Issue #94 September Special Announcement 2023| June 2022 | |
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In This Issue of
Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
September 2023
It's here. Today 20 September 2023 we want to announce the launch of the Constitution, (MM-1776), Mobile Museum!
Welcome to the launch of the new Constitution (MM-1776), a unique mobile museum experience. This is brought to you by the Sons of Liberty Museum and the Army Air Corps Library and Museum. This is education on wheels where we take the museum field trip to the students and schools. We also participate in veteran and civic events. Each exhibit will offer a different theme highlighting an aspect of the collection. We are offering sponsorships to pay for the school 'field trips' and honorariums; permanent name-plates for rememberance of a military veteran (friend or relative).
28 Feet Packed with History
The Constitution (MM-1776) is a 28 foot enclosed trailer. The sides are aligned with upper and lower custom cases that will contain all types of artifacts. The 20 top row custom cases were designed specifically for military dress uniforms. Our lower custom exhibit cases house artifacts to complete the museum experience.
1st Exhibit / Program
The first exhibit with the launch of Constitution will contain flag officers of all branches of service. Over 60 Generals and Admirals will be represented in this exhibit. The theme of this first cruise of the MM-1776 will be that continued lifelong learning of STEM and History in related fields aids one in rising to the top of their career. Learning never ceases, no matter your chosen profession. Learn about these flag officers and their backgrounds even those with Texas connections. All are patriots.
This program will run for many months. The 2nd program will be on the Army Air Corps of World War II, no date is scheduled for this launch.
At this time we would like to thank a few of the sponsors, without whom this project would not have been possible.
- 301st Bombardment Group/Wing Association
- Lowes
- Graham Lindley
- CurbAppeal Signs
- Vance & Paula Wakeland
As of this announcement we already have 9 sponsors and 20 Gold Honorariums.
Robert Coalter, Jason Weigler
Executive Directors
"Saving Military History One Soldier At A Time".SM
"Saving History One Soldier At A Time"SM
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In Honor
We have multiple opportunities to honor a veteran. Some museums offer bricks and pavers, others a listing on the skin of an aircraft. We have the exterior of the MM-Constitution! These are permanent honorariums and we have 3 different sizes from which to choose. Depending upon the number of characters; items may be abbreviated and letter height adjusted.
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Bronze
This is a 2 1/2" x 22" name placard. This is a 2 row display with the first line containing the name and the second a unit, conflict and branch. The top row is approx. 1" tall and the 2nd line 3/4"
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Silver
This is a 2" x 36" name placard. This is a 1 row display with the line containing the name, unit, conflict and branch. The lettering is approximately 1 1/2" tall.
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Gold
This is a 5" x 36" name placard. This is a 2 row display with the first line containing the name and the second a unit, conflict and branch. The top row is approx. 2" tall and the 2nd line 1 1/2".
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Sponsoring Programs
We are offering sponsorships for individuals, organizations and companies. These sponsorships support construction, fixtures, travel, maintenance of the mobile museum and scholarship for schools paying for their 'field trip'. Sponsorships begin at $5000. Field trips are currently limited to the North Texas area, please contact us before considering a 'field-trip' sponsorship.
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The Cinema, another way to describe it is it's our own Netflix.
130 combat films represented by 209 clips and 1436 minutes of footage will keep you watching for hours.
Army, Army Air Forces, Navy, Marines. WW2 and Vietnam. There's something for everyone.
This is a subscription service of $14.95/month.
Take a few minutes and go see what's "Now Showing" and decide if you want to signup and start watching. Go now !
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301st Bombardment Group, B-17 Flying Fortress. England, North Africa, Italy during World War II.
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USS Hilbert. Destroyer Escort, DE-742. Pacific Theater of Operations, World War II.
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Preserve This History, Honor the Service, Provide Education For Future Generations | |
Thank You For Your Support ! | | |
Thank You For Your Support ! | | |
---- What is Liberty ? ----
"definition. the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views."
Merriam-Webster defines it as " the power to do as one pleases, the freedom from physical restraint and freedom from arbitrary or despotic control.
---- So what is a Son of Liberty? ----
In our context and beginning these were the men and women in America who wanted the freedom from the King of England. They desired a right of self-determination for their lives. They fought for this liberty and codified it in the Constitution of a new country. To keep this liberty they created a military to ward off the any would-be belligerent. Since the War of Independence until and including the present day the men and women who have worn the cloth of our nation's military are its Sons of Liberty. They have fought enemies in other nations, they have fought each other and they have stood as sentinels of the watch.
We celebrate the service of these individuals, we tell the historical story of these selfless patriots.
