National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force: The Highlights of Our Visit

In honor of National Aviation Week, I want to share a few highlights of our recent visit to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. The museum is located on twelve acres in Pooler, Georgia, just a few miles from Savannah, where the Mighty Eighth first took off in 1942.

“The museum features over 90,000 square feet of exhibits, interactive experiences, artifacts, and a collection of aviation art to engage you in the history of our nation’s most storied air force, the Mighty Eighth.”  

In February 2024, they announced the beginning of a 20,000-foot expansion project. I look forward to checking that out when it’s completed.

A Little History About the Mighty Eighth

Over the course of the war, the Eighth Air Force became the largest air armada in the world, capable of sending more than 2,000 heavy bombers and over 1,000 fighter planes on a single mission. In less than three years, the Eighth accomplished its two-fold mission: 1) destroy the German Luftwaffe; and 2) cripple Nazi Germany’s war making capabilities. By doing so, the Mighty Eighth gave the allies air supremacy, paved the way for the D-Day invasion, and contributed significantly to the liberation of occupied Europe. By May 1945, the Eighth had flown more than 600,000 sorties and dropped over 670,000 tons of bombs.

– National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force (n.d.). Brief History of the Eighth Air Force. Mighty Eighth. https://www.mightyeighth.org/brief-history-of-the-eighth-air-force/

The Grand Entrance

Once you set foot inside the front door to the Mighty Eighth, you know you’re about to embark on something grand. We received a warm welcome inside a large rotunda. The ceiling was covered with an elegant parachute—a fitting tribute to those who served. And also to those who wore wedding dresses made from their fiances’ parachutes!

To the right of the rotunda is the gift shop. Above it is an open area used for workshops. They were hosting a camp for students on the day of our visit.

Open staircases are on the right and the left. To the left of the rotunda, the stairs lead to a research library and offices. Also, to the left is a fantabulous restaurant called Miss Sophies. They offer salads, specialty sandwiches, and an assortment of “Southern Comfort Food.”  Let me just say that my husband and I were extremely comforted by the southern fried chicken, country-fried steak, macaroni, green beans, and sweet potato crunch. I’m so glad I did not pack us a picnic lunch that day!

Various statues, flags, and plaques are in the middle of the rotunda. I especially enjoyed learning more about two of my favorite WWII “Jimmys”: Major General Jimmy Dolittle and Brig. General Jimmy Stewart.

The entrance to the rest of the museum adventure begins at the back of the rotunda.

Learning About the Early Years of War

It was a quiet, somber experience walking through the area introducing the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime. There’s a good overview of the early years of WWII and America’s entry after Pearl Harbor. There are a few artifacts, such as uniforms and a Nazi banner. There are a few short video clips. But most of this area contains enlarged copies of photographs. Some photos depict baffling scenes—such as the one of a milkman delivering milk amid bombed buildings.

I appreciate those who served as photographers and journalists during the war. They captured moments many of us could not have imagined.

Getting Debriefed and Flying a Mission

After the introduction to the war, visitors are invited to enter the half-circular Nissen hut. It’s staged as a debriefing area. A docent shares interesting and educational information here before the group moves on to a three-screen multi-media theater.

In this theater, visitors experience a virtual reality flying experience over Germany. This is an excellent learning experience.

However, I want to give you a heads-up that I’ve not seen posted anywhere else. Visitors have no warning about the flashing lights and the intensity of this experience. These things can cause health issues in some people. Flashing lights trigger migraines for me, so after the first two bright flashes, I had to close my eyes and just listen to the audio and feel the special effects.

The theater event offers a better understanding of what it was like to fly a bombing mission. As you watch the film, the staging makes you feel like you’re on the plane preparing to jump. During the “flight,” you hear different people talking, sometimes shouting from multiple directions—in front of you, behind you—and often simultaneously. Adding to the chaos is the darkness of flying at night, lightning flashes, and a cold wind (which you feel when fans are turned on) bursting through the plane’s open door. It’s a multi-sensory, eye-opening (or eye-shutting) experience not to be missed.

