27 Apr Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum

I have reached a point in my research where I need to study and delve more extensively. On Friday I spent an incredible day at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah, GA.  Why is the Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah? As explained on their website … “On January 28, 1942, fifty-three days after the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, the 8th Air Force was officially activated in the National Guard Armory on Bull Street in Savannah, Georgia.”  Yes, in Georgia!

Research Center

The Director of the Research Center, Vivian Rogers-Price, helped me find copies of the actual Interrogation Reports for most of Herman’s missions. The original reports had been copied for the museum at the National Archives in Washington, DC by a devoted team of veterans from the 306th bomber group. In addition to the Interrogation reports, I also found some of the flight formation drawings, flak reports, and intelligence narratives. All are now waiting for me to sort and decipher. Thank you, Vivian, for your patience and for the knowledge you shared.

Paul Grassey, WWII B-24 pilot

As I was working at one of the library tables, with books and papers all spread out, I noticed that a gentleman had walked in. He asked to see technical books on the B-17. I heard him explain to Vivian that he was going to be filmed in the B-17 which the museum has just acquired, and since he had flown B-24’s during the war, he wanted to review specific details about the B-17.

Now I was all ears, and I introduced myself.

In a few minutes I learned that not only had Paul Grassey flown B-24’s during World War II, he was one of the veterans that had flown with me on the Roswell Rotary Honor Air trip to Washington DC in May 2008!  An amazing coincidence … he is close friends with the Dad of the Rotarian who spearheaded the trip, and that is why he had gone all the way from Savannah to Roswell GA.  Now Paul travels all over Georgia speaking to groups about his Honor Air experience.

Paul is one of the faithful volunteers who works at the museum to educate visitors about the 8th Air Force, and he escorted me on my own personal tour of “The Mission Experience.” I sat in a Quonset hut for a preflight briefing, followed by a ground crew orientation. Then Paul led me to the Museum’s immersion theater for an unforgettable B-17 combat mission into Germany. The film, with rare original footage, was specially produced for the museum. There were three larger screens and several smaller ones. “Immersion” means you felt like you were there … the flak bursts, the sound effects, the emotions. My throat locked when the bombardier pushed the button, the bomb bay opened, and I heard and felt the blast from the air rushing into the plane.

The magnificent B-17 under restoration

Paul also showed me the B-17 which arrived in January and is now being restored. It was acquired from the Smithsonian storage facility at Dulles airport.

Because I spent most of my day in the Research Center, I know I need to return soon for a complete tour of the museum exhibits. Again, my thanks to Vivian Rogers-Price and to veteran Paul Grassey for a remarkable day.

You can watch a video produced by Georgia Public Broadcasting: “Remembering WW II: A Georgia Traveler Special.”  (Click on “Watch.”)  Veteran Paul Grassey appears near the beginning of the film, and if you see it all you will learn that Georgia has many museums dedicated to preserving the history of World War II.

UPDATE November 5, 2015:  Paul Grassey was featured in the Savannah Morning News for this work at the Mighty Eighth Museum.

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