390th Memorial Museum

Activity Overview

The 390th Memorial Museum commemorates the heroic exploits of the 390th Bombardment Group during the Second World War. The 390th were an Eight Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit that flew missions out of England. They were involved in decisive battles during the War in Europe such as D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. Their amazing feats were recognized with two Presidential Unit Citations. They clocked up an amazing hit rate against enemy forces and displayed tremendous bravery throughout the entire war. Through exhibits, interviews, artifacts and more the Memorial Museum hopes to honor these courageous men and preserve their memory for the generations to come. The memorial is located on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Things to Do

• A real B-17 bomber built during the war sits as the centerpiece of the Museum's exhibitions. Known as the "I'll Be Around" this bomber did not actually see combat as it was built near the end of the war when the American Army had more bombers than it could staff. It did spend decades serving other roles however, in the U.S coastguard and as a civilian air tanker which fought forest fires. It remains today as a prime example of the grand design of these incredible machines.

390th Memorial Museum Insider Tips

• You can take a virtual tour of the entire Museum before you go.
• With an interactive library and a whole bunch of documents and first hand documents loaded up onto their site the Memorial Museum makes it as easy as possible for students and those who have an interest to learn about the achievements of the 390th and about the war in general. Check out these resources here.