---- The Sons of Liberty Museum ----
Over a decade ago we chose a name for this organization and our sister the Army Air Corps Library and Museum. We believe these names accurately describe these men and women who serve. We will not change any name to satisfy a radical viewpoint or computer algorithm. We don't allow for any revisionist history, we tell the factual stories.
We are Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time.
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Need a Good Book, DVD?
Check out these titles.
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Somewhere In Italy
I was a navigator in the 459 Bomb Group 758 Bomb Squadron flying B-24's from Torre Giulia Field, tower named 'Coffee Tower', a gravel airfield near Cerignola, on the Foggia Plains of Southeastern Italy during the period August 4, 1944 to May 16, 1945. I flew 50 combat missions over targets in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia and Northern Italy.
Project Option: 6×9 in, 15×23 cm
# of Pages: 386
IsbnSoftcover: 9781714032860
Publish Date: Dec 12, 2019
Buy It $24.99
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Rigor Mortis:
The Machine and His Men
Most aircraft of World War II had pictures of sexy girls, tributes to sweethearts, songs and home. The planes were fondly referred to in a feminine manor. That was not the case with this B-17 tail number 42-25233. He was Rigor Mortis.
This is the story of Rigor Mortis and his men who flew over 120 missions from North Africa and Italy in 1943 and 1944.
Project Option: 8×10 in, 20×25 cm
# of Pages: 382
IsbnSoftcover: 9781714727803
Publish Date: Apr 20, 2020
Buy It $33.95
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A Novel of MACVSOG in Vietnam. By Gene Pugh a Special Forces Recon Team Member.
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Surrender Not an Option
Survivors guilt is not the only thing that is bothering Allen Purvis. He has to relive in his mind the battles in a denied area when he was assigned to MACVSOG the ultimate secret organization during the Viet Nam war. He is put to the test when he commands his friends to sacrifice themselves to save the others of the unit. Wendy Salas, nurse at the 95th Evacuation Hospital sees the horrors of the war everyday. Her pain is personal. A chance meeting on R&R in Hong Kong brings these two people together as soul mates in a hope that one of them can save the other. Purvis like the others wondered why they were saved and the answer was there all the time.
- Paperback : 312 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1539108333
- ISBN-13 : 978-1539108337
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.71 x 9 inches
Gene is a member of our advisory board.
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A Novel. By Gene Pugh a Special Forces Recon Team Member during the Vietnam War..
Hardback: $35.99
Paperback: $19.99
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The Reunion Mission
A chance meeting at a military reunion brings Sam Waters together with his former Viet Nam War teammates. But that is not the only surprise. A promise made a long time ago is now called to be cashed in. Will his teammates put their lives on the line for him and his family? Is that bond still there? Because of a rash act on his part the whole mission could be jeopardized. A new future and his past must come to terms for him to move forward.
From Fort Bragg to Dallas and Panama follow the continuing story of Sam Walters and Allen Purvis.
Gene is a member of our advisory board.
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USAAF
Aircraft Weapons of WWII
By Tom Laemlein
Read More & Order Your Copy
Tom is a member of our advisory board.
Many of the photos and illustrations in this book, some of them in color, are strong enough to be displayed in full page format. The images deliver the gritty details of USAAF armaments’ use down to their nuts and rivets, and the high-velocity rounds they fired. This is a unique photo-study, with many of the photos never-before published.
U.S.A.A.F. Aircraft Weapons of WWII
This book focuses on the war-winning weaponry of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. With 144 pages containing more than 250 photos it offers stunning visual details of the machine guns, cannons, bombs, and rockets carried into battle by USAAF bombers, fighters, and attack aircraft.Many of the photos and illustrations in this book, some of them in color, are strong enough to be displayed in full page format. The images deliver the gritty details of USAAF armaments’ use down to their nuts and rivets, and the high-velocity rounds they fired. This is the first photo-history of its kind, with many of the photos never-before published.
Combat conditions dictated that many aircraft were adapted into roles for which they were not designed. As necessity is the mother of invention, aircraft were modified in both their roles and their armament. B-25s became ground attackers, A-20s became night fighters, and every wartime USAAF fighter was adapted to carry bombs.
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8th Air Force 1943 to D-Day
Enjoy this history of the 8th Air Force from 1943 to D-Day in World War II with this discovered archival film footage. The first footage is in early 1943 on a heavy bombardment mission over Europe. View the heavies as they hit German targets. Watch gun camera footage as fighters of tangle with the enemy in the air. Follow fighters as they attack airdromes and trains.
Watch the men on the ground and in the air with mostly black and white, silent footage.
