Meetings Are Free. Meetings are open to everyone. There is no cost to attend. You do not have to be a member in order to attend a meeting.
Doors open at 10:00 A.M.
A luncheon sandwich bar is available for $16
Room clears at 2:00 PM (to avoid an additional room charge)
"8th Air Force B-24 Liberator Pilot: Clinton A. Gruber"
General Meeting Program, August 8th, 2026 will be presented by Lt Col Terrence G. Popravak, Jr., USAF (Retired).
Lt. Col. Clinton A. Gruber USAF (Ret.), visits the only air-worthy B-24 left in the world during a Warbirds fly-in.
Photo by Dwight Gruber.
General Meeting Program August 8th, 2026 is presented by Lt Col Terrence G. Popravak, Jr., USAF (Retired).. He is an Oregon Chapter member, published author and volunteer historian with the 142nd Wing, Oregon Air National Guard.
Terry will showcase the wartime experience of 8th Air Force B-24 Liberator Pilot Clinton A. Gruber, an Oregonian who flew in the Hardwick-based 93rd Bomb Group in the summer and fall of 1943.
As a member of “Ted’s Traveling Circus,” Gruber flew heavy bomber combat missions from England, Libya and Tunisia in operations against the Axis and enemy targets in Italy, Austria, France and Germany.
Clint Gruber was one of the original members of the Oregon Chapter 8th AFHS, and the father of Dwight Gruber, our Flight Lines editor.
Lt. Col. Clinton A. Gruber USAF (Ret.) B-24 co-pilot 8th Air Force, 23rd Bomb Group--Heavy "Ted's Traveling Circus"; WWII P.O.W. Photo London 1943
Shot down by Luftwaffe fighters on a December 1, 1943 mission over Germany, he survived to spend the remainder of the war as a “Kriegie,” a prisoner of war at Luft Stalag I at Barth, Germany, before liberation in May, 1945.
February 02, 2024 Presentation: "Beauty and Duty." speaker, Alice Miller.
May 11, 2024 Presentation: "The Bloody 100th Bomb Group" by Lt Col Terrence G. Popravak, Jr., USAF (Retired)
August 10, 2024 Mike Morrow and Chris Gattman, Aviation Historians "Two Pacific Northwest B-17 crash sites."
November 2, 2024 Treasurer, Pat Keating about his trip to New Orleans and Paul Bazely, Pilot, DC -3 and C-53. Additionally, Paul Bitner will display his 1958 Ford.
2025
February 8, 2025 Alice Miller in her annual "Beauty and Duty" Valentine's Day presentation and "Patriot Pin Up," Central Oregon Chapter, a non-for-profit group of women volunteers and their mission, supporting services for veterans.
Saturday May 10, 2025 Don Anderson, real WWII veteran, will be our Featured Speaker at our May meeting. Don recently turned 100 years old in March of 2025.
Saturday August 09, 2025 The Boeing B-29 and the end of WWII. Presenters are:
Bruce Strange, a retired Boeing engineer, Andy Wheeler, and Lt. Col. Terrence Popravak, USAF (Ret.)
2026
Saturday February 07, 2026
Alice Miller will present the latest and newest installment of her continuing series; "Women with Wings."
Saturday, May 09, 2026 On May 09th, 2026, Frederick A. Johnsen will present a program on the B-24 Liberator.
Lt. Col. Clinton A. Gruber USAF (Ret.) B-24 co-pilot 8th Air Force, 23rd Bomb Group--Heavy "Ted's Traveling Circus"; WWII P.O.W.
