MIDLAND, Texas (September 22, 2004) – The American Airpower Heritage Museum will open two new exhibits in conjunction with the Fina-CAF AIRSHO 2004. A private opening of the completed USO: HOPE for America (media is invited to attend) is scheduled to take place 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, in the temporary gallery at the Museum. The public opening for the event will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, 2004. Special guests at both events will include Margie Stewart-Johnson, Dr. Charles Wiley and Alice Coombes.

Johnson, RKO actress and official World War II Army poster girl, appeared on more than 94 million posters, both at home and abroad during World War II. The War Department made use of her girl-next-door appeal to sell war bonds to GIs. More than a friendly face to the troops, Johnson toured stateside hospitals to raise the morale of the sick and wounded. In 1945, she toured Europe in support of the Stars and Stripes War Bond Contest, in which soldiers competed for prizes by writing letters describing their plans for the money they saved. Johnson has been named honorary chair of the American Airpower Heritage Museum's "Save the Girls" campaign.

In 1942, Wiley was assigned to USO Unit #63 at the tender age of 15.  Wiley was an actor, cast in the Broadway play "Junior Miss."   Wiley toured the country with the USO as part of the cast from coast to coast for about a year.

Coombes worked at the Hollywood Canteen, a splinter group of the USO, in 1944.

Also included as a special guest at both openings will be General Paul Tibbets, commanding officer of the 509 th Composite Bomb Group and the pilot of the B-29 "Enola Gay" that dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima , Japan .

The purpose of the USO: HOPE for America exhibit is to memorialize the important role the USO has played in elevating the morale of our service men and women at home and abroad. A number of personal items from Bob Hope are included in the exhibit. The first preview of the exhibit opened last year at AIRSHO 2004. The exhibit is scheduled to be on display at the museum for one year and then be available as a traveling exhibit. For more information about the USO see the attached information sheet.

The museum will also open a new exhibit that focuses on the Russian Polikarpov I-16. The exhibit will be available for viewing in the CAF hangar and will highlight the I-16's aeronautical achievements and significant contributions to aviation history. The Polikarpov I-16 was acquired by the Commemorative Air Force in 2001 and regularly still flies. It is scheduled to participate in ARISHO 2004. Following the AIRSHO the airplane and exhibit will be on display for approximately a year and then be made available as a traveling exhibit. For more information about the Polikarpov I-16 see the attached information sheet.

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