Three Tuskegee Airmen

The U.S. recognizes Black History Month every February to showcase the challenges, victories and contributions of these individuals throughout the nation’s history.

Contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II helped pave the way for future Black airmen in all branches of the military. The museum highlights the Tuskegee Airmen in several exhibits.

The most famous of the Tuskegee Airmen was General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. A graduate of West Point, then-Colonel Davis commanded first the 99th Fighter Squadron and then later the 332nd Fighter Group. Davis was promoted to four-star general by President Clinton. He died at the age of 89 on July 4, 2002. You can see this photo of General Davis in one of the museum's exhibits.

Samuel C. Hunter, another Tuskegee Airman, is featured in other photos at the museum and was the subject of our lead story in the January-February 2024 newsletter. He was assigned to the 616th Bombardment Squadron, 477th Bombardment Group, at Godman Field, Kentucky, in December of 1944. The 477th did not deploy overseas.

Hunter was prominent in Colorado Springs business, civic and fraternal activities, and was the city's first Black real estate broker. His pride in serving as a Tuskegee Airman was clear. "Do your best so you can be all you can be," were his last words of advice. He passed away December 26, 2013, at age 94.

Yet another Tuskegee Airman, Harry T. Stewart, Jr., just recently passed away on February 2, 2025. 

His story follows here. 

Harry T. Stewart, Jr., one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, had three aerial victories in a single mission and was on the winning team for the Air Force's first aerial gunnery competition in 1949. He passed away peacefully February 2 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, at the age of 100. He flew North American P-51 Mustangs with the famed 332nd Fighter Group, the “Red Tails”.

"Harry Stewart was a kind man of profound character and accomplishment with a distinguished career of service he continued long after fighting for our country in World War II,” said Brian Smith, President and CEO of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum. “We are deeply saddened by his passing and extend our condolences to his family and friends around the world.”

Lieutenant Colonel Stewart was born in Newport News, Virginia, but grew up in Queens, New York; he volunteered to join the U.S. Army Air Forces on his 18th birthday. He went to Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama for pilot training in April 1943; at just 19 years old, in July 1944 he graduated and pinned on his gold bars as a Second Lieutenant.

He soon joined the war in Europe, being stationed with the 302nd Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, Fifteenth Air Force, in Italy. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross on on April 1, 1945, for his bravery escorting U.S. bombers and his heroic actions in combat, the Tuskegee Museum said in a Facebook post; he is only one of four Tuskegee Airmen who downed three enemy aircraft in a single day. Stewart ended up completing 43 combat missions before war’s end and returning home in October 1945.

Remaining on active duty, as a Tuskegee Airman in 1949 he and his 332nd Fighter Group Weapons team won the Propeller class of the USAF's inaugural United States Air Force Continental Air Gunnery Meet, a ten-day "Top Gun" team competition featuring aerial gunnery at 20,000 feet, aerial gunnery at 12,000 feet, dive bombing, skip bombing, rocketing firing, and strafing. The Tuskegee group led from start to finish. But, reflective of the times, their victory in the competition was brushed aside, and not recognized until decades later.

Stewart was honorably discharged in 1950 at the age of 25, after which he attended New York University where earned a Mechanical Engineering degree; he later used that degree in service with the airlines. As a United States Air Force reservist he was a test pilot, an instructor, and served during the Korean War as well, before retiring from the Reserves “in the 1960s as a Lieutenant Colonel”. (Editor’s Note: We’ve thus far been unable to determine his exact retirement date; if anyone has a good reference, please e-mail us at newsletter@worldwariiaviation.org)

As one of the Tuskegee Airmen, Stewart received the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush on March 29, 2007, in a ceremony at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. In 2019, Stewart co-authored his memoir titled, “Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airman’s Firsthand Account of World War II”; it’s readily available at numerous outlets online if you’d like to read it.

