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"Command of the Air is Vital to Victory     

       We are in the midst of the most momentous war of modern times. A coalition of powerful and ruthless enemies seeks not only to overwhelm us but to annihilate our institutions and our civilization. They have struck with suddenness and with all the force at their command, and have shown that it is their aim to conquer swiftly and completely. Therefore, we have no time to lose. We must surpass them both in strength and speed of attack. We must press them back behind their own borders and there defeat them so decisively that they can never again attempt to impose their wills and their ways of life on a people who cherish liberty above all things; a people always willing to lay down their lives to preserve their freedom."

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The long path to victory:

"Your primary directive will be the progressive destruction and dislocation of the German military, industrial, and economic system, and the undermining of the morale of the German people to the point where their capacity for armed resistance is fatally weakened."--The Casablanca Directive, Feb. 4, 1943

"Gentlemen, the target for today is Germany."

"The victory you win will be a victory of all the people--common to them all."--FDR's Letter to the US Army Expeditionary Forces on D-Day

"If you see fighting aircraft over you, they will be ours."--General Dwight D. Eisenhower, June 1944

"Again and again we return to the starting point of our conversation. Our whole military predicament is due to enemy air superiority."--Joseph Goebbels, reflecting on a conversation with Hitler, diary, March 21, 1945. From Airpower From the Ground Up By Richard P. Hallion

"[With the beginning, in May 1944, of the Allied attack on oil centers] a new era in the air war began. It meant the end of German armaments production."--Albert Speer, Nazi armaments minister, in his postwar memoirs.  Airpower From the Ground Up By Richard P. Hallion.

"Not only our military reverses but also the severe drop in the German people's morale, neither of which can now be overlooked, are primarily due to the unrestricted enemy air superiority." --Goebbels, diary, March 15, 1945. Airpower From the Ground Up By Richard P. Hallion.

"The thing that brought about the determination to make peace was the prolonged bombing by the B-29s."--Japanese Prince Fumimaro Konoye, in a postwar interrogation, 1945. Airpower From the Ground Up By Richard P. Hallion.

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PURPOSES OF THE 8th AFHS-MN

One of the purposes of the Eighth Air Force Historical Society of Minnesota is to perpetuate, preserve, and share the history of the 8th Air Force, and other US veterans, and remember their service to our country. All presentations and meetings are free and open to the public. The organization is educational, non-profit, and preserves our history and cultural heritage. 

This online archives is designed to report recent news to our members and the public and to be informational, educational, non-commercial, editorial, and scholarly. It allows members quick access (SEE "ATTACHMENTS" BELOW) to the news, transcripts, and photos of presentations that members or their relatives may have missed. The online archive allows remote access 24/7. 

"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever"

         -Napoleon

PRESERVATION FOR THE FUTURE

At present Google's policy is to delete websites and You Tube videos after 3 months to 1 year of "inactivity," (e.g., if  the webmaster becomes incapacitated or dies), so if there is anything you want to preserve for your descendants, download it now, save it on your computer, and distribute it to other family members' computers. (The current 8th AFHS-Mn President has been designated to be sent an e-mail notice and is authorized to get access to and download the contents of this website after one year of "inactivity.")

With present day indexing, transmission, and digital archiving, computers may provide long term (multi-generational) access for members' families and scholars through time and globally, if the information is downloaded and moved to many personal computers.  Key to a strategy of preserving information for the future is the use of many mediums of preservation (both digital and analog), durability of each medium chosen, and dispersal of as many copies as possible. To promote the goal of digital dispersal, download to your own family's computer(s) any information you want to see preserved and e-mail copies to other family members' computers or make CDs or DVDs. To promote the goal of durability through different mediums, print and store copies in several locations. 

Transcripts of Presentations starting in June 2010 can be viewed or  downloaded as Microsoft Word DOC files (or as a PDF file, where the file size is very large) by clicking on the links at the bottom of this page. Audio Files in MP3 format are available on the "Presenters" webpage linked on the right side of this page.

On the right side of this page is some information on books, interviews, DVDs and movies made about our members. Family members generally prefer audio, video, and pictures. When asked, scholars overwhelmingly prefer to work with transcripts. Several WWII Documentaries, Recruiting Shorts, and Training Films are also available for viewing.

Remember: "Be like Dad, Keep Mum!"

and "Keep 'em flying!"

LEGAL DISCLAIMERS

1. Photos of people, events, and airplanes of possible interest to members are included but are not intended to imply any association with the 8th AFHS-Mn. Appearance of a person or a thing in any photo or webpage on this website does not imply he, she, or it is an advocate or sponsor for the 8th AFHS-Mn or its views or purposes or that they are a member.

2. The website reports and then archives news, historical information, and research, e.g. upcoming events,the topic of last week's meeting, appearances by 8th AF veterans (whether members or not) at schools or other venues, recent obituaries etc., and information of interest to members, and there is no reasonable expectation of privacy by presenters, members, or attendees at our public presentations, events, and meetings. As an example, presenters, members, and attendees are frequently photographed by several different people and recorded for our newsletter, which also appears online.The purposes of this non-profit, non-commercial, educational website includes news reporting, education, teaching, scholarship, comment, criticism, and research.

3. The views of presenters are their own personal views and not necessarily the views of the 8th AFHS-Mn, other presenters, or other members. The website is about people and their individual experiences, viewpoints, and stories and is therefore an editorial expression. Free expression of ideas and critical thinking, even where controversial, i.e. the right to free speech and the right to agree and disagree in the "marketplace of ideas," is part of what our veterans fought for.

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VIEW/DOWNLOAD TRANSCRIPTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

1. Dave Dahlberg Flight Eng. 2. Ray Peterson Flight Eng. 3.Vince Parker Tail Gunner 4. Ray Prozinski Tail Gunner 

5.Clinton Johnson Bmbdr  6 Larry Taylor Navigator 7.Lloyd Flynn USMC Pilot 8.Ted Murphy Navy Pilot

(Above: Photo Album Links)