National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

10/26/2026

History Headquarters | The Poppy Project
Why do we wear a red poppy to remember those who served?

Join us for the next History Headquarters: Youth History Club on Wednesday, November 4 at 11 a.m. as we explore the story behind one of the most recognizable symbols of remembrance.

Our museum educator will introduce students to the World War I poem “In Flanders Fields” and discover how its words helped inspire the red poppy as a lasting symbol of veterans’ service and sacrifice.

Then, students will put history into their own hands with our Poppy Project. 🌺

📅 Wednesday, November 4 | 11 a.m.
🎟️ $8 per student | Museum Members FREE
👨‍👩‍👧 All ages welcome. Parents are encouraged to join!
📝 Registration is required.

🔗 Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/zxaxdpv
A little flower. A powerful symbol. A story worth remembering.

10/26/2026

October 26, 1944
Are you ready for some football?

From the Collection
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

10/26/2026

"Col Peter Ortiz, twice the recipient of the Navy Cross, is among the most colorful, swashbuckling characters in Marine Corps history. "

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force's monthly Mighty Talk series continues with Ortiz’s War, with co-author Kaitlin Sanders.

Tuesday, November 3rd at 11:00 am at the museum.

The unbelievable true story of the OSS saboteur who parachuted into occupied France, led guerrilla operations against the N***s, and saved thousands of Allied lives.

The program is free to the public, but Please click here to register for Ortiz's War https://forms.gle/N68ZSju4qHeLYyDk8

Book signing to follow.
Books will be available for purchase in the Museum Store before and after the event.

About the Book
Ortiz’s War tells the extraordinary story of Peter J. Ortiz, a French Foreign Legionnaire, U.S. Marine and OSS operative who became one of the most decorated Marines of World War II. Recruited for special operations because of his combat experience and language skills, Ortiz parachuted behind enemy lines in occupied France, where he trained and armed the French Resistance, gathered intelligence, aided downed Allied airmen and conducted missions against German forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFbhxxUFZZM

The untold story of the Allies’ secret weapon in occupied France....

10/25/2026

🚨 FALSE EVENT NOTICE: PLEASE BE ADVISED 🚨

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force has been made aware of a fraudulent social media post advertising a Trunk or Treat event at the Museum tonight, October 25.

This event is NOT taking place. No Trunk or Treat event has been scheduled or authorized by the Museum, and the circulating post is in no way affiliated with the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

We encourage everyone to verify event information through our official website, www.mightyeighth.org, and our official social media channels.

We apologize for any confusion caused by this unauthorized post and appreciate your help in sharing this clarification to prevent others from being misled.

10/25/2026

Mail Call | History in Their Own Words

Some of the most personal stories of World War II were never intended for the history books. They were written in letters sent between loved ones, friends, and family thousands of miles apart.

Season 2 of Mail Call continues to bring these voices from the past to life, with students from the Savannah College of Art and Design's School of Film and Acting reading original wartime correspondence preserved in the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force's archives.

From everyday moments and thoughts of home to the realities of wartime service, each letter offers a personal glimpse into the lives behind the history.

🎧 Have you listened to Season 2 yet? Catch up on the latest episodes and discover the stories waiting in the museum's archives.

🔗 Listen on our YouTube page

Voices from the past. Stories worth hearing. History, delivered.

Photograph courtesy of the Raymond E. Smith Collection, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

10/24/2026

Docent Spotlight │ Bill Murdock │ Celebrating 25 Years

Bill Murdock was born and raised in Boston. He graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Physics and then began working for Pratt & Whitney as an experimental engineer. He was hired for their nuclear powered airplane project which was cancelled almost as soon as he started working for them. Pratt & Whitney kept him in the nuclear division but eventually transferred him to the jet engine development division. Bill spent a lot of time working with airframe companies such as Boeing, Gulfstream, Douglas and Airbus however he spent the majority of his time in flight test programs with Boeing. After his retirement, Bill and his wife Helen moved to Savannah in July 2000. He started volunteering at the Mighty Eighth in 2001 after his former boss Howard Stryker, a museum volunteer, told him about the volunteer program. Bill volunteers in the H+STEM program, attends most of the museum's author talks and teaches the Science of Flight program. The Science of Flight program was developed by Dr. Vivian Rogers-Price, who was then the Director of Education, and Howard Stryker to teach the science, mechanics and history of how airplanes achieve and maintain flight. This student program is offered by the Education Department as an optional classroom experience that can be booked in addition to their museum tour. Bill is also an avid reader concentrating on aviation, physics, WWII and fiction.

We appreciate Bill and his 25 years of service. Our dedicated volunteers contribute so much to our visitor’s experiences.
Thank you, Bill Murdock.

Photos 1&2- Bill leading a group during the 2013 100th Bomb Group Reunion
Photos 3&4- Bill teaching SoF at the Charleston Joint AFB Air Show in 2024 at the museum's booth

10/22/2026

When Enemies Choose Humanity

What happens when the person on the other side of the war chooses compassion over combat?

Join New York Times bestselling author Adam Makos at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force for Enemies No More, a Mighty Talk exploring two true stories of courage, humanity, and unlikely friendship during World War II.

Makos will share the stories behind his bestselling classic A Higher Call, the unforgettable account of American B-17 pilot Charlie Brown and German fighter ace Franz Stigler, and his newest release, Tidal Wave, which follows the aftermath of the devastating 1943 B-24 raid on the Ploesti oil fields in Romania.

Two different missions. Two different theaters of war. Both reveal moments when humanity crossed enemy lines.

📅 Thursday, November 19 | 11 a.m.
📍 National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force
🎟️ Free and open to the public. Registration requested.
🔗 Reserve your seat: https://forms.gle/umRQ81S9sW1ozneC6

Come hear the stories behind the books from the author who brought them to life.

10/21/2026

Follow the Liberator Boys

Before our B-24 Liberator takes its place at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, travel to England and discover the story of the men who flew them.

Second to None | The Liberator Boys takes you into the heart of the Second Air Division, following the B-24 crews of the Mighty Eighth through the airfields, villages, museums, and memorials that preserve their story today.

Stand on the ground where Liberators once thundered into the skies. Explore the places American airmen called home. Discover the people and communities behind the missions and experience this history where it happened.

Second to None | The Liberator Boys
Educational Travel 2027

This isn't simply a trip to England. It's a journey into the world of the B-24 and the men who flew it.

🔗 Explore the full itinerary, dates, pricing, and booking information: https://www.mightyeighth.org/roger-a-freeman-tour/

10/20/2026

Give a Gift with a Story

Thinking ahead to holiday gifts?

Give the history lover in your life something that lasts well beyond the holidays with a membership to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

A museum membership means a full year of opportunities to visit, explore, attend programs, discover new stories, and stay connected to the legacy of the Mighty Eighth. And with exciting changes ahead at the museum, 2027 will be quite a year to be a member.

Whether you’re shopping for a history enthusiast, aviation fan, veteran, family member, or someone who seems to have everything, give a gift that opens the door to a year of discovery.

Give history. Give discovery. Give membership.

🔗 Learn more about museum membership: https://web.charityengine.net/M8Membership