American Heritage magazine ran an excellent article in its Summer 2023 edition titled “Triumphs of a Tuskegee Airman”, detailing the events of April 1, 1945, and Lieutenant Colonel Stewart’s upbringing. It’s a wonderful read, and is available here:

https://www.americanheritage.com/triumphs-tuskegee-airman

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle and George White

54,000 Visitors Came to the Museum in 2024

Museum President and CEO Bill Klaers told a crowd of volunteers, families, and friends at the Museum’s December 8, 2024, Roaring 1920s-themed Christmas Party that projections indicated "we will come in with about 54,000 people through the museum" for 2024. And with the [Pikes Peak Regional Airshow at the airport in August], 87,000 people."

About 33,000 attended the airshow which featured the United States Navy Blue Angels, the Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team, the Navy EA-18G Growler Demonstration Team, and both Air Force and Navy Legacy flights with the modern F35A Lightning II flying alongside the Museum’s Pacific combat veteran P-38F Lightning White 33, while the EA-18Gs performed with the world’s only remaining Brewster F3A-1 Corsair.

Klaers said he checks TripAdvisor every morning for comments about the museum. One review on that morning, he said, read like this: "'Incredible visit. Absolutely incredible experience. By far, one of the most incredible museums that I have ever gotten the chance to visit. Excellent staff with endless knowledge on each aircraft and over-all a noticeable level of passion for their aircraft."

He said the audience in the Kaija Raven Shook Aeronautical Pavilion, "Hats off to everybody. That pretty much sums up everything. Without volunteers this place would not exist.... It's incredible what everybody does for this museum, and it just gets bigger and better each year." This year, he said, the museum was again "in the top 25 attractions in the United States. We are rated at number eleven."

On Volunteer Appreciation Day, September 28, "We had about 180 guests. We did 15 flights" with several aircraft, each taking volunteers for local rides. "We flew about 105 people. So, we're going to try to do two of those this coming year, weather permitting."

On the airshow, Klaers said that "every one of the major teams and all of the others want to come back. The Blue Angels, specifically, said they want to come back. And soon." That means the next airshow, scheduled for 2026, if all goes according to plans.

The effort to expand the existing 40,000-square-foot Pavilion by another 40,000 square feet is proceeding, Klaers said. Thousands of cubic yards of dirt have been delivered. The engineering phase of the project is nearly complete, and final bids from three contractors should are expected early in 2025.

Klaers announced that Sandra McLaughlin and Ashby Taylor were chosen as the 2024 Museum Volunteers of the Year, the first time for such a double honor.

Sandra was chosen for her contributions at the front desk, filling in for Debi Klaers who was attending to her aging mother. Sandra also coordinated several museum events.

Ashby, a former U.S. Air Force pilot, headed a team that worked with military acts, including the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, at the airshow. Bill said it was a year-long effort and that he couldn't have done the show without Ashby's help.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Flights West

A memorial service for long-time docent Rick Souza was held December 20, 2024, at the museum's Hangar 2. The service was followed by a funeral at Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs. Rick passed away peacefully November 26 after an extensive illness.

Charles Richard "Rick" Souza, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, was 78. He was born June 29, 1946, in Oakland, California. He met the love of his life, Carolyn DeGabin, whom he married on May 13, 1966, in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during the Vietnam War, retiring as a First Sergeant after a 20-year Army career.

Rick dedicated his life to helping others, earning a master's degree in psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. He became a psychotherapist at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, where he was director of mental health. As a docent at the museum, he shared his knowledge and enthusiasm with visitors. Rick is survived by his wife of 57 years, Carolyn; his daughter, Crystal (Kurt Jennings); his granddaughters Amber, Brittany, and Emma; his grandsons Zach and Zane; and his great-granddaughter Scarlett. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Iris Cummings Critchell, pioneering female pilot, Olympic athlete and aeronautics instructor, died January 24 in Claremont, California. She was 104.

Born December 21, 1920, in Los Angeles, California, she was the last surviving member of the United States swimming team that competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. She earned her wings as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in 1943 before serving as a ferry pilot with the Air Transport Command Ferrying Division.

Critchell flew 18 types of aircraft as pilot in command, including the Douglas A-24 Banshee, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-51 Mustang, Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Douglas A-20 Havoc, North American B-25 Mitchell, and Northrop P-61 Black Widow.

