e for Command Sgt. Maj. (Retired) Basil L. Plumley, October 16, 2012 at The Infantry Center Chapel and The Fort Benning Cemetery. Plumley was well known for his actions as Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment at the Battle of Ia Drang and was a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He passed away October 10, 2012.

the National Infantry Museum on Friday, October 19. They will host a Meet and Greet with the public from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. in Patriot Hall. The public and media are invited to meet these courageous men, have a picture taken and get an autograph. AVG Flying Tigers commemorative coins will be available for purchase.
“We are so pleased to host the Flying Tigers,” said National Infantry Foundation President Ben Williams. “For them to be able and willing to share their own personal stories with our visitors really makes this museum come to life.”
Prior to the Q&A Forum, moderated by National Infantry Museum Executive VP and Chief Development Officer, COL (Ret) Greg Camp, the original four AVG Flying Tigers will be presented a handmade quilt by the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to provide quilts to all combat service members and veterans touched by war.
Commemorative AVG Flying Tigers coins also will be sold for $12 in support of the Flying Tigers Association, to keep the legacy of these combat veterans and American heroes alive.
The American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers was formed to assist China from the invasion of the Japanese in 1941. With the help of President Franklin Roosevelt, approximately 100 pilots and 200 ground personnel were discharged from the Navy, Marines and Army and recruited for this venture around April 1941– approximately eight months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The AVG Flying Tigers first served in Burma around the time of Pearl Harbor, and after the surprise attack of the Japanese, became one of the only positive things in the Pacific Theatre at the beginning of WWII. Today, there are only six original AVG Flying Tigers still living.

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The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park, a 200-acre tract linking Columbus, Georgia, and Fort Benning, the Home of the Infantry, is the first world-class site to pay tribute to the U.S. Army Infantryman and those who fight alongside him. As the only interactive Army Museum in the United States, the museum showcases the contributions of the Infantry Soldier in every war fought by the U.S. by offering immersive participation and engaging visitors in the unique experiences of the Infantry Soldier. The complex also includes a parade field, memorial walk of honor, authentic World War II Company Street and 3-D IMAX® Theatre. For more information, visit www.nationalinfantrymuseum.com.