390th Memorial Museum Foundation Announces New Executive Director
Walter Scales has been selected to assume the duties of the Executive Director at the 390th Memorial Museum located on the grounds of the Pima Air and Space Museum. Mr. Scales will take over on March 1st, 2014 from the retiring current Executive Director Emile “Terry” Therrien.
Mr. Scales is a retired Colonel with the United States Air Force. His recent accomplishments as a consultant for Defense and Security Programs; Senior Defense Official / Defense and Air Attache Czech Republic; and past Deputy Commander, 355 Operations Group at Davis Monthan AFB and; combat pilot in both F-16 and A-10 aircraft.
The Museum makes use of its artifacts by presenting to the public an appreciation of how the 390th Bombardment Group accomplished their missions as well as displaying personal stories. With a recently completed $2.4 million renovation, the Museum has added the addition of a mezzanine to showcase even more of the stories and history of the men who comprised the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy). In addition to the memorabilia and artifacts, the 390th Memorial Museum houses “Top Cover” one of the most recognized World War II paintings. The Joseph A. and Dorothy Moller Library is also housed inside the Museum. The library contains over 90,000 pages of 390th combat history and over 10,000 photographs.
The roots of the Museum go back over 70 years ago, when the 390th Bombardment Group, an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit stationed in England, created a place in world history. The B-17s flown by the 390th bombed the coast of Normandy before the ground landings, cut German supply lines during the Battle of the Bulge, dropped food supplies to the people of the Netherlands during the week before V-E Day and transported Prisoners of War back to their homeland. Seven hundred and fourteen men sacrificed their life during the war and 731 men were captured by the Nazis and held as POWs. The 390th Bombardment Group dropped 19,000 tons of bombs and lost 181 aircraft.
For further information, contact Ron Sable, 390th Board of Directors member:
520-971-4318