There is a lot of unidentified aircraft/groups but quite a bit of identified.
Identified: 44th, 91st, 93rd, 94th, 95th, 100th, 303rd, 305th, 385tth and 445th Bombardment Groups.
4th, 55th, 56th, 78th, 352nd, 353rd, 355th, 356th, 357th, 359th and 361st Fighter Groups.
Watch bombers in formation and as they fly through flak (ack-ack). Some have feathered props. Ground crews await the group returns and aid wounded airmen. View some of the nose art that were a source of pride. View B-17s and B-24s in a number of scenes.
Feel like you are in the cockpit of a P-47 or P-51 fighter as they attack Me-109s, FW-190, ME-110, JU-52, JU-88, HE-111 and other German Aircraft. Fly with aces Beeson, Gabreski, Anderson, Blakeslee and many more. Find out which pilots would later become prisoners of war (POWs) and some would be killed in action (KIA). Strafing footage shows fighter pilots attacking aircraft on the ground, airdrome facilities and other strategic and tactical targets including trains and marshalling yards.
Missions include Wilhelmshaven, Berlin, Warnemunde, Solingen, Leverkusen, Emden, Bremen, Munster, Schweinfurt and others.
229 minutes of black and white footage and visual record of the 8th Air Force: 1943 to D-Day in action in World War II from early 1943 to D-Day.
Price Each: $34.99
Read More and Order
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By Kenneth Breaux
The author takes the reader on a compelling odyssey, beginning with a wartime mystery which endured for nearly sixty years. A compelling and often gripping story of loss and discovery.
About the Author:
Kenneth Breaux served as a Naval Officer during the Vietnam era, where he first became acquainted with the plight of MIA's and their families. He spent over twenty years on active and reserve service and retired from the Navy with the rank of Commander.
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"Courtesies of the Heart"
In the early morning hours of September 11, 1944, US Army Air Forces P-51 pilot Lt. William Lewis climbed into an overcast sky with the 55th Fighter Group on a mission escorting bombers. He had already flown more than 100 hours of combat over Europe. Over the channel he joined a vast fleet of more than 1,000 airplanes including the B-17’s of the 100th Bomb Group bound for Germany. This day’s combat would be one of the largest aerial engagements of the war, conducted at the very edge of operational range. By the next day, all of the aircraft were accounted for or known to be lost. Among the missing was Bill Lewis, who would remain an MIA for almost sixty years.
A chance discussion in a Texas home on New Years Eve 2001 regarding the movie “Saving Private Ryan”, a renovated Czech schoolhouse in the village of Kovarska, experts from the US Army in Hawaii, and Czech volunteers extended and fulfilled the Courtesy of the Heart begun by a gracious German citizen in September 1944 in the Thuringer Wald of Germany.
This is the fascinating story of how a Tulsa World War II pilot came home on Memorial Day 2004, only a few months short of sixty years from the time he flew his last mission. The book began a new role for the author, whose retirement has since become centered around the families of the missing in action of World War II and the search for their remains, and the origin of a not for profit company called MIA Recovery Network and a second book called “Known But to God: America’s Twentieth Century Wars and the Search for the Missing”.
Read More and Order
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James Joseph Farrell
An American Story
By James & Barbara Farrell
Read More & Order Your Copy
James Joseph Farrell was born October 27, 1921 and grew up during the Great Depression. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1939.
He served with distinction in North Africa in 1942-1943 with the 301st Bombardment Group, 32nd Bomb Squadron flying 51 missions as an aerial engineer, top turret gunner.
He earned his pilot wings in 1945. This is his story.
Paperback $34.95
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Known But to God
America's Twentieth Century Wars and the Search for the Missing
Available December 2022 at Amazon: Paperback $20.00.
There are many books written about epic battles, heroic soldiers and the remarkable events that occur during a war. This book contains little of that history. This book is about the more than 70.000 men who remain missing after America's wars. Their names appear in our cemeteries, on gravestones marked "unknown," on commemorative walls listing the missing or simply in after-action reports inadequate to the task of declaring a life at an end. Americans are sensitive to the injustice and incompleteness of such records. So, the United States is the only country publicly committed to searching for missing warriors' remains and to identifying and finally honoring them. This commitment has been inconsistently fulfilled, however, and results have been mixed. This book shows how modern warfare loses its dead in ways that make them harder than ever to find after battle. It tells the story of families who never give up hope and of the volunteers and officials who try to help them. But it's also the story of how our government too often has failed to make finding the missing possible -- and what we can do about it.
