The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Pooler, GA, has announced a lineup of four author programs this fall, covering topics ranging from the Tuskegee Airmen and Charles Lindbergh to OSS operations in occupied France and remarkable wartime acts of humanity.
(Image credit: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force)
The series begins on October 10 at 11 a.m. with journalist and author Cheryl W. Thompson, who will discuss her book Forgotten Souls: The Search for the Lost Tuskegee Airmen (click HERE to register for the program). Thompson, an NPR investigative journalist and the daughter of a Tuskegee Airman, examines the stories of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen who went missing during WWII combat missions and the decades-long search for answers surrounding their fate. Drawing on interviews with family members and archival research, the book explores the pilots’ lives, the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, and the lasting impact their loss had on their families and communities. Thompson’s presentation will be followed by a book signing.
(Image credit: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force)
On October 25 at 2 p.m., physician and author Dr. Jonathan Reich will present A Convenient Villain: Charles A. Lindbergh’s Remarkable and Controversial Legacy Preparing the U.S. for War (click HERE to register for the program). The book examines Lindbergh’s visits to Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1938 and argues that intelligence gathered during those trips influenced American aircraft development before WWII. Reich also explores Lindbergh’s role in the debate over U.S. involvement in the war, offering a reassessment of one of the most debated figures in American aviation history.
(Image credit: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force)
The museum’s Mighty Talk series continues on November 3 at 11 a.m. with Kaitlin Sanders, co-author of Ortiz’s War (click HERE to register for the program). The book tells the story of Peter J. Ortiz, a French Foreign Legion veteran, U.S. Marine, and Office of Strategic Services operative who parachuted into occupied France during WWII. Ortiz worked with the French Resistance, gathered intelligence, assisted downed Allied airmen, and conducted operations against German forces. His wartime service earned him recognition as one of the most decorated Marines of the conflict.
(Image credit: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force)
The final program is scheduled for November 19 at 11 a.m., when bestselling author Adam Makos will present “Enemies No More.” During the event, Makos will discuss two of his books, A Higher Call and his latest release, Tidal Wave (click HERE to register for the program). A Higher Call recounts the famous wartime encounter between American B-17 pilot Charlie Brown and German fighter ace Franz Stigler, who chose not to shoot down Brown’s heavily damaged bomber. Tidal Wave examines the aftermath of Operation Tidal Wave, the August 1943 low-level B-24 raid against Romania’s Ploesti oil fields, focusing on the experiences of American airmen and the individuals who aided them after the mission.
(Image credit: National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.)
All four programs are free and open to the public, though advance registration is requested. Book signings will follow each presentation, and copies of the featured books will be available through the museum store. For more information and to support the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, click on this link: www.mightyeighth.org.
