MID-ATLANTIC AIR MUSEUM'S
 22nd ANNIVERSARY
 WORLD WAR II WEEKEND

"A GATHERING OF WARBIRDS"
 June 1 - 2 - 3, 2012

 SPECIAL GUESTS

UPDATED JANUARY 17, 2012
 



IN MEMORIAM TO OUR FRIENDS AND HEROES


 

What follows is a partial roster of our scheduled Special Guests for the 21st Anniversary WWII Weekend.  As the show draws near and others are confirmed we'll add them, so please check back to see what other guests are coming.

WWII Weekend guest speaker's schedules will be posted at each speaker's venue at the show.  At other times, many of these veterans will be available to meet and sign autographs at tables in the main hangar.  In some cases an autograph fee may be charged by the Special Guest.

PLEASE HIT YOUR BROWSER'S REFRESH BUTTON FOR THE LATEST VERSION

Some Boogie Woogie while you hurry up and wait?

Click on the name of each special guest to read their biography, or access their webpage.

Bee Haydu

Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP)

Elaine Harmon

Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP)
 

Florence Shutsy-Reynolds

Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP)
 

Gene "Pappy" Strine

USN, Anti-Submarine Squadron PBV-74, Battle of the Atlantic Veteran
 

MARTIN PBM MARINER

Paul Gordon

Sergeant, USAAF, 327th Bomb Squadron, 92d Bomb Group, B-17 ball turret gunner

 

William "Bill" Fili

Sergeant, USAAF, 450th Bomb Group, B-24 Engineer/ Top Turret Gunner, Ploesti Raid, POW
 

Crew of the B-24 "Destiny Deb"
Bill is second from the right, front row.

Joseph L. Lockard

Staff Sergeant, US Army, first person to see approaching Pearl Harbor attack on his radar. 
 

Antenna at Opana Ridge Radar Installation operated by Joseph Lockard that picked up the first planes to attack Pearl Harbor and Hickham Field.
 

Joe DeLucia

Tec Sgt. USAAF, Pearl Harbor Survivor, B-17 Top Turret gunner

  
   
 

Lyle Koenig

Fireman 1st Class, U.S. Navy, Pearl Harbor Survivor, U.S.S. Aylwin

  
   
 

Cpl. George Drace

Corporal, U.S. Army.  Pearl Harbor Survivor

  
   

George Cohen

USAAF, 509th Composite Group, Flight Engineer-

B-29 'Top Secret', Atom Bomb Missions

Jack Widowsky

Lieutenant, USAAF, 509th Composite Group, Navigator - B-29 "Top Secret", Atom Bomb Missions

Russell Gackenbach

1st Lieutenant, USAAF, 509th Composite Group, Navigator -  B-29 "Necessary Evil", the camera plane on the Atom Bomb Missions
 

Don Cole

Corporal, USAAF, 509th Composite Group, Asst Flight Engineer -  B-29 "Top Secret", back-up plane for the "Enola Gay" for the Hiroshima mission, and advance weather plane on the Nagasaki mission.

Carl Constein

Lieutenant, USAAF Air Transport Command, veteran pilot of 96 flights "over the Hump" in the China-Burma-India Campaign.

C-46 Commando #018

Richard Biehl

Corporal, US Army, 26th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Sicily and Omaha Beach, D-Day veteran
 

Walter Mattson

Captain, USAAF, 460th Bomb Group, Italy, B-24 Liberator Pilot
 

Walt Mattson's B-24 "Princess Carole"

Robert Buchanan

US Army, Signal Corps veteran with 9 Battle Stars, Hindenburg crash witness
 

Harold Billow

Corporal, US Army, “B” Battery, 285th FAOB - Malmedy Massacre Survivor

Severin Fayerman

Survivor of Nazi labor and concentration camps, including Kamionka, Auschwitz, Birkinau, Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald, and Siemens

 

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE:

WWII Weekend Special Guests and WWII Aircraft are scheduled to attend in the best of faith by all parties.  Unfortunately last minute health issues, weather factors, and mechanical issues may prevent attendance.  Scheduled times and venues are subject to change because of these possibilities.  We apologize if this should occur, however we offer no refunds or reductions.

In some cases an autograph fee may be charged by the Special Guest.

WWII VETERANS - "UNCLE MAAM" NEEDS YOU!

If you are interested in being a special guest at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s World War Weekend in future years please contact the museum in writing via email not later than October 1st for consideration at the following June event so that we may create a contact file.  The event is always held the first FULL weekend in June each year.

Special guests are considered for autographs, book or print signings, and as speakers regarding their military or war-effort experiences.  Thank-you.