The American Air Museum in Great Britain was opened by Her Majesty the Queen at the Imperial War Museums Duxford site on August 1, 1997. The exhibit offers an overview of US air power and its connections with the United Kingdom, most notably during WWII, and afterwards, including the Cold War presence. The narrative concentrates on the 24 U.S. aircraft in the collection. The museum acknowledges the emergency and dominance of Americas air power during the 20th Century with a memorial to the 30,000 U.S. airmen who lost their lives during WWII in active service in the United Kingdom.