blytheville air force base photos
The 62nd Bombardment Wing (H) at Fairchild AFB, Washington, took possession of this B-52G in September 1983 but the aircraft was transferred to the 93rd Bombardment Wing (H) at Castle AFB, California, the following February. The Southeast Asia War Tour Boeing B-52D Stratofortress BUFF LF USAF Museum (9202) Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 3-10-2019. "Valkyrie" was known to the USAF as 58-0183, a B-52G Stratofortress. This facility trained Army Air Cadets on Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita advanced trainer planes to learn to fly North American B-25 Mitchell bombers in all theaters of World War 2. Notable people who were stationed at the base durring this time include Carl Jr. and Frank . The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Like many B-52s, 58-0183 was shuttled around through several units--in this case, no less than eleven bomb wings. The United States no longer needed bombers and fuel-tankers to be on 24/7 alert. The rest I earned via my service to my country. BAFB Exhibition | The National Cold War Center Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. And this is a photo of the HULK 46 design that the . We share a body likeness and dress and I had an orange helmet but most of the time I wore my Easy Rider Flag helmet. It is very possible the paint that is peeling on the walls is lead-based. Another part was that the men who had flown in Vietnam and chafed under the official frowning upon of nose art were now the ones in charge. The majority of the bases housing is still in use, a few buildings are in use, and the tarmac is now the Arkansas Aeroplex. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "blythevilleairforcebase" Flickr tag. On January 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings. Location. [4], It is a 247 acres (100ha) historic district which included 23 contributing buildings, 33 contributing structures, two contributing sites, a contributing object, as well as two non-contributing buildings. The B-52 is one of the few planes I remember Dad talking about during his career at Hill Air Force Base. It is a peculiarly shaped building, like the rest of the buildings on the base. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. I thanked my dad for my upbringing. Originally Blytheville Air Force Base, the base's official name was changed in 1988 to honor air pioneer and commander of the Mighty Eighth Air Force during World War II, Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker. Posted on Facebook by Michael Meagher, Photographer unknown. Base Theater. To differentiate ALCM-equpped B-52Gs from unmodified aircraft, a wing fairing was added solely for the benefit of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, in accordance with arms control treaties. Blytheville Air Force Base photos on Flickr | Flickr The 1980s saw something of a resurgence--oddly enough, mostly among Strategic Air Command units. Photographer unknown. Tom Sylvester used to look up at the sky above Blytheville in the 1970s, watch the planes fly out of the nearby Air Force base and dream about being able to glide among the clouds. Photo by Democrat-Gazette file photo . . Once more, however, the B-52G was called upon for the conventional role during Operation Desert Storm against Iraq in 1991. My first year I worked in Procurement which is to the far right edge in this photo, it is the last building on the left along Memorial Drive, the wide street going left to right. Businesses have come and go, but the wear and tear of Mother Nature and Father time have taken their toll on many buildings on base. Tiling soaked in stagnant water squishes under your feet, anything that could be rusted, is rusted. Gym - Center of Wing's Athletic Activities. I have been to the former base and tarmac many times in the 2010s for Sports Car Club of America events. Today, "Valkyrie" still wears her 1991-era SIOP camouflage and a SAC badge on the nose; the nose art is on the port side. Blytheville air force base photos. Airplane Boneyard at Arkansas International Airport in Blytheville Americans did not have to fear every day of an imminent Soviet missile strike. I was stationed at 3 bases that closed during this BRAC (Eaker, George and Chanute) and took an early out at the same time (volunteer compensated RIF in 1992). [3] Six more men from the 97th were also lost in Vietnam, whose names are recognized on a memorial placard at the former base. At one point, sharkmouths were banned by 7th Air Force in Saigon as being "too warlike"--despite, of course, the "non-warlike" aircraft carrying tons of bombs and missiles. Photo Gallery. Tin Roof. Blytheville Air Force Base - Facebook Deactivated at the close of the conflict, the base was reactivated in the 1950s as Blytheville Air Force Base and was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 . The local economy tankedand unemployment skyrocketed. The Iron Curtain was torn down. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. The first model arrives at former Eaker Air Force Base - NEA Town Courier Psychiatry and Psychology 1 This Abandoned Air Force base is located three miles Northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. ", From: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm. Military aircraft stop at Arkansas Aeroplex - kait8.com Unbeknownst to the crew, over seventy percent of the vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly had been sheared off. But it is well-worth the visit. It is planned to be its own exhibit within the system of buildings. Art flourished in some units (namely F-105 wings) and was banned in others. Stock photos, 360 images, vectors and videos. The 2nd Bombardment Wing (H) at Barksdale AFB acquired the plane a second time in February 1987. The US needed a long range aircraft able to refuel other long range aircraft. After any major war, surplus equipment and property is sold to the general public and agencies. 