A Happy Birthday America! We hope your celebration includes, baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, family, friends and fireworks.

We have a special announcement to make. A week ago we finished and launched a re-design of the armyaircorpsmuseum.org website. The website design was 10 years old and needed a new look. We are really pleased with the new product and hope you will enjoy it as well. We have added a lot of new photos and other material that we hope you will enjoy. This adds to the "new-look" 5thaf.org and 7tha.org and 8af.org websites that were completed earlier this year. We are going to continue upgrading all of our websites and adding new material.

We are going to use this newsletter to describe all the types of material that we have been gathering and the projects that they entail.

Additionally, we have added over 4800 servicemen to our 8th Air Force, 15th Air Force and 15th AF group websites. We are also now up to 195 fighter pilot encounter reports of the 8th AF on 8af.org website.

This is issue 120 of our newsletter, time flies! We hope you enjoy it.



Want to help Support Our Mission?

Sons of Liberty Museum - Secure Donation

Army Air Corps Museum - Secure Donation

Thank you for all of the great artifact donations!

We want to send out a special thank you to all of our volunteers who have been helping us on many projects. We could not have accomplished so much without your assistance! Contact us if you want to help.

Thank you for your support!

Artifacts help tell the stories, money makes the engine run, please

Donate Now!

We tell history! Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time.

Remember those that made the #ultimatesacrifice #mia #pow #kia #sonsofliberty. #patriots #army #navy #marines #aircorps #airforce #coastguard #spaceforce #merchantmarine; all those that have worn the cloth.

Join us on this journey.

In Their Memory,

Robert Coalter, Executive Director

Jason Weigler, Executive Director

Major Robert Weigler, Jr. US Army Ret. - Director

"Saving Military History One Soldier At A Time".^SM 

"Saving History One Soldier At A Time"^SM

So with the launch of the new armyaircorpsmuseum.org website we want to let you know all about what we do and what type of material (data) and other information we are accumulating and presenting to you across all of our websites. While we are going to discuss specifics of the new Air Corps website, this also applies to the Sons of Liberty Museum and its' website.

We had a couple goals with the new website. The first was to use a 2.0 version design for the mobile experience, but also have a fresh design look for the desktop user. We focused on how we display pictures; We have tens-of-thousands of photos in our collections; some photos come to us just loose, others in scrapbooks and albums. We have a long way to go but we are working on scanning all of these photos. currently, we have 307 photo albums online with over 10500 pictures.

A few years ago the National Archives published over 200,000 3x5 scanned index cards of Army Air Forces and early Air Force awards. This data included award, date, general order, service number, rank, name and issuing authority. However, as is the case with many award documents that are made by wing and theater level commands the actual bomb or fighter unit of the awardee is omitted. It is omitted on the original documents from which the index card was created. We have started transcribing these cards; and so far over 22,000 awards are on the website. By extracting this data and placing in our database, we can match them to other entries in our database and possibly establishing the unit to which they were assigned.

Volunteers receive an electronic copy of the 3.5 cards and a spreadsheet where they extract and enter the data. They usually receive 1000 cards on which to work. At this pace this project will take over a decade. We need a group of dedicated volunteers to help us make this happen a lot quicker. contact us if you would like to help.

Award Documents

In addition to the NARA cards we also have many original award documents or General Orders. From these documents we extract all the pertinent information and that material gets into the database. This data creates personnel pages across our websites. To date this has built a database of nearly 450,000 servicemen and women with nearly 600,000 awards. We just added over 4800 servicemen to the websites and we have thousands of pages of documents that need to be transcribed. We need a group of dedicated volunteers to help us with this very important history project. Contact us if you would like to help.

Unit Histories

We have many unit histories and other documents to transcribe. These offer all types of historical information for families and researchers. Retyping these documents in to MS Word is needed because the originals are of poor quality and so they are not suitable for OCR. We have documents of all types and length. This material will be place on our newly upgraded websites and we need you to help us develop this material. We need a group of dedicated volunteers to help us with this very important history project. Contact us if you would like to help.

