YOUR HERITAGE LEAGUE

President's Message
November, 2011

Hi All my Friends in the Heritage League,

We are going to start monthly emails to let you know what your Executive Board and committees are doing in the Heritage League.

It is my pleasure and honor to be elected the new President of the Heritage League. I have some large shoes to fill and hope that I can maintain the quality of work Brian Mahoney had accomplished all of these years. Let me tell you a little bit about myself and my new Board.

I became involved in the Heritage League when I took my parents to the first stand alone Heritage League convention in 2006 in Savannah and have been involved with the Heritage League ever since. I am the proud daughter of Francis Birmingham, 458th BG flying out of Horsham St. Faith airfield. Dad was a gunner and took the photos before and after the bombings. . He and my Uncle Bob (Dad's brother) were assigned to the same 458th BG crew. Dad and Uncle Bob decide to split up just in case something would happen. So Uncle Bob moved to a new crew. Dad flew 31 missions and Uncle Bob was shot down in Sweden on his 4th mission. He spent the rest of the war in Sweden. Currently, my dad is active and living in San Jose, CA with my Mom- Lucille and they are married 65 years. My goals for the Heritage League is simple---To Preserve and honor the Legacy, efforts, sacrifices, and memory of all of who serviced in the 2nd Air Division.

The Heritage League had their annual membership meeting in St. Louis on Friday, October 14th. I am pleased to announce the new Executive Board for 2011-2013:

President- Marybeth Dyer- 458th
Vice-President- Bob Books- 392nd
Secretary- Lisa Niehoff- Contributor and friend
Treasurer- Sue Risley- 446th
Membership- Gaby Fischer- 458th
Communications- Laurie Bedus- 392nd
Volunteer- Chris Clark- 489th/44th
Past President- Billy Sheely Johnson- 492nd
Past President- Irene Hurner- 453rd
Past President- Brian Mahoney- 492nd/467th
2ADA Rep to HL- Oak and Maxine Mackey- 392nd Veteran

We have some new people on the Board and I am so happy to see different bomb groups represented in our wonderful organization.

One of our goals for this coming year, is to ask for more contributions and information for our newsletter- Heritage Herald. We are looking for bomb group contributions and any stories that you are willing to share. Laurie Bedus, our Communications VP would love to have new contributors and story tellers.

As we head towards the end of the year, everyone ion the Executive Board in the Heritage League wishes you a safe and wonderful holiday season but especially to acknowledge Veteran's Day. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of all the wonderful veterans and the sacrifice and service they made for ourr country. I think of the 7,000 young soldiers that did not come home and we are very grateful for the freedom all have bestowed on us. All our veterans are heroes to me.

Until we meet again,

Marybeth Dyer - 458th
President- Heritage League