Upcoming Events

Built as a replacement for the training planes of WWII the T-34 Mentor developed into an aircraft cherished by the military and civilian pilots alike. In fact the T-34 remains in service more than six decades after it was first designed. Come visit us as a group of T-34 pilots drop into the Air Museum for a weekend of flight exhibitions, formation flying, contests and just plane fun.

This is a real story told by the person who lived it, Peter Gravett. As one of twelve children, born into an industrious and religious centered home where traditional values were taught and education was encouraged, the book tracks him from his pre-teen years through high school and his first tour of duty in the Army through four illustrious careers including achieving the rank of Police Watch Commander for the Los Angeles Police Department and Major General of the United…

The 100th Bombardment Group earned a somber reputation among the other American B-17 and B-24 8th Air Force units based in WWII England. What contributed to their “Bloody Hundredth” nickname? Join us for a look beyond the rumors and myths that followed the 100th in 1943. Veteran B-17 pilot and operations officer John Luckadoo offers eyewitness insight while 100th Bomb Group Foundation director Chris Barrett reviews pivotal events in the stateside training and early overseas combat experiences of the 100th’s…

During World War II, the War Department realized the importance of not only keeping up the morale of America’s fighting forces abroad, but the morale of those at home. The result was an unprecedented push by Hollywood to contribute morale-building war dramas, troop entertainment, and training films to the war effort. These films told Americans at home that they too could serve in the defense of their country by purchasing war bonds, participating in scrap drives, planting Victory Gardens, and…

Friday, February 21, 2020 - Annual Gala - Joe Mantegna returns as Celebrity Guest Emcee.  Celebrity Headliner is Frankie Avalon. 5:30 pm cocktail reception, dinner and program. $395 individual ticket. Table sponsors range from $25,000 for a table of twelve down to $5,000 for one table of ten. Black tie or military uniform. SPECIAL TRIBUTE IN MEMORIAM FOR TUSKEGEE AIRMAN LT. COL. BOB FRIEND. For info, please call Carol at 760-482-1836.  

Of all the Pacific battles of World War II, Okinawa stands out as the most severe trial of the U.S. armed forces – their crucible. The Japanese launched a “typhoon of steel” against the U.S. invasion which was the last and largest amphibious assault in the Pacific. American forces faced a Japanese army defense force of 130,000 men and an unprecedented 3,000 kamikaze sorties targeting the U.S. invasion fleet. In a last desperate throw of the dice, the Japanese navy…

This is a story of a Red Tail P-51 pilot shot down over Austria in a dogfight during the last days of WWII. The pilot was held for three days, awaiting transport to an interrogation center in Germany. On the third evening, two Luftwaffe officers showed up with false papers and the airman was released to their custody. He was found hanging from the lamp post later that morning. Jerry Whiting discusses the situation in Austria at that time and…

Canada participated in many ways during WWII, more than people realize. Canadian forces landed on Juno beach on D-day, and played a large part in the Battle of the Atlantic. By the end of the war, Canada had the 4th largest allied air force in the world. The Canadian military has fought alongside the United States in most major conflicts since World War II, including the Korean War, the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, and most recently the war in…