Pilot Encounters

Members of the military were required to complete what were termed 'after action' reports. This paperwork would inform command of the activities of subordinate units and serve as tools for future engagements. The Army Air Forces of World War II had a couple of narratives about their activities in conflict. The first were mission summaries. These reports were paired with mission briefs also termed field orders; these would detail when a mission would begin, the groups and aircraft involved, target, flight paths, rendezvous, ingress and egress, time on target, bomb and ammunition loads and purpose of the mission. The mission summary would entail the actual times, targets, results both successful and unsuccessful, losses, early damage assessment and more. These reports were on a group level whether bomber or fighter.

Then there were individual reports. Most of these reports were called 'encounter' reports. They were first person accounts of combat. They could be called eyewitness to history; but more appropriately these are about participants in history.

To date we have placed 195 of these encounter reports on the 8af.org website; we have over 1000 of these reports that have been transcribed and await placement on our websites. We also have quite a few of these that we need transcribed; and we continue to find more. (Read two of them in this newsletter).

We need a group of dedicated volunteers to help us with this very important history project. Contact us if you would like to help.

Nose Art - Strike Photos - Aircraft - MACRs

We are building a nose art database; Share with us any nose art photos and the tail number along with the unit where the plane was assigned.

Our strike photo collection is growing rapidly, please share with us material you may have to support this project.

We are working on aircraft tail number databases and welcome any contributions to this project. Remember we need this information to be sourced from original documents.

We are needing assistance with our MACR database; please contact us if you would like to help.

MIAs - X-Files

Currently, we have databases online of America's MIAs and Buried Unknowns (X-Files). Our team in collaboration with the MIA Recovery Network continue to search for material and information relating to but not limited to after action reports, eyewitness reports, service photos, possible DNA donors and more. Please contact us if you can provide information.

Rosters and More

All of the data through our various projects helps us recreate rosters; honoring as many servicemen and servicewomen as possible. This digital side of both the Army Air Corps Museum and Sons of Liberty Museum is 1/2 of what we do and we are committed to the continued growth of this part of our history preservation effort.

The artifacts, mobile museum and school eduction programs are the other 1/2 of our mission, details of which we will save for another time, but you can read about this on the websites.

We have published over 1 Million web pages of history!

So What Can I Do?

1. Have photos, documents and other material for one of our many projects? Honor the veteran(s) in your family by sharing originals or digital copies of this material.
2. We welcome autobiographies or memoirs that you would permit us to place on the websites.
3. Volunteer. Many projects are remote work where you can work from the comfort of your own home. In fact we have volunteers from around the country.
4. Donate. We accept artifacts for the collection and monetary gifts. You can honor-memorialize a veteran with a memorial marker for the mobile museum or have monies go to the general fund.

Want to create a permanent memorial for your veteran or family member? Instead of a brick that wears away from foot traffic, memorialize that special veteran on the side of the USH-Constitution.

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".

2 1/2" x 22" - $750

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.

2" x 36" - $1375

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".

5" x 36" - $2000

In all of our research, we continue to find first person accounts of dates in history. The following are the transcribed copy of the official combat report of a couple fighter pilots of the VIII Fighter Command, 8th Air Force.

361st Fighter Group 09/12/1944

COMBAT REPORT

A. COMBAT.

B. 12 September 1944

C. 376th Fighter Squadron

D. 1115

E. 10 miles west of Magdeburg.

F. CAVU

G. Me-109’s.

H. One Me-109 destroyed.

I. I was flying Titus Yellow Two escorting B-17’s over Magdeburg. The Me-

109’s bounced our B-17’s just after they left the target. The enemy aircraft (20/30) split, some dived in front of our flight. In the process of dropping our tanks, our flight split up. The other men followed the enemy aircraft down. One Me-109 came in at my 12 o’clock, same altitude (26,000 to 28,000 ft.). I circled, got on his tail and fired a short burst at about 300/400 yards, 30° degree deflection. Seeing no hits, I closed to about 200 yards and fired another short burst at 30° deflection and the e/a blew up. I was using the M-14 gun sight and found it excellent. I claim one Me-109 destroyed.