She later worked as an aeronautics instructor at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California. Sarah Byrn Rickman, a Colorado Springs-based author of a number of books about the WASP, said in a telephone interview February 2 that Critchell was "a very good friend" who helped her with all of her books.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

World War II's Longest Rescue Mission

The story of one of the longest and most harrowing rescue missions of World War II was the subject of a September 14, 2024, museum presentation.

Docent and former U.S. Navy officer Rob Gale described how two PBY Catalinas flew Operation FLIGHT GRIDIRON, a week-long mission of some 6,500 miles from Australia to the Philippines and back to rescue Americans from behind enemy lines just before Japanese troops took the American fortress on Corregidor Island in Manila Bay.

The rescue followed Japan's surprise December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, and its simultaneous surprise attack on the Philippines.

One immediate outcome of the surprise attack was a delay in responding. Despite the entreaties of his air force commanders, Gale said. General Douglas MacArthur, commander of U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, would not allow Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers at Clark Field in the Philippines to strike Japanese airfields in Formosa, now Taiwan.

The Japanese airfields on Formosa were fogged in and vulnerable, Gale told an audience of several hundred in the WestPac Restorations facility on the campus of the museum at the Colorado Springs Airport. But "it was the [U.S.] Army Air Forces that were bombed that day, caught on the ground and largely destroyed," he said. "The entire Far East Air Force was pretty much wiped out in an afternoon." The Philippine archipelago was thus open to Japanese attack by air, land and sea. Major U.S. naval bases in the Philippines were among American facilities destroyed. 

Japanese forces soon landed.

By mid-April 1942, with the Japanese in control of much of the Philippines, it was clear that Corregidor would soon fall. PBYs of Patrol Wing 10, flying from bases near Manila, scored some successes against the overwhelming Japanese attack but also suffered significant losses. It was thus reconstituted in Perth, Australia, thousands of miles to the south.

The historic mission to rescue 50 Americans and deliver desperately needed war materiel to friendly forces began on April 27, 1942, when the PBYs departed Perth on the west coast of Australia. They returned separately, one on May 2 and the other on May 3, 1942. American troops on Corregidor fought until May 6, 1942, when they were finally forced to surrender.

About 4,000 miles of the 6,500-mile round trip were in Japanese-controlled airspace. The PBYs had to be refueled four times, two of them on a lake on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao which was at the time completely surrounded by Japanese forces.

On the night of April 29, 1942, the PBYs landed on the water off Corregidor. Small boats were used to quickly unload supplies and transfer the evacuees to the planes; the journey back to Perth began. Along the way, one PBY was damaged during a lake takeoff and required some inventive repairs. The undamaged plane took five-and-a-half days to complete the mission, while the damaged one took six-and-a-half days.

The PBY was "the only aircraft that could possibly have accomplished this mission," Gale said.

His presentation was followed by a flying demonstration of the museum's own PBY Catalina.

We invite you to view and enjoy the full Museum historical presentation of Operation FLIGHT GRIDIRON on the Museum’s YouTube channel; just click on this link!

Operation FLIGHT GRIDIRON Presentation on YouTube

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Tim Robbins Named Volunteer of the 4th Quarter

Bill Klaers, Museum President as CEO (left) and Jack Humphrey of the Museum's Facilities and Grounds Section (right) present Tim Robbins with a certificate honoring him as Volunteer of the Fourth Quarter. A brief ceremony in Hangar 1A preceded a luncheon in Tim's honor. "Tim is one of our most dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers," Jack said.

Photo Credit: Rich Tuttle

American Volunteer Group (AVG) Anniversary

December 20, 2024, marked the 83rd anniversary of the first combat mission of one of the most famous fighter groups of WWII, the American Volunteer Group (AVG) famously known as the “Flying Tigers”. Its American pilots who flew for China were only operational for the seven months from December 1941 through July 1942.

