Airbase Georgia proudly saluted the 81st anniversary of D-Day honoring the immense sacrifices and pivotal contributions made by Georgians during the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944. The largest amphibious assault in history, D-Day saw over 156,000 Allied troops storm the beaches of Normandy—an operation that forever altered the course of World War II.
Airbase Georgia’s PT-19 Cornell and T-34 Mentor participated in the annual Vintage Day Festival in Williamson, Ga. June 7, while the group’s P-51 Mustang and LT-6 Mosquito participated in the Mid Atlantic Air Museum’s 34th Annual World War II Weekend in Reading, Pa. June 6-8, 2025.
“Georgia played a vital role in preparing the men and machines that made D-Day possible,” said Joel Perkins, Airbase Leader of CAF Airbase Georgia. “From the airmen of the Mighty Eighth to the pilots trained here in Georgia, and the Liberty ships built on our coast—this state helped turn the tide of the war. At Airbase Georgia, we preserve that story by keeping these historic aircraft flying and sharing the lessons of World War II with new generations.”
Airbase Georgia’s fleet of restored warbirds – such as the P-51 Mustang, SBD Dauntless, P-63 Kingcobra, and FG-1 Corsair – serve as powerful reminders of the service of the Greatest Generation. Airbase Georgia’s P-51 is restored to represent an aircraft flown by the 4th Fighter Group of the 8th Air Force.
By maintaining and flying these aircraft, Airbase Georgia volunteers help ensure that the memory of the Greatest Generation remains vivid and accessible. The organization’s ongoing public outreach and education initiatives aim to honor Georgia’s 120,000 WWII veterans and preserve the state’s role in achieving Allied victory.
Georgia’s contribution to D-Day include;
- The Mighty Eighth Air Force, established in Savannah, conducted critical bombing missions to weaken German defenses ahead of the landings.
- Pilot training programs at Douglas and other airfields across Georgia that produced aviators who flew air support, reconnaissance, and transport missions on D-Day.
- Liberty ships constructed in Savannah and Brunswick that delivered troops, tanks, and supplies across the Atlantic to support the invasion.
- Infantry and airborne troops trained at Fort Benning and Camp Toccoa, who were among the first to land behind enemy lines in the early hours of June 6, 1944.
- The Home Front where communities provided raw materials, equipment, and food, including Thomaston-Upson County which supplied three of the nation’s most critically needed wartime products through textile production and mica mining.