J. P-51 AC No. 42-10653848 (E9-S): 588 rounds.



                                           CLAIRE P. CHENNAULT,

                                            2nd Lt., Air Corps

356th Fighter Group 11/26/1944

356th FIGHTER GROUP

AAF Station 369, APO 557

28 November 1944.

PERSONAL COMBAT REPORT

Eighth Air Force F.O. 564A



DONALD A. BACCUS, Lt. Col., ASN 0406504                         LAMPSHADE 23

a.      Combat.

b.      26 November 1944.

c.      356th Fighter Group (flying with 360th Fighter Squadron).

d.      1115 to 1130 hours.

e.      Dummer Lake area.

f.       3/10 Low cumulus, base 8000 feet, top 9000 feet,

g.      Two Me 109’s

h.     DESTROYED.

i.       I was Lampshade Group leader on a Ramrod to Paderborn. We had made R/V and were escorting our assigned C/W’s of bombers. We were at 9 o’clock to them and proceeding on course when MEW reported bandits to the south of B/F. Chinwag leader called in bandits at 3 o’clock and I swung over and saw a gaggle of 25 Me 109’s pass under us at 20,000 – 3000 feet below us. I made a sharp diving turn to the left and saw the E/A dropping tanks as we got on their tails. I picked the last man in the gaggle. Opening fire from 400 yards, I gave him a 3-second burst and saw pieces fly off. In short order this E/A rolled over and the pilot bailed out. I turned sharply to the right, picked up two Me 109’s, and as I attacked from the rear these E/A broke from 19,000, one to the left and the other to the right and down. I tagged the one turning to the right and broke with him. Positioning myself dead astern, I gave him a short burst from 250-300 yards. I scored many hits and followed him as he broke again in a steep right turn. I scored more hits with two short bursts. This time he rolled and I followed, scoring hits on the cockpit with 40 degree deflection. This last burst probably killed the pilot, as the E/A rolled completely and went down in a spiral, blowing up as it hit the ground. At this point I realized I was alone, so I climbed back up to bomber level and continued escort.

I claim two Me 109’s destroyed.

Rounds fired: 1470 API.

STATEMENT ON K-14 GUNSIGHT:

I used the K-14 gunsight for the first time in aerial combat on this mission. It worked magnificently. It is so much superior to the old type reflector sight that there is no comparison. I checked the needle and ball frequently. However, I believe I was well off on my range estimation. Still I scored many hits. I attribute my second kill – scored with a 40 degree deflection shot – to the efficiency of the sight.

DONALD A. BACCUS

Lt. Col., Air Corps

Commanding

MM-1776 Launches

Our grand opening last weekend (Oct 21, 2023) of our new mobile museum, MM-1776.. Thank you to American Legion Post 453 for hosting this event and dinner.

Veteran Memorials

With the launch of our new mobile-museum trailer we have a place for a visual honorarium and memorial for your veteran. Honor your veteran family member with a permanent marker on our new mobile-museum.

Like bricks or pavers, this permanent memorial will be seen by many at schools, veteran and civic events. Get your Veteran Memorial Today!

Read more about Sons of Liberty Memorials

Read More About Army Air Corps Memorials

If you are looking to volunteer with a non-profit we would welcome your assistance. We have a need to transcribe over 150,000 of these index cards. Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Soldiers Medal, Bronze Stars and Purple Heart. Getting this information into our database will allow us to make this data searchable. Contact us to get started!

We are also looking for General Orders of World War II, digital copies are welcome; volunteers to transcribe this data.

Transcription of monthly unit histories and other documents are projects to help us recover and preserve history and are fantastic accounts written close to the actual events rather than decades later as memories may fade.

There are still thousands classified as Missing in Action or as Buried Unknowns. In our partnership with the MIA Recovery Network we have established data on our websites regarding MIAs.

The quest to account for those of our nation's Missing in Action is one of the most noble of endeavors. There are also a large number of recovered remains that are buried in ABMC cemeteries where the identity is unknown. These are known as X-Files.

The recovery of MIAs pose a number of challenges. For example, Navy or Merchant Marine ships that were sunk are unrecoverable and thus ship manifests are the primary and often only source of names for those that have perished but are still accounted.

Each conflict has had its own challenges. At the end of World War II the military had established more than 360 temporary cemeteries, but the dead were being found continually in farm fields, forests, small church cemeteries, isolated graves and the shores of combat zones. These dead were collected and the remains consolidated into the fourteen permanent European, Mediterranean, and North African Cemeteries maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission along with two permanent cemeteries in the Philippines and Hawaii.