In 1937, when “incidents” between Chinese and Japanese forces led to full-scale war, Army Air Corps Major Claire Chennault was the air advisor to the Chinese government. Although the U.S. would not intervene overtly, aid was approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as China sought outside support. The President authorized reserve officers and enlisted men to resign from the U.S. military to join the AVG in China, where they were offered a one-year contract at salaries above those of the military services. Pilots were also offered bounties for each confirmed Japanese plane destroyed. One hundred pilots and 200 ground crew were recruited.

China purchased 100 Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk fighters for use by the AVG; each carried the symbol of China and was painted with a shark face on the front. The AVG also adopted a cartoon "Flying Tiger" design developed by the Walt Disney studio which painted on the aircraft’s fuselage.

The AVG's first combat mission was on December 20, 1941, and resulted in three Japanese bombers shot down and a fourth later crashing. In all, the AVG was credited with 297 enemy aircraft destroyed, 229 of those in the air. Fourteen AVG pilots were killed in action, captured, or disappeared on combat missions. Two died of wounds sustained in bombing raids, and six were killed in accidents.

The AVG's success is remarkable since it was outnumbered by Japanese fighters in almost every engagement. On July 4, 1942, the AVG was disbanded and replaced by the 23rd Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Forces. The AVG, like their compatriots in the Eagle Squadrons of the Royal Air Force, had some of the first Americans to serve the Allied cause in WWII.

Story Credit: Gene Pfeffer, Museum Curator and Historian

Longtime Volunteer Coordinator Steve Clark Retires

Steve Clark, longtime museum Volunteer Coordinator, retired on Jan 31, 2025; taking his place is Volunteer Crystal Ross. "I am sure she will do an outstanding job and will continue to improve the Volunteer Coordination processes. I ask you to support her in this position."

Steve expressed his "heartfelt gratitude for the honor of working alongside you all at the Museum. Soon after meeting [President and CEO] Bill Klaers at an airshow in 2012, I became a volunteer and was blessed to help create the museum and to take the role of Volunteer Coordinator."

He said, "Volunteering at this new museum soon became my passion. My role...has been challenging and rewarding over these past 13 years but it is now time for me to hang up my hat. It has been inspirational to work alongside you great people who also put your heart and soul into making this an award-winning WWII Museum. Now I plan to focus my time and energy on my family, travel, and creating a legacy. My wife gets me back, and she and the grandchildren are now my passion.

"Thank you for the camaraderie and memories. I will carry these experiences with me the rest of my life."

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Museum Docent Marked 80th Anniversary of Uncle’s Fatal B-26 Crash at Ceremony in France

Museum docent Nick Cressy participated in a January 19, 2025, memorial service in France, marking the 80th anniversary of the crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber between the villages of Fontain and La Veze, France, that killed his uncle, Staff Sergeant Nicholas C. Bentas, and five other crewmen. On February 6, he described the event to the Veterans' Breakfast Club, a non-profit group based in Pittsburgh that hosts online sessions with vets who share their stories about their military experiences.

Nick, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, told how B-26s assigned to the 441st Bombardment Squadron of the 320th Bombardment Bomb Group took off from Dijon, France, to attack marshalling yards at Achern, Germany, on January 19, 1945. The B-26G My Gal II, serial number 43-34605 and bearing the tail battle number 08, lost one of its two engines and crashed in open farmland about eight miles southeast of the French city of Besancon.

In this, the 44th mission of Nick's uncle, the B-26s were scheduled to rendezvous with escorting P-47s, but the P-47s were late and the group made several 360-degree turns waiting for them. After forming up they headed to the target across the Rhine River, but My Gal II "developed an engine problem on the starboard side," Nick said. "It actually froze up and the propeller did not feather. That acts like a big brake on the right side and the plane was getting hard to handle." They dropped out of the mission and headed back to France, where they were going for an airfield at Dole, near Besancon.

But "they didn't make it”, said Nick.

During his trip for the anniversary, Nick, a Colorado Springs resident, rode in a private plane where the pilot took him on the route the B-26 would have taken. It's a beautiful area with some high ridges, he said. But "once we made it over the second ridge south" of Besancon, "we could see an open field" and that's where they went in. It had snowed the night before.

