About the Mighty 8th

In 1944 the U.S. Army established the modern 8th Air Force in bases throughout Great Britain. The Mighty Eighth, as it came to be known, was the greatest air armada ever to be seen. Thousands of airplanes took to the skies on an almost daily basis to pound the Nazi war machine and the industry supporting it into submission.

Tens of thousands of army personnel made up this effort—combat aircrews, aircraft ground crews, and all the control and support services necessary to accomplish this mission—became victorious veterans at the close of hostilities.

The 8th Air Force Historical Society, through its local chapters, was established by and for these veterans to maintain the personal contacts forged in service, to provide meeting places and times for them to reunite, to make sure their individual stories of uncommon valor and everyday heroism would not vanish with their passing.

With the passing of almost all of these veterans, almost 80 years on, the mission of the Oregon Chapter has fundamentally changed. We are a group of children and grandchildren of WWII air service veterans who maintain their memories and their stories; of people who are interested in the history of those times; and of airmen and women of succeeding conflicts to continue the story of the U.S. aerial forces.