Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day we remember Bud Owens and the principles he fought an died for. After surviving the crash of his B-17 on 4 July 1943, saving the life of his radio operator in the process, he had only one goal in mind: escape from Nazi occupied France and return to the free world. Following a 4 month journey he would die, just a few miles of his objective, from exposure and exhaustion, after carrying a fellow evader for 8 hours in the midst of a snowstorm high up in the Pyrenees mountains. Help us preserve his story which reveals the true meaning of sacrifice and reminds us of what some were willing to do for their and our freedom. Thank you.

Recon Productions

We are very excited and lucky to have Jed Henry of Recon Productions on board for the "In the Footsteps of Bud Owens" project. Jed is an Emmy award winning photojournalist, videographer, and a director of photography. With a background in news and investigative journalism, his 17 year career has focused on finding compelling and fascinating stories to tell. His work can be seen on all of the major networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, History Channel, and the Sportsman Channel, just to name a few. He has worked on network news programs, documentaries, corporate videos, reality shows, and much more. He has a genuine interest and passion about WWII history which motivated him to team up with us for this project. Jed's latest WWII documentary "Honoring a Commitment: The Story of Pfc. Lawrence Gordon" will air live this afternoon at 4PM EST and can be seen here: http://www.heritage.org/events/2015/05/pfc-gordon

Hayley Hulbert

We are happy to anounce Hayley Hulbert's participation in our upcoming documentary project! Hayley is the great niece of Sgt. Francis ‘Bud’ Owens. She is a 2014 graduate of Bethel Park High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is currently attending the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg where she is working towards her Bachelor Degree in Secondary Education and English Literature. Hayley has been playing soccer for 15 years and has had many opportunities to visit the surrounding states of Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio. She loves to experience new places, and her favorite part of traveling is learning about the area and seeing the different historical sites there. Hayley considers it a tremendous honor to have this opportunity to walk in her great uncle’s footsteps and gain a greater understanding about his experiences. She’s extremely excited about seeing the different countries and learning more about the history of the places where Bud was, as well as about the unselfish people who risked so much for him and many others like him. Please consider making a donation here to help us fund Hayley's trip to Europe and allow her to keep her uncle's story alive!

Visit to Ridgewell

A trip over to England enabled association secretary Sean to visit Ridgewell, the wartime home of the 381st.
Met by Ridgewell Airfield Association Membership Secretary Alan Steel and his wife Monica, a visit to the museum was followed by a tour around the old airfield.

Outside the museum is a monument to the 381st.

At the end of the war, a hole was dug and the keys to all the various buildings were buried, only to be dug up again several decades later.

Monica and Alan Steel,who graciously gave their time to welcome Sean and show him around.

Several of the old buildings survive- this was the gymnasium.

The main runway still runs across the fields, albeit in a narrower form.

A beautiful day in the Essex countryside. These fields were once the home of the B-17s of the 381st. One can only imagine the sights and sounds of those times.

The tragic bomb-loading accident of June 23rd 1943 is commemorated by this monument.

The airfield actually sits between several villages, including Ashen. In the church, there is a small exhibition and opposite, this flag, which was presented by twelve 381st veterans on their return in 1993.

 Also in Ashen, this house used to be known as the Old Cow, one of several pubs in the area.

The village green and sign in Ridgewell.

Thanks once again to Alan and Monica, for their friendly welcome and for the work they and others do to preserve the memory of those who fought tyranny and oppression.

Congratulations and thanks!

We would like to thank and congratulate the winner of our art print auction Mr. Steven Marsh of Edmonton, Alberta! His winning bid and Aces High Art Gallery's generous gift to our cause have given us some welcome financial support to our project. Thank you Steven!

Nous souhaiterions remercier et féliciter le vainqueur de notre vente aux enchères, Monsieur Steven Marsh de Edmonton dans l'Alberta! Son offre gagnant et le don généreux de Aces High nous ont donné un soutien financier précieux pour notre projet!

Tremendous progress has been made these past few weeks in preparation for our documentary and we will be able to make some exciting announcements in the near future! For now we would like to sincerely thank Aces High Art Gallery for donating a stunning 381st Bomb Group art print by one of the world's most foremost aviation artists. If you would like to support our cause (all proceeds will be used for the documentary project) and become the owner of this fantastic art print, please check out our ebay page here:

http://www.ebay.fr/…/Thunderheads-Over-Ridgew…/171758759669…


Des progrès énormes ont été faits ces dernières semaines en préparation de notre documentaire et quelques annonces importantes seront faites dans les semaines à venir. Pour le moment nous souhaiterions remercier Aces High Art Gallery pour nous avoir offert un magnifique tableau par un des plus grands artistes dans la matière en honneur du 381ième Groupe de Bombardement. Si vous souhaitez soutenir notre projet (tout les bénéfices seront au profit de notre projet de documentaire) et devenir propriétaire de ce tableau exceptionnel n'hésitez pas à visiter notre page sur ebay.

The article resulting from the interview conducted last week in la Coulonche was published in the Flers edition of Ouest France.