Nick researched the accident for years and wrote a book about it, "Back From 44, The Sacrifice and Courage of a Few", published in 2018. Nick said one of his sources, retired USAAF Capt. Charles ("Chuck") O'Mahony, a pilot with the 320th's 441st Squadron, said that power may have been added to the left engine as the B-26 approached for its emergency landing, and that the resulting torque could have made the plane spin in.

The crew had the option of dropping their bomb load in Germany or France, and/or bailing out, but did neither. For one thing, Nick said, the French in that part of the country had just been liberated in September of 1944 following the Allies' Operation DRAGOON, the invasion of southern France. "They had gone through enough and seen enough, they'd been hurt badly enough" that dropping bombs there apparently was rejected as a bad idea.

The option of bailing out wasn't chosen either, possibly because the plane by that point was too low. In any case, Nick said, none of the crewmen was wearing a parachute. The 'chutes were all in their storage positions, and each crewman was in his crash position.

A number of American planes crashed in France during the war, but this one seems to be afforded special attention, apparently because no civilians were killed and damage to property was slight. The crew may have "decided to belly in and [try to] save themselves and not destroy any French property," Nick said. "That's the only thing I can think of" as to why the French give this crash such "a special honor."

The January 19, 2025, ceremony, outside the town of La Veze, began with the unveiling of a road sign at the location of the crash. Nick honored the airmen and read their names:

- Staff Sergeant Nicholas C. Bentas of Troy, Michigan, Flight Engineer 

- Staff Sergeant John C. Hill, of Rye, Colorado, Bombardier/Navigator

- Staff Sergeant Lloyd A. Rahl, of Michigan, Radio Operator

- Staff Sergeant Henry P. Tothammer, of San Francisco County, California, Gunner

- First Lieutenant Elmer L. Cudworth Jr., of Newport, Rhode Island, Co-pilot

- First Lieutenant Arthur L. McCurdy, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Pilot

One French official, Prefect Remi Bastille, said that, "...if today, here as elsewhere, peace reigns where war once did, it is thanks to their courage, to the sacrifice of the thousands of Americans who fought and gave their lives for the freedom of our country."

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Photo Credit: Franck Hakmoun, L’Est Républicain

Airshow Donates $75K To Local Museums

The Pikes Peak Regional Airshow (PPRA) announced it had donated $75,000 to three local museums to further their missions of educating future generations and preserving our nation's military history.

PPRA said it awarded $25,000 each to the National Museum of World War II Aviation at Colorado Springs Airport, the 4th Infantry Division Museum at Fort Carson, and the Peterson Air and Space Museum at Peterson Space Force Base.

"As a key piece of community culture in Colorado Springs, [PPRA] is proud to give back to these worthy museums," said Bill Klaers, president of the PPRA board of directors.

"We are thrilled to see the proceeds from the airshow directly benefit these incredible institutions whose missions align with our commitment to honoring military heritage," said Megan Leatham, PPRA board member.

PPRA said the airshow, a biennial event, set new records in 2024, drawing over 33,000 attendees and generating an economic impact of nearly $20 million. Highlights included the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the F-22 Demonstration Team, and the Navy Legacy Flight Team. It also showcased the many rare warbirds from the National Museum of World War II Aviation and demonstrated them alongside their modern-day counterpart aircraft.

Helping to make the August 17-18, 2024, airshow at the airport a success were more than 500 volunteers, 84 vendors, and 28 static displays.

Discussions are already underway for the 2026 airshow, PPRA said.

General Davey “Tokyo” Jones:

From Doolittle Raider to U.S. Space Program

The story of David M. "Tokyo” Jones is remarkable.

Jones "was not just a hero, he was a leader," said historian Val Burgess in a presentation about Jones at the museum on February 22. She said he was "special. He never needed to be recognized. And he was very modest about what he did."

