LEON B SPENCER RESEARCH TEAM

Our research team is available to you to answer any questions you may have. We have several authors and researchers as members. The public portion of our website regarding the personnel biographical files provides a very limited amount of information on our WWII Troop Carrier Veterans. We have a family view that goes into the details of missions, units, documents, reports etc for each record, We have extensive troop carrier historical files on all the Troop Carrier Units from the National Archives, Maxwell AFB U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, Carlisle Barracks library as well as presidential libraries and colleges. Let us know if you are in need of information or have information for our team. We consider our relationship with families as a partnership.

REUNION

As a member you have the privilege to register for our annual reunion/symposiums. Only members and those they are sponsoring may attend our reunions.

U.S. WWII GLIDER PILOT BRIEFING

Our Magazine/journal referred to as the "Briefing” is published once a quarter. It is a digital journal and the link is sent out through our MailChimp email as an online PDF. The index is linked to the articles within the Briefing. Members are first to receive the Briefing then after one year it is available to the public and available at at the Air Force Historical Research Agency in their Air University Library. Our reunion special edition is always available to the public.

AIR FORCE HISTORICAL FOUNDATION (AFHF)

We are affiliated with the AFHF and our journals are also available at the Air University Library which is utilized by airmen but also available to the public. https://tinyurl.com/NWWIIGPA-AFHF

SILENT WINGS MUSEUM (SWM):

Although we are not part of the Silent Wings Museum, as that museum belongs to the city of Lubbock, we help support the museum with our research, access to our database, and family contacts. Fifty percent of your dues goes to the Silent Wings Museum and that gives you free access to the Museum. We share your email address with the museum, and you will receive from them a monthly newsletter regarding the goings on at the museum. They also use MailChimp and this would be one email a month.

94th FLYING TRAINING SQUADRON:

We work closely with the 94th Flying Training Squadron, 306th Flying Training Group, Air Force Academy. This Squadron’s heritage goes back to the glider and power glider pilots of WWII. We have a yearly award that is presented to an instructor pilot to be presented at their “G” Wings Ceremony every May. The Squadron in turn sends cadets and officers to our reunion.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Every spring we send out to high schools and colleges information about our scholarships that are available to high school seniors and college freshman and sophomores. The scholarships are based on an essay.

COMMUNICATION:

Your email address will be added to our MailChimp account and you should receive notification. We use MailChimp to send email messages to our members. Emails may include information on Executive Council (EC) meeting notices, the WWII U.S. Glider Pilot Briefing, elections, and other pertinent information. It is important that you put nwwiigpa@gmail.com and our Chair Gary Stripling's email address, garystripling@gmail.com , in your contacts and check your spam every couple weeks. It may go into spam or promotions folders. The average emails you may receive would be around two a month.

RESOURCES:

You will find past Briefing publications, as well as some statistics on our glider pilots and the Business minutes. Your 94th FTS code, your email and phone number will allow access to the resources page.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

The Council meets the second Tuesday of each month and meetings are open to members. EC meets through Zoom the second Tuesday of the month at 4PM Pacific time although this is subject to change. You will receive a meeting notification through mailchimp with the particulars. We hope you will join us.