Visit Memorial Board B-24, Vogar, Iceland

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A stone and stainless steel monument honoring Americans who died in the crash of the B-24 Liberator called Hot Stuff in inclement weather near Grindavik, Iceland on May 3, 1943. It was the first heavy bomber in the 8th Air Force to complete twenty-five missions in Europe in World War II. It honors Lt. Gen. Frank Maxwell Andrews, members his staff, three chaplains, and four crew members who died in the accident. Lt Gen. Frank Maxwell Andrews was the Commander of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) until his untimely death, having replaced Lt. Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower. Because of Gen. Andrews's death, the job of Supreme Allied Commander was assigned to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower seven months later in December 1943. Additionally, because Hot Stuff was destroyed in the crash, the War Department chose to send the Memphis Belle home and celebrate it as the first bomber to reach 25 missions. Memphis Belle later inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and a 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle. A monument honoring the dead was unveiled near the crash site on 3 May 2018, 75 years after the crash.

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