He was a Second Lieutenant who became a Major General serving with the U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Army Air Forces and, after 1947, the U.S. Air Force. He was one of the Doolittle Raiders, flew combat missions from North Africa, was shot down and became a German prisoner of war, helped with a mass escape, and was the inspiration for Steve McQueen’s character in the 1963 movie “The Great Escape.”

After the war, Jones directed the B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber test force, was a leader of NASA’s manned spaceflight program, commanded the Air Force Eastern Test Range at Patrick AFB, Florida, and, at the same time, was responsible for Cape Kennedy Air Force Station, later renamed Cape Canaveral AFS.

His final duty assignment, after retiring from the Air Force in 1973, was the Department of Defense’s Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations.

He was born December 18, 1913, in Marshfield, Oregon, and died November 25, 2008, at the age of 94 at his home in Tucson, Arizona.

In the famous Doolittle Raid, 16 B-25 medium bombers launched on April 18, 1942, to strike targets in Japan; Jones was the pilot of Crew No. 5. With fuel running low, he and his crewmen bailed out near Chuhsien, China; local residents helped them evade capture and find their way to safety. The success of the raid was a great morale booster for the American public. After the raid, Jones was assigned to the 22nd Bomb Group in India, flying additional B-25 missions against the Japanese for three months.

In September, 1942, he was reassigned to the 319th Bomb Group, which was training with B-26 Marauder medium bombers. He deployed with the unit to North Africa after the Allied landings in November, 1942, where his Doolittle Raid experiences helped him develop low-level bombing tactics for the unit. On December 4, 1942 he was shot down over Bizerte, North Africa, and spent two and a half years in Stalag Luft III as a German prisoner of war. He led one of the digging teams on a tunnel called "Harry" that was highlighted in "The Great Escape" movie.

After WWII, Jones had an illustrious Air Force career with important roles in the nation’s budding manned space program. Jones, who was nicknamed "Tokyo," was one of five Doolittle Raiders who later became Generals. The others are James H. Doolittle, John A. Hilger, Everett W. Holstrom, and Richard A. Knobloch.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Delaware Historical Society Announces Digital Collection Showcasing WWII Aviation History

and Life on the Home Front

“An American Family in World War II: The Minker Family Letters” includes more than 650 letters now available online for historians, educators, and aviators.  

The Delaware Historical Society recently announced the digitization of “An American Family in World War II: The Minker Family Letters,” a rich source of first-hand experiences from pilot training, flight missions, and life on the Home Front during World War II.

The Minker Collection, comprised of 656 letters and a B-17 pilot’s military scrapbook, is now available as a free online resource for the public, including historians, educators, and aviators.

With support from the Minker family and a team of volunteers, the original letters and the military scrapbook of B-17 pilot Ralph L. “Lee” Minker, Jr. were scanned, transcribed, and indexed into a comprehensive digital collection that provides a detailed picture of World War II through one family’s correspondence. Accessible at https://dehistory.org/minker-family-letters/, this resource includes scans of the original letters as well as transcriptions of each letter, a user guide, and detailed index providing researchers with the tools to access material by topic, name, aircraft or date. Minker's letters document flights with the Piper J-3 Cub, PT-17 Stearman, Vultee BT-13, Cessna AT-17, and the B-17G.

The Minker Collection presents letters written by the five members of the Minker family between 1943 and 1945 while Lee Minker, Jr. served in the Army Air Corps. The lively and engaging correspondence offers a detailed look at the American experience in the military and on the Home Front during World War II through the words of one family.

“What really sets this Collection apart is its completeness,” said Delaware Historical Society Chief Curator Leigh Rifenburg. “There are nearly 700 letters between members of the same family, and we have not only the letters but the responses. When you read them in order, they almost read as a novel. That’s one of the reasons that we felt it was a great candidate for digitization and wanted to make sure as many people and as many audiences as possible had access to this material.”

The collection was donated to the Delaware Historical Society by the Minker family in 1998 for preservation and digitization. With online accessibility, this collection presents a personal, detailed version of one family’s experience during World War II that keeps this history alive for future generations.  

