Stopping off for a visit at the National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force, in Pooler, Ga., were Jane and Mike Gay from Iowa City, Iowa. They are touring interesting sites, like the Mighty 8th along with other targeted Civil War battlefields, a special interest of Mike's. Traveling in their used, 13-foot Scamp travel trailer, they stress, “Smaller is better!” and say they love the 2008 camper which they acquired, as Jane describes, “by sheer good luck."
“There are so few used Scampers on the market, anywhere, and we were most fortunate the first time we stopped at an RV dealer.” says Jane. The dealer didn't have the kind of camper the couple had set their hearts on – a Scamp. However, Jane adds, “the manager there pulled a long face, then asked us to follow him to his office where he produced a flyer advertising a small Scamp for sale. The owners didn’t want to leave it with him on consignment, or he wasn't willing to take it, but he handed us the flyer and we immediately called the people and met with them within an hour and purchased this little thing!” The Gays are absolutely delighted with their purchase and have equipped it, just like they wanted it, with the bed permanently down during their full-time camping excursions. As they snacked on tortillas in the Mighty 8th's parking lot before entering the museum, Mike proclaims, “We have everything we need for life on the road.”
With a nod of her head, Jane indicated Mike's interest in military history as the reason for their stopping to see the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler. They were headed for a museum tour, which they planned to do after their parking lot lunch. Both are also avid canoe campers and have camped extensively in Iowa and in states around Iowa in wilderness areas. Jane recently retired from a position at the University of Iowa, and their plan is to travel as much as they can in the Scamp, although on her 'bucket list' is a two-week canoe camping sojourn all on her own. “In fact, immediately after my retirement party, we took off in the Scamp and headed for the far Northwest, Oregon, and Washington State; then we decided to check out Civil War sites,” says Jane. Mike shook his head ruefully and comments, “She'll do it too!, after we complete this eastern U.S. Civil War battlefields tour." Their next planned stop is to be Fort Sumter, in Charleston, S.C.
Jane explains that they have done a great deal of camping in national forests and national parks, and that she loves how they have had the opportunity, with the Scamp, to meet so many other people on every camping trip. “We especially enjoy meeting the foreigners who take part in Tour America's program of rental RV's,” explains Mike. “The national parks and forests are just marvelous as are the folks who work there,” Jane brags. “They are so knowledgeable about their sites, and so helpful.” The couple really enjoys camping, either with canoe, or with the Scamp, in those places.
“On this trip, we've met an awful lot of Tour America Canadians,” says Mike. “The folks from Europe are interesting too,” Jane adds. “Of course, there are always the newbies, especially from Europe where there are no public lands, he reveals. Aside from the fact, all lands over there are private, and therefore may not really have any true knowledge about camping. “We’ve noticed they go out, light a camp fire, then go inside the RV and watch TV, forgetting they've left a smoking fire.” This may disrupt everyone else’s experience who is sharing the camping grounds, and should not be a common practice. Giving his resilient opinion, Mike says “It's things like that that are irritating to other folks, who know what they are doing, at campsites.”
The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force encourages people who are RV'ers to visit. Their parking lot areas are pretty extensive except when they hold an 'open house' and museum entry is free for the day when parking becomes a problem due to the number of people visiting. This usually occurs when there is an anniversary celebration, which happened last February, as the museum celebrated the 76th anniversary of the organizing of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, which fought World War II in Europe. The museum is filled with memorabilia from that era and it fosters special programs which often include re-enactments, mostly by veterans of other wars, and most of whose fathers were actually involved in the fight against Nazi Germany. Today, there are fewer and fewer Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine World War II veterans left as they move into their late 80's and early 90's.
The largest and prime exhibit at the Mighty Eighth Museum is the "B-17 City of Savannah" which is on view and being lovingly restored at the heart of the museum. The aircraft was discovered, and provided to the Mighty Eighth's Museum, from the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This was after a decades-long search to locate this rare, heavy bomber. The aircraft, alongside a B-24 Liberator bomber, flew combat missions over Germany between 1942-1945. It is being restored to its combat readiness by volunteers and aircraft specialists.
The Mighty 8th also gives credit to the real life heroes of World War II in both the European and Pacific War Theaters, including the non-commissioned airmen who fought there. Bronze statues include a bust of General Jimmy Doolittle whose B-25 raid on Japan was the first air strike America made at the Imperial Japanese homeland. He is honored with a bronze bust near the museum's entry, while other Air Force Generals' bronze statues are positioned about the museum's Luis E. Lyle Rotunda, including that of Hollywood idol and Air Force General James Stewart. The 8th Air Force today remains a component of the United States Air Force headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, near Shreveport, La.
The Mighty Eighth Air Force museum, located in the Greater Savannah Area, is located near the Interstate-95 Exit at 175 Bourne Avenue, Pooler, Ga., 35322. For more information on the museum, visit the Mighty Eighth Museum website or call (912) 748-8888. The Gays planned a visit to Camping World at Pooler, immediately across the highway from the museum off U.S. Highway 80 in Pooler, a bedroom community of Savannah. Camping World at Pooler is one of the busiest places around, quite popular with all campers in the area.