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Special Event: The Normandy Invasion: Airpower Leads the Way
June 25, 2022 @ 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
The Normandy Invasion: Airpower Leads the Way
P-47 Flight Demonstration
Saturday, June 25
Doors Open at 8:00am—Presentation Begins at 9:30am
Operation Overlord, the June 6th, 1944 Allied invasion of France, was the ultimate event on the western front during WWII. Targeting the Normandy coast, this invasion was one of the most complex activities ever undertaken by man. It entailed thousands of aircraft, ships and landing vessels in a coordinated assault against Germany’s Atlantic Wall. The success of Overlord depended to a great degree on Allied air power in all its forms. Without air power, the invasion of France and liberation of Europe would have been impossible.
Museum historian and U.S. Air Force veteran Gene Pfeffer will describe the variety, pace and intensity of Allied air operations supporting the invasion. He will cover the U.S. Army Air Forces planning effort for the invasion, the Allied strategic bombing campaign, and the tactical air support provided by the P-47 Thunderbolt and other aircraft that enabled the Allied breakout from the invasion beaches into the heart of continental Europe.
The presentation will be followed by a flight demonstration of the P-47 Thunderbolt, weather permitting.
Doors to the museum open at 8:00 am. The presentation will begin at 9:30 am.