Masters of the Air
The 果冻传媒麻豆社 was one of ten universities chosen to have a special screening of the first episode of the Apple TV original series, 鈥淢asters of the Air.鈥� Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, the U of I Military and Veterans Services Office and Air Force ROTC (Detachment 905) teamed up to host the event in the U of I Administration Building Auditorium.
Joe Vandal attended the event and socialized with the audience as they enjoyed popcorn, soft pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, candy, coffee, and hot chocolate. Air Force cadet Thomas Buxton gave a presentation about the context of the time of 鈥淢asters of the Air鈥� and the Air Force bomb group the series is about prior to the screening of the first episode.
鈥淢asters of the Air鈥� is a war drama that serves as a companion series to the popular 2001 series 鈥淏and of Brothers.鈥� While 鈥淏and of Brothers鈥� is the dramatization of the true story of the Easy Company paratrooper unit, 鈥淢asters of the Air鈥� is the dramatization of the true story of the 100th Bomb Group during the same time and staged in the European theatre during World War II.
The 100th Bomb Group depicted in 鈥淢asters of the Air鈥� was nicknamed the Bloody Hundredth because of the amount of action and death their group faced. The group was stationed at RAF Thorpe Abbotts in the United Kingdom and flew over 300 combat missions, suffering tremendous losses in combat.
The events in the 鈥淢asters of the Air鈥� take place between 1943 and 1945. The show begins with the young service members arriving without any experience of war. Throughout the program, they quickly learn what war is like, experience loss, tragedy, and the realities of what can happen 25,000 feet in the air over enemy territory.
鈥淢asters of the Air鈥� stars the upcoming actors Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, and Barry Keoghan, among other names. The series is still airing with the last episodes, 鈥淧art Eight鈥� and 鈥淧art Nine鈥� set to air Friday, March 8 and 15, 2024, respectively.
The Military and Veterans Services Office was honored to be part of sharing part of the story of the Bloody Hundredth. Our office has extra official TV posters for students who visit our office.
