Upcoming Reunions:

70th Year Commemoration of the World War II, Palm Sunday – Cape Bon, Tunisia "Goose Shoot" & the 57th Fighter Group that led the highest scoring Allied mission of WWII 

On April 18, 1943, the 8th Army's Desert Air Force, scored the highest aerial victory count (76) of any allied mission during World War II, breaking the back of the aerial bridge that the Axis forces were using to retreat and evacuate from North Africa. This historic event was called the “Palm Sunday Massacre” & "the Cape Bon Goose Shoot”.  Don Everly Smith, Commanding Officer of the 57th Fighter Group Association (WWII) and son of a 57th FG Army Air Corpsman that witnessed the entire Desert War, will moderate a panel discussion with 57th FG pilots that flew P-40 Warhawks against the Luftwaffe during MTO, Operation Torch in the desert & P-47 Thunderbolts during Operation Strangle in Italy: Ret. Col. Ed "Duke" Ellington & Lt. Charles H. Larson. 

Carl Molesworth, noted military aviation, aircraft historian and author of “57th Fighter Group – “First in the Blue”, will present an overview of the 57FG, from their remarkable adventures getting to the war front, to their experiences during the North Africa Campaign leading up to the famous aerial battle off the coast of Tunisia.

When:  April 20, 2013, 2-3:30 PM

Where: The Museum of Flight,  William M. Allen Theater, 9404 East Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98108-4097

Who: at The Museum of Flight, J.D. Wyneken, Public Programs Coordinator, jdwyneken@museumofflight.org, 206.768.7166

Who: Program Facilitator, Don Everly Smith, Commanding Officer of the 57th Fighter Group Association, 57fgco@gmail.com, 425.241.4888

Special Note: any veterans that participated in the Desert War is invited to contact Don Smith to participate in the event

70th Year Commemoration of the World War II, Palm Sunday – Cape Bon, Tunisia “Goose Shoot” & the 57th Fighter Group that led the highest scoring Allied mission of WWII

On April 18, 1943, the 8th Army Desert Air Force's scored the highest aerial victory count (76) of any allied mission during World War, II breaking the back of the aerial bridge that the Axis forces were using to retreat and evacuate from North Africa. This historic event was called the "Palm Sunday Massacre" & the "Cape Bon Goose Shoot". Don Everly Smith, Commanding Officer of the 57th Fighter Group Association (WWII) and son of a 57th FG Army Air Corpsman that witnessed the entire Desert War, will moderate a discussion about Operation Torch in the desert. He will pull highlights from the book "57th Fighter Group – First in the Blue",by Carl Molesworth, noted military aviation and aircraft historian and will present an overview of the 57FG, from their remarkable adventures getting to the war front, to their experiences during the North Africa Campaign leading up to their famous aerial battle off the Mediterranean coast.

Don, from Seattle, WA will be joined by Henry "Hank" Cipolaro, of Fountain Hills, AZ to share stories and memorabilia from their father's adventure in America's first Desert War that took them through Khartoum, Cairo, Alexandria, El Alamein, Benghazi, Tripoli, El Djem, Tunis & Cape Bon. [70 years later, aren't many of these names sounding awfully familiar again?]

When:  March 4, 2013, 1-3 PM

Where: The Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum, located at Falcon Field, on the northeast corner of Greenfield and McKellips roads at 2017 N. Greenfield Rd. Mesa, AZ 85215; (480) 924-1940, General Info: info@azcaf.org

Contact: Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum -- Larry Turner, Wing Leader, (408) 268-2144

Contact: Program Facilitator -- Don Everly Smith, Commanding Officer of the 57th Fighter Group Association, 57fgco@gmail.com, 425.241.4888

Pictures and Video From Past Reunions