10 free downloads. The G models were not equipped with the same robust electronic countermeasures suite as the Ds, nor did their crews have the same training. Building 1225, will be added to the collection of buildings as part of the future National Cold War Center. Air Base Group Headquarters. Three crewmen died in the crash. Sign up and get notified about upcoming volunteer events! Loved it. As I recall, crew members were typically on alert for 10 days of every month. Opened in late 2020, the BAFB Exhibition features memorabilia, video and personal stories of the base from its 1942 beginnings until closure in 1992. What aRead more , Stationed there 1989-1992, loved the place and love the life long friends from there. (For some reason, this "Hotshot" never got eyes.). I really hope some other people can find this service and get in touch with people like I did. Blytheville had their own team. This gallery is to showcase old photographs from Blytheville, Arkansas. [1], The base closure cost the community over 700 civilian jobs, but half of these were recovered through the adaptive reuse of the former base, such as United States Post Office's utilization of the base in the late 1990s as an airport hub during the holidays, some of the base housing being converted by Westminster Village of the Mid-South for a retirement community, the construction of a $2.5 million sports complex by the local community, and the private investment of some $3 million for the creation of the Thunder Bayou Golf Course. See original furniture from the famous alert compound, pictures, uniforms & other memorabilia including a . In the late 1980s, the government, under congress had begun inspections on Air Force Bases. Currently, the wet carpet has molded over and over again. Looking Into the Past..blytheville Air Force Base and The Cold War [5], For the civil use of this facility and airport information, see, Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District, Last edited on 26 September 2022, at 16:47, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, AFCEC, "Eaker Air Force Base Community Relations Plan", "National Register of Historic Places: Weekly list", "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District", "Arkansas Officials Seek Cold War Museum for Former Air Base", "Community Relations Plan for the Former Eaker Air Force Base Blytheville, Arkansas (July 2007}", Arkansas Northeastern College (formerly Mississippi County CC), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blytheville_Air_Force_Base&oldid=1112498994, Part of Strategic Air Command/Tactical Air Command, Continental Air Forces, 16 June 1945 21 March 1946, 25th Twin Engine Flying Training Group, 25 July 1942 29 February 1944, Army Air Force Pilot School, 3 May 1942 31 May 1945, 211th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 May 1944 15 June 1945, 809th Army Air Force Base Unit, 16 June 1945 31 March 1946, 334th Army Air Force Base Unit, 1 April 1946 25 November 1946, 461st Bombardment Wing, 8 April 1956 1 April 1958, 4329th Air Base Squadron, 1 April 1958 1 July 1959, 97th Bombardment Wing, 1 July 1959 1 September 1991, This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 16:47. The heavier steel fuel tanks of the tall-tail series were replaced by integral fuel tanks, in which the entire wing served as a tank. There were VIP transports (designated VC-47A/B) and there were SC-47s used as search and rescue aircraft. blytheville afb photos | Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. On 16 January 1991, she was one of seven B-52s that would fly from Barksdale to fire cruise missiles at Saddam Hussein's Iraq on the first night of Operation Desert Storm. Photo from Facebook. Summary of H.R.859 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): To authorize references to the museum located at Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas, as the "National Cold War Center". Eaker. Military. The newer B-52Hs had turbofan powerplant, which was more fuel efficient, and START arms control treaties required the dismantling of the B-52G force after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Honorable Discharged at the rank of E5 Staff Sgt. These women had proved their selves capable of flying aircraft such as the B25 and the B29. The Blytheville Research Station - Arkansas Archeological Survey The project mainly serves to save the best buildings and bring buildings in the worst shape down for safety purposes. Was stationed there from 1967 to 1970 with 97th AMS, the old A&E Squadron. Unit of Service: 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron; Air National Guard. Like the Arc Light strikes of Vietnam, Iraqi forces on the ground could not hear or see B-52s before they struck. Eaker Air Force Base is located approximately 3 miles northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas, on Interstate 55 between St Louis and Memphis. Eaker Air Force Base was located on 3,778 acres of land between the communities of Gosnell and Blytheville in Mississippi County. These jets were flown from 1969 to Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the oil crisis. "Valkyrie" shows one of Norse mythology's legendary "choosers of the slain" in full armor on horseback, with her shield a SAC emblem and carrying SAC's red lightning bolts in her other hand--which is pretty inventive. Find Blytheville Air Force Base stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. Dave Howell, RN Bob Gilbert, Gunner Rick Watson, EW Chuck Kinkhead, N Can't remember, CP Kevin Rice. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 4 million screened photos online! For nearly 50 years, residents of Blytheville, Ark., proudly supported the Air Force base in their town. While the B-52Hs remained on nuclear alert standby, the G models were used in the conventional bombing role after the first few nights of cruise missile strikes; at first, this was done at low altitude, but switched to high altitude later onnot because of the threat of Iraqi air defenses, which had been badly degraded, but of the psychological effect. NCO Club. Blytheville Air Force Base Tokens | Coin Talk It was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988, in honor of General Ira Eaker, an aviation pioneer and second . Because it was an Air Force base, the airport has room and facilities that are not available in many other complexes. Thule is the only air force base with no aircraft and a tugboat. It seemed like every morning at 5:00 AM the flight line maintenance crews would fire up some of the airplanes engines.