Two docents from the National Museum of The Mighty Eighth Air Force in Savannah, Ga., will be at the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing Warbird Museum at 11 a.m. Dec. 8 to tell the history of the “Mighty Eighth” and its role in disrupting the German war effort in World War II. The Eighth Air Force heavy bombers and fighters played a key role and contributed substantially to the Allied victory in 1945, and the docents will include a presentation of the B-17 technical highlights.
Dr. Charles Sitrin and John Fog will be guest presenters for the final 2018 program of the Dixie Wing’s Living Aviation History series at the Warbird Museum Hangar, 1200 Echo Ct., Peachtree City, Ga. Admission is $10 for the general public; veterans and active military members are admitted free. The Wing headquarters and museum will open at 9 a.m. For more information, or to schedule rides on Wing aircraft, visit www.dixiewing.org.
The Eighth Air Force was organized in Savannah on Jan. 28, 1942. The largest force of its kind at the time, the “Mighty Eighth” was composed of 48 bomber groups, 21fighter groups and three photo reconnaissance groups. The Eighth’s headquarters, as part of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), moved to England in 1942 and remained there until the war’s end. The Eighth Air Force mission was the heavy bombardment of strategic and military targets in Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany.
The CAF Dixie Wing, based in Peachtree City, Ga., was founded in 1987. The Wing, one of the largest units of the Commemorative Air Force, maintains and flies seven WWII aircraft including a P-51 Mustang, an FG-1D Corsair and rare types such as the SBD Dauntless dive bomber and P-63A Kingcobra. The Dixie Wing organizes WWII Heritage Days each year. The unit, composed of 300 volunteers, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that relies on contributions of time and funds to carry out the mission of the CAF. For more information, go to www.dixiewing.org.
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