The 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale AFB, La., on June 9 took possession of the journal of the late Stanley Bolesta, a World War II airman who chronicled his experiences in a German POW camp. Bolesta’s widow Joy donated the journal. “This is not just a story about a World War II prison camp; it is the day-to-day memoirs of a US airman who lived through the experience of being a prisoner of war in a German Stalag,” explained Maj. Harry Dyson, staff director for Barksdale’s 2nd Bomb Wing. Bolesta, then a second lieutenant, was captured in November 1943 in France after evading capture for several months following the downing of his B-26 bomber. Museum officials plan to display copies of the journal pages while the actual journal is preserved under protective glass. (Barksdale report SrA. Chad Warren)
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
