WWII Heritage Days 2020 to celebrate 75th Anniversary of World War II Victory
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (July 11, 2019) - The 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II will be commemorated around the world in 2020, and Georgia will be part of it with the 17th annual WWII Heritage Days, May 2-3, 2020, at Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field in Peachtree City. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Dixie Wing will celebrate the 1940s, salute the Greatest Generation, and inspire all ages to preserve the legacy of America’s veterans. World War II veterans will be honored throughout the weekend.
A record crowd exceeding 5,000 attended WWII Heritage Days in 2019 when the CAF Dixie Wing commemorated the 75th Anniversary of D-Day with paratrooper drops from D-Day C-47 transport airplanes and an opening ceremony that featured guest officials from France and Canada. The Dixie Wing hosted 78 World War II veterans, the largest gathering in Georgia. The U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team and Maneuver of Excellence Band from Ft. McPherson also participated.
“WWII Heritage Days is an immersion experience,” said Jim Buckley, leader of the all-volunteer Dixie Wing. “The sights and sounds will inspire people of all ages in the community to connect with the legacy of the Greatest Generation.”
WWII Heritage Days is the largest World War II-themed event in Georgia, bringing together historic aircraft, dozens of vintage military vehicles, antique cars, educational displays and demonstrations. More than 500 volunteers from a dozen states help create the 1940s atmosphere. The event is supported by WWII Heritage Days sponsors including Peachtree City Convention & Visitors Bureau and Atlanta Regional Airport-Falcon Field.
On Saturday evening, the romance and glamor of the Big Band Era will return during “Keep ’em Flying,” a 1940s-theme hangar dance featuring a live 20-piece swing band. The evening is set in the Dixie Wing Warbird Museum, decorated to recreate the ambiance of the period. The dance has become a regional tradition, selling out for the last six years.
“The CAF is best known as the largest World War II flying museum in the world,” said Buckley, “but our mission is to educate, inspire and honor through flight.” In keeping with the mission, WWII Heritage Days also features aircraft and vehicles from the Korean War and Viet Nam War.
WWII Heritage Days and “Keep ’em Flying” have drawn enthusiasts to Peachtree City from throughout the southeast. Past participating organizations include the Atlanta History Center, Kennesaw State University’s Museum of History & Holocaust Education, Atlanta WWII Round Table, American Rosie the Riveters Association, U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum, Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and military vehicle clubs. Local civic organizations and schools also are invited to participate.
For more information about WWII Heritage Days, please visit www.wwiidays.org.
About the Commemorative Air Force The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is the world’s largest flying museum. For more than 60 years, the CAF has been dedicated to education, inspiration and honor through flight and living history experiences. To fulfill its mission, the organization maintains airplanes in flying condition, taking the aircraft to communities across America to experience first-hand the sight and sound of the aircraft in flight.
The CAF is a non-profit educational association with more than 11,000 members and a fleet of 172 vintage military aircraft distributed throughout the U.S. For more information visit www.CommemorativeAirForce.org.
About the CAF Dixie Wing Warbird Museum The CAF Dixie Wing, based in Peachtree City, Ga., was founded in 1987. One of largest units of the Commemorative Air Force, the unit maintains and flies seven World War II aircraft including a P-51 Mustang, FG-1D Corsair and rare types such as the SBD Dauntless dive bomber and P-63A Kingcobra. The unit, composed of 300 volunteers, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. www.dixiewing.org
PHOTO CAPTION: New York City celebrating the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II. They threw anything and kissed anybody in Times Square. Lt. Victor Jorgensen, August 14, 1945. (National Archives) National archive number 80-G-377094 Naval Historical Center #520697
MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Forsyth Public Information Officer CAF Dixie Wing 770-714-7750 (C) sforsyth106@gmail.com
