5th of July, 2025
We’ve got a fantastic line-up of presentations and a thrilling flight to enjoy as we present our “patriotic” version of Event Saturday for July.
Doors to the Museum open at 9:00am on Saturday, July 5th and regular admission prices are in effect (Members always get in free).
At 10:30am we present “Hangar Talk” in the Maloney Hangar. We’ve got a number of presentations made by members of the Museum’s Education Programs team as well as members of the Historical Unit of Southern California (HUSC).
This month, we’re taking a look back 80 years ago with the events that led to the end of the Second World War in the European Theater. We’ll enjoy another visit from General Dwight D. Eisenhower as he recaps the final months of the European war with a special look at the fierce fighting between the German military and the armed forces of the Soviet Union. Thanks to the HUSC, we’ll be visited by a Soviet Correspondent who was in Berlin during its fall in May 1945 and we’ll also hear the words of a German woman who survived the conflict.
Once the fighting stopped a new battle ensued – that for the technology and scientists of Germany between the allies and the Soviets. We’ll take a close look at what the United States was able to acquire during this crucial time.
We’ll also look at the rebuilding of Europe from the war crimes trials at Nuremberg to the start of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and nations of the free west.
We’ll close out this “Hangar Talk” event with great Ted TALK as we look at the remarkable and moving art of cartoonist Bill Mauldin, who captured for everyone the trials and tribulations of the common foot soldier.
At 12:15pm on our hot ramp, we present the flight of the Museum’s massive and ever-popular World War II-era aircraft, the General Motors TBM “Avenger.” This powerful torpedo-bomber served the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and several allied nations in the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. Affectionately called “the turkey,” this three-man aircraft could deliver up to 2,000 pounds of conventional bombs or a specialized torpedo. As a result, it was an effective and dangerous weapon for enemy ships and installations.
The Museum’s David Willis will present a brief talk on the history of this aircraft and the important role it played during the Second World War. Then one of our skilled Museum pilots (TBD will start the 1,700 horsepower Wright R-2600 radial engine directly in front of the crowd with an awesome roar.
David will then conduct our Member’s Raffle Drawing for a flight in one of the Museum’s trainer aircraft and then we’ll all enjoy a thrilling twenty-minute flight overhead of the “Avenger. Upon their return, guests have the opportunity to ask questions of the TBM’s pilot.
We have Food Trucks and other hands-on activities for Saturday’s event. Our Museum Guides will be available to talk about the Museum’s collection and our B-17 will be open to visitors. Should be a great day at the Museum.
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