Station 153: Then and Now
During the Veterans Honor Banquet at the 2018 Reunion of the 390th Bombardment Group (H) in Tucson, Arizona, Frank Drain presented the keynote presentation “Station 153: Then and Now”. The powerpoint video seamlessly integrates wartime and present-day images of Station 153, which was the 390th Bomb Group’s WWII air base near Framlingham, England.
About the 390th Bombardment Group (H)
The 390th Bombardment Group (H) flew 301 combat missions against German military targets during WWII. It played an important role in many missions now recognized as key to winning WWII such as D-Day, Munster, Schweinfurt, and the raid on Berlin. It also participated in lesser-known humanitarian missions in which the B-17 was utilized to drop supplies and food.
Where to Learn More About the 390th Bombardment Group (H)
Today, the 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Air Museum is housed in the original World War II control tower of Framlingham Station 153. Exhibits focus on the history of the U.S 8th Air Force, the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe in the Second World War. Displays include recovered Second World War aircraft engines, parts of Allied and German aircraft, uniforms, photographs, documents, combat records, paintings and memorabilia.
Meanwhile, the 390th Memorial Museum in Tucson, Arizona houses a restored B-17 Flying Fortress. This museum shares the compelling and deeply personal narratives of the Bomb Group members as they recall their experiences in the WWII European Air War. The 390th Memorial Museum Foundation hosts the annual 390th Bombardment Group reunion.
About the 390th Bomb Group Reunion’s 2018 Keynote Presenters
Frank Drain spent 28 years in Information Technology at Honeywell Aerospace, then 11 years as Aviation Instructor (High School) for Ohio Hi-Point Career Center. Since retiring in 2017, Frank has remained on the Board of Directors of the 390th Memorial Museum, the Liberty Foundation, and the Grimes Flying Lab Foundation. Frank is the son of Richard E. Drain, Radio Operator with the 570th Squadron. He is currently a volunteer with the Champaign Aviation Museum, restoring a B-17 to flying condition in Urbana, Ohio. Frank is a private pilot and owner of a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub.
Kevin Drain currently works as Creative Director for Westinghouse Outdoor Power Equipment in Columbus, Ohio. He is the son of Frank Drain, and grandson of Richard E. Drain. Kevin is the Chairman of the Friends and Family of the 390th Memorial Museum Committee. He is passionate about preserving the history of our Veterans for future generations.
Located in Tucson, Arizona, the mission of the 390th Memorial Museum it so honor and memorialize those veterans who provided ground support and flew the B-17 in the 390th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force in World War II, to serve as a window on the air war over Europe by the 390th and related Bomb Groups in that conflict, and to educate the public on their service and sacrifice in the cause of freedom.