrate the museum’s 30th anniversary by reaching for the stars and experiencing a day of learning that honors the past while inspiring the future. No refunds are available.
Register at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXr18J3YQGP-g6BR-eRgM4gt7NGNdS3iHfOw5SnKBOg7ZpnA/viewform

Author Talk with Annette Laing
2026-02-07 11:00 - 12:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force‘s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present author Annette Laing, who will be discussing Oversexed, Overpaid, and Over Here? Britain hosts American servicemen during WWII. This program will take place on February 7th at 11:00 am at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/s19USwAuTkr3m8eG9
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
Cold, damp, gloom, bad food, and a language that defied all understanding: That’s what greeted US servicepeople who landed in England in World War II. But then there were the friendly pubs, and the locals who thought all Americans were straight outta Hollywood.
Join historian Dr. Annette Laing (Non-Boring History), to find out how “Yanks” got along with “Limeys” (and each other) on a crowded little island in the middle of a world war, and the headaches their encounters gave the Brits and Americans in charge, all the way up to Eisenhower.
About the Speaker
Annette Laing (PhD) is not your usual historian: She quit her tenured university job in 2008 to write time-travel novels (Snipesville), and to present college lectures disguised as entertainment to audiences of all ages. Annette is author of Non-Boring History, the bestselling chatty Substack newsletter aimed at adults who don’t think they like history . . . and those who love it, too.

Author Talk | Shot Down! with Steve Snyder
2026-02-07 13:00 - 14:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force‘s monthly Author Talk series is proud to present author Steve Snyder, who will be discussing Shot Down! This program will take place on February 7th at 1:00 pm at the museum.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/8veZzbnPvss9C62XA
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch prior to the talk at noon.
$10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
About the Book
Winner of 20 national book awards, Shot Down! is set within the framework of World War II in Europe and recounts the dramatic experiences of each member of a ten man B-17 bomber crew after their plane, piloted by the author’s father, was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgian border on February 8,1944.
Some men died. Some were captured and became prisoners of war. Some men evaded capture and were missing in action for months before making it back to England. Their individual stories and those of the courageous Belgian people who risked their lives to help them are all different and are all remarkable.
Even before the dramatic battle in the air and the subsequent harrowing events on the ground, the story is informative, insightful, and captivating. Prior to the fateful event, the book covers the crew’s training, their journey to England, what life was like on base as well as in London and the English countryside, and the perils of flying combat missions over occupied Europe and Germany.
Through personal letters, oral and written accounts, declassified military documents, and interviews – all from people who took part in the events that happened over 70 years ago (even the German Luftwaffe pilot who shot down the Susan Ruth) – the stories come alive. Adding to the feeling of “being there”, are more than 200 period photographs interspersed throughout the book.
To add background and context, many historical facts and anecdotes about and surrounding World War II are entwined throughout the book so that the reader has a feel for and understanding of what was occurring on a broader scale. SHOT DOWN is an account about brave individuals, featuring pilot Howard Snyder, set within the compelling events of the greatest conflict in world history.
About the Speaker
A graduate of UCLA, Steve Snyder lives in Seal Beach, California. In 2009, he retired from Vision Service Plan (VSP) after a 36-year career working in sales and sales management. He then began his quest to learn more about the World War II experiences of his father, pilot Howard Snyder, and the crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth. It became his passion, and after 4 ½ years of dedicated research, resulted in his book, SHOT DOWN, which has received 25 book awards. Steve is president of the 306th Bomb Group Historical Association and on the board of directors of the 8th Air Force Historical Society. He keeps very busy making PowerPoint presentations to all types of organizations and attending air shows around the country signing copies of his book.

Super Museum Sunday at the Mighty Eighth
2026-02-08 12:00 - 17:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
Explore history, arts, and cultural sites in communities throughout Georgia as over 100 museums and historic sites across the state open to the public for free during this popular annual event organized as part of the annual Georgia History Festival.
Don’t miss out on Super Museum Sunday! Admission is free all day on Sunday, February 8th, 2026 from 12 pm – 5 pm. Take advantage of this opportunity and plan a visit to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.
This museum is a must-see, with its fascinating and rich history. Don’t wait any longer and come experience the wonder of this incredible institution.

Maintaining Morale: Creativity in Captivity
2026-02-24 08:00 - 17:00 | Andersonville National Historic Site, 760 POW Road, Andersonville, 31711, United States
Maintaining Morale: Creativity in CaptivitySeptember 1211:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.National Prisoner of War Museum
While fighting for their lives, prisoners of war often faced privation and long periods of boredom. In response, many found creative ways to maintain their morale and support their fellow captives.
This theater presentation will explore the resourcefulness, resilience, and community that helped prisoners endure captivity.
Join us at 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m. inside the National POW Museum.

Mighty Talks | The Snort Shorter Project
2026-02-25 11:00 - 13:00 | National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, GA, 31322, United States
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force will host The Short Snorter Project, a traveling exhibit showcasing rare and historic World War II artifacts, on Tuesday, February 24, and Wednesday, February 25, 2026, with a presentation by The Short Snorter Project founder, Tom Sparks at 11 am.
The program is free to the public, but please register at https://forms.gle/NsYsMTHjgHECUzi18
Optional Lunch: Join us for an optional lunch afterwards. $10/12 cash/credit for members or $15/17cash/credit for non-members.
On display will be an extraordinary collection of short snorters—paper currency taped together and signed by service members and leaders as mementos of shared experiences—many bearing the signatures of some of the most influential figures of the Second World War.
Among the highlights is the short snorter of Major General Clayton Lawrence Bissell, USAAF. Measuring approximately 64 feet long, the Bissell short snorter is composed of 140 WWII-era banknotes and features at least 375 signatures from Allied admirals, generals, field marshals, air marshals, presidents, prime ministers, ambassadors, and ministers.
Also featured is the short snorter belonging to Sgt. Mickey McKeogh, the personal orderly to General Dwight D. Eisenhower throughout the duration of World War II. This artifact is signed by many of the high-ranking dignitaries Eisenhower encountered during the war, offering a tangible connection to the Allied command structure.
As part of the exhibit, Tom Sparks, founder of the educational nonprofit Short Snorter Project, will present a special program on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. as part of the museum’s Mighty Talks series. Formerly known as Author Talks, the rebranded Mighty Talks program expands the speaker lineup to include historians, subject-matter experts, and storytellers whose work extends beyond published books.
About the Speaker
Tom Sparks is the founder of the Short Snorter Project, an educational nonprofit dedicated to preserving short snorters and interpreting the stories behind them. Through research, exhibitions, and public programs, Sparks brings visibility to this unique wartime tradition and its role in documenting personal connections among service members and world leaders during World War II. Sparks will be present at the exhibition both days and available to answer questions from museum guests.