About the Delaware Historical Society

The Delaware Historical Society is a non-profit organization that preserves, promotes, and shares Delaware's history in a welcoming environment to educate, inspire, and empower people and communities. The Delaware Historical Society owns and operates the Delaware History Museum; the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage; a nationally recognized Research Library; Old Town Hall; Willingtown Square, four 18th-century houses surrounding a picturesque urban courtyard located in downtown Wilmington; and the National Historic Landmark Read House & Gardens located in New Castle.

For more information, call (302) 655-7161, email deinfo@dehistory.org, or visit www.dehistory.org. 

Facebook: @dehistory 

Instagram: @delawarehistoricalsociety

2024 Museum Volunteers of the Year

Sandra McLaughlin and Ashby Taylor were named Museum Volunteers of the Year. It was the first time for such a double honor, said Bill Klaers, president and CEO, as he announced the selections Sunday evening in the Kaija Raven Shook Aeronautical Pavilion at the annual Museum Christmas party.

Sandra was chosen for her contributions at the front desk, filling in for Debi Klaers who was attending to her aging mother.

Ashby, a former U.S. Air Force pilot, headed a team that worked with military acts, including the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, at the Pikes Peak Region\al Air Show at Colorado Springs Airport in August. Bill said it was a year-long effort.

Story Credit: Rich Tuttle

Photo Credit: Dave Devore

Special Presentation:

Bombing Hitler’s Hometown – The Fifteenth Air Force’s Last Big Mission of the European War 

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Museum opens at 9:00 a.m.

Presentation at 10:00 a.m.

One of the final missions of the air war over Europe was the April 25, 1945, bombing of Linz, Austria by elements of the Fifteenth Air Force flying from bases in southern Italy. While Hitler was born in Braunau, Austria, he moved to Linz as a child and always considered it his “hometown.” He had long intended to remake Linz as the cultural capital of Europe, filling its planned Führermuseum with world-famous art stolen from his conquered territories. But in April 1945, Linz was one of Nazi Germany’s crucial transportation hubs and an important communications center. Its rail yards were brimming with war materiel destined for the front lines.

Linz was also one of the most heavily defended targets remaining in Europe. The 5,000 airmen of the Fifteenth Air Force that flew the mission were a mix of seasoned veterans and newcomers. As their mission was unveiled in the predawn hours of April 25, it was clear that it was an unwelcome target so late in the war.

The reality of that mission would prove brutal.

In the unheated, unpressurized Consolidated B‑24 Liberator and Boeing B‑17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, young men battled elements as dangerous as enemy fire. When batteries of German anti‑aircraft guns opened fire, the sky was filled with exploding shrapnel that could kill crewmen and bring down aircraft. Austrian civilians on the ground also struggled to survive beneath the bombs during the deadly climax of Hitler’s war.

On Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 10:00 am, author and historian Mike Croissant will present the full story of the Linz mission. Croissant, the author of “Bombing Hitler’s Hometown”, has drawn on interviews with dozens of America’s last surviving World War II veterans, as well as previously unpublished sources. He’ll tell the story of this mission through the eyes of the airmen who flew it and the Austrian citizens under the bombs.  Join us for this informative, interesting presentation.

Standard admission prices are in effect. The purchase of advance on-line tickets is encouraged.

Advance ticket prices are:

Adult - $17

Child (4-12) - $13

Senior and Military - $15

WWII Veterans – Always FREE!

Children 3 and Under – Always FREE!

Museum Members - Included in membership; please call 719-637-7559 or stop by the front desk to make your reservations.

And of course, parking is always FREE!

Story Credit: Colonel Gene Pfeffer (USAF-retired), Museum Curator and Historian

You Didn't Miss An Issue!

Due to the holidays and our old friend Covid, we didn't publish a November - December 2024 issue of the newsletter.

Do you really love an article? Did a photograph really wow you? Have a question about a story? Want to see more of a certain topic? Did something spark a memory that you'd like to share with us?

We'd love to hear your what you have to say about the newsletter; let us know by dropping the editor a message at newsletter@worldwariiaviation.org!

Dave Devore

Photographer