Monetary donations are needed and very welcomed to support these efforts to create case files.

Please consider a DONATION today. Thank You.

#neverforget #bringthemallhome

Sons of Liberty Museum

The Sons of Liberty has hundreds of uniforms and thousands of other artifacts in our collection from the U.S. Revolutionary War to Present day. Our web presence now numbers in excess of 500,000 pages. We continue to accept new material for education and research programs.

Our collection includes memorabilia from the front line soldier to the rear echelon clerk. Drivers, infantrymen, pilots, tankers, seaman, medical, artillery, armorers, engineers, quartermasters and much more. Those that were drafted or volunteered; those that did a single tour or made it a career. Those that returned with all types of injuries and those that gave their full measure; killed in action (KIA). All MOS are welcome from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines.

Monetary donations help us preserve and display these pieces of American History. Thank you for your support.

We are Saving Military History One Soldier At A Time. We are honoring the service of the Citizen Soldier.

#sonsofliberty

Volunteers

We need volunteers to transcribe award and roster documents. You will place the material into a spreadsheet where it will be added to our database and website. We welcome new dedicated volunteers to work from home and help us with this project!

Interesting Links & Resources

Researching History: https://www.sonsoflibertymuseum.org/military-history-records.cfm

Honor Roll: https://www.sonsoflibertymuseum.org/honor.cfm

Donations

We welcome donations of monies for operational costs. Artifact donations are sought in the form of papers, books, photos, gear, uniforms, jackets, medals, ribbons, weapons, equipment, scrapbooks, biographies, diaries and more. Please Contact Us

Revolutionary War, War if 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Cold War, Gulf War and current conflict donations accepted. From small to large multi-item donations, they all tell a story.

We need you ! We need your help to further our mission of preserving and bringing this history to the public. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit your qualifying donations are tax deductible.

Army Air Corps Museum

The Air Corps Museum online presence encompasses over 500,000 web pages with thousands of photos and other materials. Our artifact collection contains hundreds of uniforms, albums, logs, medals and more from the Army Air Service, Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force.

World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Cold War, Gulf War and current conflict donations welcome!

Volunteers

We need volunteers to transcribe documents, placing the material into a spreadsheet. We welcome new dedicated volunteers to help us with this project! Work from home.

Interesting Links & Resources

Trace a Family Members Military Service: https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/veteran-research.cfm

Honor Roll: https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/honor_roll.cfm

Donations

We welcome donations of papers, books, photos, gear, uniforms, jackets, medals, ribbons, weapons, equipment, scrapbooks, biographies, diaries, letters and more. Please Contact Us

Monetary donations help us preserve and display these pieces of American History. Thank you for your support. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit your qualifying donations are tax deductible.

As a non-profit it's important to let our patrons know where some of their money is going.

This riker-mount display box is one of the most important pieces that we use. They contain ribbons, medals, patches, pictures and other small memorabilia items. They are great to help reserve items as well.

Each year we purchased 500 of these items. We will fill them all with great artifacts in less than 12 months.

$5000.

Constant Contact charges us $1200 annually to create, store and send this newsletter.

Our web servers, domains and hosting cost $8200 / year. Our hosting requirement of storage will only increase over the coming years as we continue to add to our online material.

The annual total for just these three components is $14,400. Naturally, we have other expenditures, but 100% of monetary donations go to operations. All staff and directors are volunteers.

Monetary donations are needed and very welcomed to support these efforts.

Please consider a DONATION today. Thank You.



We rescue a lot of military artifacts; items destined for the trash heap. From torn papers and faded ribbons to moth damaged uniforms decades pass and the condition of items deteriorate. These artifacts still have a story to tell.

Many museums only want items in pristine condition, we say differently. Some so called museums only want materials from a well known commander written up in history books or the fighter ace or a man who would fly to the moon or a Medal of Honor recipient.

While we have artifacts such as these we also have the items of the draftee who answered their nation's call and served their tour and then went home. Some were not so fortunate, special place in our hearts for the KIAs. In our mission of "Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time" it is about all who have worn the cloth of our nation's military. Artifacts help us bring stories to life no matter their condition.

We accept donations of artifacts in ALL CONDITIONS.

---- 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 their liberty and 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 15 years 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.

Need a Good Book, DVD?

Check out these titles.

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.