About the Author:
Kenneth Breaux served as a Naval Officer during the Vietnam era, where he first became acquainted with the plight of MIA's and their families. He spent over twenty years on active and reserve service and retired from the Navy with the rank of Commander. He is the Director of the MIA Recovery Network and is a member of the Sons of Liberty Museum Advisory Board.
Available December 2022 at Amazon: Paperback $20.00.
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The Flying Grunt
by Alan Mesches
Inspiring story of a young man from a humble background to decorated veteran of Korea and Vietnam who was almost selected as an astronaut.
Richard Edward Carey enlisted in the Corps in 1946, he later earned a commission, fighting at Inchon and Chosin in Korea before becoming a pilot—flying every aircraft in the Marine arsenal during his 38-year military career.
Carey would provide critical intelligence decisions enabling the successful defense of the Chinese attack on Hagaru-ri at the Chosin Reservoir, Korea. In 189 days of combat, he escaped death seven times, and was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medals.
In Vietnam, he flew 204 combat sorties, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and 16 Air Medals. In 1975, from Saigon, Carey led history’s largest helicopter evacuation of refugees.
This biography is based upon hours of interviews with the general, his papers, speeches, and Marine Corps documents that captured an exceptional and inspiring life.
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Lt. General Richard Carey, signs the Museum copy of his biography March 2, 2023.
What's inside 'The Flying Grunt'
Chapter 1 The Early Years
Chapter 2 On to Korea
Chapter 3 A New Role—Chosin Reservoir Campaign
Chapter 4 Reflections on Chosin Reservoir
Chapter 5 After Chosin Reservoir
Chapter 6 Aviation Career Begins
Chapter 7 Mid 1950s to 1960s
Chapter 8 Fighter Pilot in Vietnam
Chapter 9 Vietnam Media Coverage
Chapter 10 Post-Vietnam War
Chapter 11 Evacuation from Vietnam
Chapter 12 General Carey’s Supplement to the Command Chronology on Frequent Wind
Chapter 13 Mayaguez Rescue
Chapter 14 Back to Headquarters Marine Corps (HMC)
Chapter 15 Atlantic Command
Chapter 16 Final Assignment Quantico
Chapter 17 A Brief Entry into Politics
Chapter 18 Aiding the Dallas District Courts
Chapter 19 General Carey Continues to Serve in Retirement
Chapter 20 The Chosin Few Monument Project
Chapter 21 Family
Read More & Get Your Copy
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MIAs - Missing in Action
We have information on over 90,000 MIAs. This includes most all the World War II MIAs and some from World War I, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War.
With our strategic partners, the MIA Recovery Network, we want to tell the last chapter in the life of these Citizen Soldiers.
We would also like your help in telling the first chapters of the lives of those still Missing in Action. Do you have service photos of a family member that is or was MIA? News articles? Service related material?
Material on Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines MIAs:
Air Corps:
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X-Files - Buried Unknowns
There are many citizen soldiers whose body was recovered, but they are unidentified. There are thousands of these unknowns buried in American Battle Monument Cemeteries around the world. They are also known as X-Files.
Material on Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines X-Files can be found:
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Awards, Rosters
Unit Documents
We need you ! A continued big thanks to our fantastic army of volunteers. We have much more so if you can type and have a couple hours each week we can use you !
Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force
We have received material on many units and are hoping to compile much more.
Unit Citations, Awards, Transfers, Rosters
Many groups received unit citations during their particular conflict. The paperwork, in triplicate, would include a roster of all assigned and attached personnel. We are seeking and requesting copies of those roster documents. Please search your papers, talk to your association and help us out with this information and get them to us pronto!
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Attention Website Owners &
Veteran Associations
Many WWII veterans organizations have shut. Many these organizations had developed some type of website, some with enormous amounts of data and history. Sadly, many had/have not made provisions for their website to be continued and thus when the bill stops being paid, the website disappears and all the work and information is lost. We want to help and we need you to help us. If you know of a disbanding group, please have them get in contact with us; we would like to bring their website and information under our wing. If they want to continue to maintain it we can give them access to continue that as well. One of our top goals for this and every year is to preserve this history not lose it!
Not a WW2 unit? That's ok. We are also interested in your history and want to help preserve it. Korea, Vietnam and all other conflicts.
If your organization has physical materials such as uniforms, patches, photos and other memorabilia do you have plans for them when you cease operations? We would be honored to be the custodian of your group's history.
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We would like to send a shout out to our website design partner, InterNet Partners, who has helped us with a variety of database programming and web design over the years. | |
Contact
Sons of Liberty Museum
Army Air Corps Library and Museum
Directors' Line: 214.957.1393
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