New 20-part show hosted and produced by Tom Hanks with the National WWII Museum

So the WWII museum in NOLA. You can't realistically see everything in 2 days. I think I coukd spend a week there. And that Tom Hanks video... which is 4D, is the last thing you should watch there. It is an epic museum. But there is a ton to see.

OldArmyCT said:

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I donated my dad's WWII flight jacket to them and they put it in a display case. He was a bombardier in the 392d Bomb Group, 29 missions.

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In the final mission of the Eighth Air Force on April 25, 1945, Lt. Jack Murray was flying in a B-24 Liberator that played a pivotal role in the raid on Hallein, Austria.
Historical records and the crew loading lists from that day show that Jack was part of a formation of 20 aircraft from the 392nd Bomb Group. Here are the specific details of the plane and the mission:
The Aircraft
* Model: B-24 Liberator (often nicknamed the "Flying Boxcar")
* Squadron: 576th Bombardment Squadron
* Specific Plane: On that final mission, Jack Murray flew in A/C #44-50527 (or simply 527).
* Nose Art: While many planes in the 576th had their own unique names (like "Dugan" or "The Dragon and His Tail"), Jack's jacket features the official group insigniathe knight with a lance riding a bombrather than a specific plane's nose art. This was common for officers who might rotate between different aircraft in the squadron.
The Final Mission: Target Hallein
The mission was a strike against the Hallein Marshalling Yards.
* The Goal: To cripple German transport and supply lines in the "Alpine Redoubt" (the area where the Allies feared the Nazis would make a final, desperate stand).
* The Flight: The planes took off from their base at Wendling, England. It was an exceptionally long flight, crossing over much of liberated Europe to reach the Austrian Alps.
* The Result: The 392nd Bomb Group's bombing was highly accurate that day. Despite encountering heavy anti-aircraft fire (flak) over the target, they successfully hit the railway hubs. No enemy aircraft were encountered, as the Luftwaffe had almost completely collapsed by this point.
The Crew of 527
On that historic day, Jack served alongside:
* Pilot: 1st Lt. W.R. Sincock
* Co-Pilot: 1st Lt. G.A. Perkins
* Navigator: 1st Lt. T. Balides
* Bombardier: 1st Lt. Jack G. Murray
* Engineer: T/Sgt. W.O. Swisher
* Radio Operator: T/Sgt. H. Ostrove
* Gunners: S/Sgt. E.J. Domme and S/Sgt. B.R. Manshack
When they landed back at Wendling, they didn't know it was the end of the air war in Europe until the "Stand Down" order was issued shortly after.

austinag1997 said:

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So the WWII museum in NOLA. You can't realistically see everything in 2 days. I think I coukd spend a week there. And that Tom Hanks video... which is 4D, is the last thing you should watch there. It is an epic museum. But there is a ton to see.

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I've never been and have been really wanting to go.