General, The rest of the story about Eighth Air Force using strategic airpower in the air war over Europe during World War II.

7-12 May 1945, "Trolley Runs" conducted by Eighth Air Force bombers: As the air war was ending in early May 1945 with formal cessation of hostilities and Victory in Europe declared on 8 May; bomber aircraft of the Eighth Air Force (8 AF) flew over a defeated Germany for a special mission.

Flying at low altitudes, these bomber aircraft took aerial photographs of bomb damaged areas for the United States Strategic Bombing Survey of post-war Europe as can be seen in the attached photographs. It is estimated that of the total tonnage of bombs dropped by 8 AF during the air war, some 76 percent struck targets within Germany itself. And it should be noted, the Eighth reached its full assignment of bomber and fighter units as well as its full allocation of personnel only in the summer of 1944.

Rest of the Story: On board these bomber aircraft taking aerial photographs for the Bombing Survey, were special guests participating in these "Trolley Runs." These special guests were composed of the ground crews and support personnel of 8 AF assigned units so they could have a first-hand aerial view how their efforts in England had contributed to the Eighth's role in the air victory over Germany.

The collective and tireless efforts of flying personnel, ground crews, support personnel, and assigned civilian contractors made a significance and put "The Mighty" into the Eighth Air Force earning this moniker by unleashing unprecedented strategic airpower during the air war over Europe in World War II.

The sentiment of those who participated in these Trolley Runs during the early days of May 1945 can be summed up by the observation of one of the nearly 30,000 who participated and observed bomb damage from the air. Sergeant James Caskey, an operations clerk assigned to the 44th Bomb Group remarked: "I didn't realize Germany was all beat to hell." Diplomatically stated, enough said.

The Mighty Eighth Air Force and its assigned units and personnel in World War II made a positive difference to create strategic airpower that directly contributed to the Allied victory in Europe in World War II. Through the decades since 1945 to the present - the assigned units; senior leaders; military, civilian, and contractor personnel; and capabilities of Eighth Air Force have still continued to make a significant difference especially in the deployment of strategic bomber airpower on a global scale.