Viewing the Planes

If you have plane enthusiasts in your family, they’ll love the planes on display at the Mighty Eighth. There’s a Combat Gallery where you’ll find artifacts, engines, and several planes. Some are slightly scaled versions, but there’s one impressive full-size B-17!

Navy pilot and writer Tony Bruno shared an interesting tidbit about the “City of Savannah”:

The B-17 is named “City of Savannah” to honor the crew of the 5,000th B-17 that was processed through Hunter Field. As was common at the time, a fund-raising drive was held and the citizens of Savannah raised enough money to pay for the plane and the crew training. “City of Savannah” was then sent to England where it flew 44 combat missions. That B-17 survived combat but, unfortunately, not the post-war wrecking ball.

The B-17, serial number 44-83814, that represents the original “City of Savannah” has an interesting history of its own. Completed just as the war ended, it was immediately put into storage. After several years, it was flown to North Dakota where it became a war memorial in front of a high school. In 1951 it continued northward to Canada, becoming an aerial mapping plane. After 20 years at that endeavor, it was converted to a fire bomber. In 1984 it was acquired by the Smithsonian in a trade for two P-2V Neptunes. After a ten-year search for its own B-17, The Mighty Eighth AF Museum acquired it in 2009.     

Bruno, Tony. “Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Savannah GA.” Aviation History Museums, 1 Dec. 2020, aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/12/13/museum-of-the-mighty-eighth-air-force-pooler-ga.

Visitors can also view post-war planes outside the museum, including an F-4 Phantom and a MIG-17A.

Also located outside the main museum building are two more areas you’ll not want to miss. The thoughtfully landscaped Memorial Garden with memorials to those who served in the Mighty Eighth and the Chapel of the Fallen Eagles. The chapel is exquisite and unique. I hope to write a separate blog post focusing on it. But until then, you’ll find more photos and intriguing information about the chapel’s stained-glass windows on the museum’s website.

My Favorite Gallery: “Airman Down”

Time and space do not allow me to feature all the extraordinary exhibits at the Mighty Eighth–including those displaying the vital roles of the Tuskegee Airmen and influential women in the war.

But, I want to close by mentioning one of my favorite areas: the “Airman Down” gallery. It includes a Safe House exhibit which focuses on the extremely brave efforts of those in occupied Europe who came to the aid of Allied airmen.

As you enter the Safe House, you learn how the French hid the airmen and how they cleverly assisted in getting them to their next destination. One plaque mentions hidden phone numbers in the wallpaper. I looked everywhere and never could find them! However, visitors can clearly see how a radio is tucked away in the fireplace and how a person could be concealed in an attic space.

I love how “real” this reproduction of a French home feels. This is an area that I think children will find fascinating and relatable. For the most part, it’s a very touchable exhibit. Also included in the “Airman Down” gallery are exhibits pertaining to servicemen who were captured and became prisoners of war. The artifacts here are interesting as well.

Recommendation

So far, the WWII American Home Front Museum is my favorite small museum on Georgia’s WWII Heritage Trail. However, out of the four destinations we’ve visited thus far, I’d say the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is my favorite large museum.

I highly encourage you to visit. I would allow a minimum of two hours for the visit. And even then, you’ll not be able to read everything. I’ll often snap a photo of a captivating artifact/exhibit and the informational plaques to read later when I have more time.

This museum planned exhibits appropriate for families of all ages and stages. I did not notice any of the atrocities of war displayed that may upset tender hearts. Due to the darkness, flashing lights, and loud noises, the virtual reality flying mission may not be enjoyable for young children.

If you have students studying American history, world history, or themes involving aviation, military, or veterans, then this museum is a prime destination for a field trip.

The Mighty Eighth is also a great resource when teaching your younger children about community involvement, compassion, conservation, and cooperative efforts to ensure freedom for all.

Red poppies handcrafted by children are seen throughout the museum. I love this because it reminds us our veterans have not been forgotten.

Want to go? Visit the Mighty Eigth.org  for more information. Or, perhaps I’ll see you at one of the other destinations on Georgia’s WWII Heritage Trail. We’ve still six more places to visit!

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.