Aviation Military History Museum

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

The museum’s own Research and Collections page names two original Medals of Honor in its permanent artifact collection: those awarded to William R. Lawley Jr. and Forrest L. Vosler. The statement establishes collection custody, not the precise public display location or hours during which either physical medal is visible.

MOH-MUS-000110Evidence reviewed 2026-10-12Open to the public

Actual National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force building and grounds in Pooler GeorgiaPhoto: Bubba73 (Jud McCranie); CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · Source ↗

Historical context

About this institution

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler interprets the U.S. Eighth Air Force’s air war over Europe, especially the crews who flew bombing missions during World War II. Its aircraft galleries, personal objects, mission histories, memorial features, and Roger A. Freeman research collection allow visitors and researchers to connect combat operations to the experiences of individual airmen.

Why it matters to Medal of Honor research

The original medals provide two exceptionally well-grounded recipient-to-institution relationships, with research-center custody carefully separated from the general visitor gallery.

Collection guide

What to look for

The following highlights summarize the strongest verified reasons to include this institution in the archive. They are a planning guide, not a promise that every object is on view at all times.

Original medals of Lawley and Vosler in the institutional collection

World War II Eighth Air Force aircrew and combat exhibits

Freeman Research Center artifacts and records

Verified connections

Medal of Honor relationships

2 total2 original medals

Original Medal of Honor

William Robert Lawley Jr.

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force lists William R. Lawley Jr.’s actual Medal of Honor among permanent artifacts held by its Roger A. Freeman Research Center. Visitor-facing display is not established.

Record: William R. Lawley Jr. original Medal of Honor in permanent collection

Verified 2026-10-10 · Current, display status not specified

Evidence sources and scope

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force — research collections and two originals ↗National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

Verified institutional collection, NOT confirmation of an on-view gallery display.

Original Medal of Honor

Forrest Lee “Woody” Vosler

The museum’s official Research and Collections description explicitly identifies the Medal of Honor awarded to Forrest L. Vosler among its permanent collection artifacts. Public display position is not documented.

Record: Forrest L. Vosler original Medal of Honor in permanent collection

Verified 2026-10-10 · Current, display status not specified

Evidence sources and scope

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force — research collections and two originals ↗National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

Verified institutional collection, not a promise the medal is on public display.

Collection focus

Historical specialties

Eighth Air Force combat historyOriginal medals of William Lawley and Forrest VoslerRoger A. Freeman research collection

Service connections

U.S. Army Air Forces

Conflict connections

World War II

Visitor planning

Experience the Eighth Air Force’s history in the main exhibits. If seeking Lawley’s or Vosler’s original award, contact the collections staff before traveling to learn whether and when each is accessible.

175 Bourne Avenue
Pooler, Georgia, 31322
United States

Open location in OpenStreetMap ↗Official website ↗Current visitor information ↗Collection or exhibit information ↗

Collection custody does not guarantee that the originals are in a public exhibit case.
Research Center access may be by advance appointment; confirm procedures directly with the museum.
M040 adds a qualified, source-backed map point for visitor orientation; it does not claim a surveyed entrance coordinate.

Admission prices, opening schedules, installation rules, and object availability are left to the institution because they can change.

Access status

Open to the public

Map point: 32.11554, -81.23635 · Verified Openstreetmap Building

Institution sources

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force — research collections and two originals ↗National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force · Priority 1
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force — official exhibits ↗National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force · Priority 1
National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force map record ↗Mapcarta / OpenStreetMap · Priority 5

Archive standard

“Original Medal of Honor” relationships require direct source evidence. A location record is not described as a current public display unless the institution confirms display status.