390th Memorial Museum: A Tribute to WWII Aviation

The 390th Memorial Museum stands as a tribute to the brave men of the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the Eighth Air Force, who flew B-17 Flying Fortresses during World War II. Located on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, the museum offers a deeply moving and educational experience.The museum's centerpiece is a fully restored B-17 bomber, one of the few combat-ready B-17s on display in the United States. Visitors can walk around and peer inside this iconic aircraft, gaining a sense of the cramped and dangerous conditions faced by the aircrews. Other exhibits include flight jackets adorned with artwork, uniforms, replicas of the flight tower and Nissen hut, and dioramas of flight missions and airfields.The museum also showcases a unique nose art exhibit, crew stories, and statistics from the 390th's 301 missions. A video presentation features interviews with surviving members and actual film clips from the war, adding a personal and impactful dimension to the experience. The museum's collection includes thousands of documents, photographs, and objects within its library and archives.The 390th Bombardment Group flew its last combat mission on April 20, 1945. In over 300 missions, the group flew 8,725 sorties and dropped 19,000 tons of bombs, but lost 181 aircraft and 714 crewmembers. The 390th Memorial Museum reopened on September 28, 2013, after a significant expansion.