Over 300,000 citizens from the state of Georgia served in the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Thousands more civilian workers played a key role in the rapidly expanding wartime industries. Several military installations were established throughout the state where servicemen and women were trained in many forms of warfare, which included all aspects of the Armed Forces. When the United States mobilized for war, the citizens of the state of Georgia enthusiastically answered the call to serve.

Georgia citizens were heavily involved behind the expansive war effort. From two Liberty shipyards to munitions production, thousands of job opportunities were made available to the civilian population of Georgia. Their dedication and patriotic duty had a profound and significant impact to America’s ultimate victory.

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force has designed an exclusive tour featuring some of these important sites that are a part of WWII history in Georgia. The Georgia WWII Trail Tour offered by the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is a luxurious two and a half day journey that will take you throughout South Central Georgia to six world class museums. You will travel in a safe, reliable and air-conditioned 50-seat motor coach with two overnight stops in Douglas, GA and Columbus, GA. We have selected clean, comfortable hotel properties to assure your comfort and safety.  Our dining experiences will range from traditional southern cuisine to the opulence of a fine dining experience at the National Infantry Museum.

The tour will be led by the Director of Educational Travel of the National Eighth Air Force Museum, Mark Copeland. Educational material will be distributed throughout the journey to fully brief you on each of our stops. 

 Monday, October 23, 2023

Our group will gather for a special evening at 5:00 pm at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force for a private Georgia WWII Heritage Trail Tour - Welcome Dinner.   Our guests will enjoy a delicious buffet dinner and presentation about the tour. 

For those who are from out of town and require overnight hotel accommodations we have secured a special tour guest rate at:

Embassy Suites Hotel 

145 Mulberry Boulevard 

Pooler, GA 31322 

(912) 330-8222

Use the booking code: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=SAVAPES&corporateCode=3253810

(Monday night hotel accommodations are not included in the tour package price.)

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The tour will meet at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force for a light breakfast before boarding the tour coach.

After a leisurely drive to St. Simon’s Island, we will visit the WWII Home Front Museum. Housed in the historic St. Simons Coast Guard Station, built in 1936, our visitors will enjoy this unique and immersive museum that tells the story of the WWII home front. 

Lunch will be served at Tramici’s Restaurant, a local favorite in the St. Simon’s Island area.

After lunch, we will travel to Douglas, where we will visit the WWII Flight Training Museum where thousands of U.S. airmen took primary and basic flight training. Our group will also have private access to see the ongoing construction of a flyable B-17 Flying Fortress. 

Dinner will be at the Douglas Golf and Country Club where our group will enjoy a delicious buffet dinner in a private dining room.

Our hotel accommodations will be at the newly renovated Fairfield Inn & Suites – Douglas, GA. 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

After breakfast, our group will travel to the National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville, GA. This world-class museum tells the emotional story of the American Prisoner of War experience. We will tour the museum and the grounds of the facility.

Our lunch stop will be at a local favorite stop, Yoder’s Deitsch Haus where we will enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal from their broad menu and sample their scrumptious desserts. 

The tour continues on to Columbus, GA where we will visit the National Infantry Museum. This amazing venue focuses on the history of the U.S. Army Infantry. This first-class institution tells the story of the U.S. Infantry through its outstanding displays and life-size dioramas. 

Our accommodations will be at the Holiday Inn Express – Columbus , GA, near the museum. After we all check in to the hotel, we will once again return to the museum for a special private dinner in the Continental Room featuring a fabulous three-course dinner and an excellent wine selection.

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Following breakfast, our group will depart Columbus, and travel on to Warner Robins to pay a visit to the Museum of Aviation. This world-class facility is situated over 31 acres next to Robins Air Force Base. The museum includes four climate-controlled exhibit buildings that house 85 historic U.S. aircraft.

On our return to Savannah, our lunch stop will be at The Swanson in Perry, GA. This well-known local establishment is a haven for fine Southern cuisine. 

Our journey will conclude by returning to the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. The Museum will once again be open to our tour guests during regular visitors’ hours.