The Memphis Belle was one of the first American bombers to complete 25 combat missions over Europe and return safely to the United States. On May 17, 1943, the aircraft completed its final mission over Lorient, France. Shortly thereafter, the crew returned to the U.S. for a three-month war bond campaign. This achievement was captured in the documentary The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944), directed by William Wyler, who himself served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. The documentary was selected by the Library of Congress in 2001 for inclusion in the National Film Registry for its cultural significance.

After the war, the Memphis Belle was stored and later displayed in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2005, the aircraft was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, for restoration. After a thorough restoration, it was put back on display in the museum's WWII gallery on May 17, 2018.

T-shirt MEMPHIS BELLE Original with STAR