The U.S. was thrust into WWII on December 7, 1941 with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Following this successful attack, the Japanese High Command began searching for their next step against the United States.

The Battle of Wake Island pitted a small American force against a large Japanese force. The Japanese attacked the remote Pacific island outpost just hours after their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Sixteen days later, Japanese

The first American air strike against German targets in Europe in World War II took place on July 4, 1942. Flying six twin-engine A-20 light bombers, and joined by six other planes of the same type flown by British Royal

The daughter of one of the pilots who flew in the Battle of Midway attended our June 5 presentation about the battle, which included a flight of our Douglas SBD Dauntless. Dona Sorenson is a daughter Don D. Adams (U.S, Navy,

U.S. forces defeated a major attack by the Japanese Imperial Navy in the historic June 4-7, 1942, Battle of Midway, even though the Japanese fleet seemed to have every advantage. As docent John Lynch said in a presentation at the Museum

Fleet Problem XXI was a U.S. Navy exercise conducted in the Pacific near the Hawaiian Islands in April and May of 1940. Like similar exercises going back to 1923, it tested ideas of offensive and defensive naval warfare. Several earlier

When our rare Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless flew for the public Saturday during a presentation at the museum about the historic World War II Battle of Midway, Alan Wojciak was at the controls. The Dauntless, which played a significant role in the

By Colonel Gene Pfeffer, USAF (Ret) This is the story of an American Army Air Forces pilot flying from England named Elwood Starkey and his role in Operation Overlord, the invasion of France in June, 1944.  Starkey flew 36 B-24 combat

The Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) were a brave and dedicated group of aviators who helped the U.S. win the WWII battles in the air.  They did not participate in combat directly.  But they did take the place of

A group of World War II veterans told their stories to Museum visitors on Saturday in an event sponsored by the Southern Colorado Honor Flight. One vet donated what has become a rarity -- a 48-star American flag. Ted Langowski, 97,

Close air support, like air power itself, came of age in World War II. Before the war, air power theorists generally focused on bombers, whose long range and heavy payloads could threaten distant enemy industrial centers. They might even win

              A key component of the Royal Air Force's success in the Battle of Britain during World War II was the Chain Home system of coastal radars, which gave early warning of German air attacks. The concept of operations of today's

The American Volunteer Group (AVG), known as “The Flying Tigers”, was a group of American pilots and ground crew who served China in its war against Japan.  Their entire combat history covers the seven months from December, 1941 through July,

  One of the many factors in the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic during WWII was the development of small aircraft carriers, termed escort carriers. Initially they accompanied large convoys of merchant vessels across the Atlantic, providing protection

On Saturday, March 20th, the National Museum of World War II Aviation hosted the first in a series of history seminars that will be presented at the museum over the coming year.  Some of these events will include flight demonstrations

The Battle of Midway has been described as the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. Sources differ, but Gordon Prange’s “Miracle at Midway” says Japanese losses were about 2,500 casualties, 4 carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu), 1

February 10, 2021 Colorado Springs—Dan Massett, Champion Aerospace Business Development Manager—Piston and Power, visited the National Museum of World War II Aviation on Tuesday, February 9th.  This was the Dan’s first visit since joining the Champion Aerospace team in November 2020.  Champion

  Two individuals connected to the National Museum of World War II Aviation are featured in a new documentary honoring the Tuskegee Airmen that premiers on The History® Channel February 10, 6 p.m. MST. The late Frank Macon, Tuskegee Airman, lifelong aviator

February 2, 2021—Last week, museum volunteers completed work on a replica of a Northwest Airlines hangar facing.  The new display was built by an all-volunteer team to provide context for one of the museum’s oldest and rarest aircraft, a Waco

The Museum has received a donation from the Soaring Eagles Foundation of a CG-4A Glider project. Randy & Pam Rothe of Colorado Springs not only made this great project available to the Museum, but delivered it from California with the