Wally's Photography | Old Blytheville Photos The incident over Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on January 21, 1976, would not only stretch to a second night but was also witnessed by pure chance by a student journalist known only as "Bruce.". Blytheville, Walnut Ridge, Grider, Newport, Stuttgart, and Adams Field. Arkansas had six Army airfields. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. 6 'Cat And Mouse' UFO Chase Over Cannon AFB January 1976. Once more, however, the B-52G was called upon for the conventional role during Operation Desert Storm against Iraq in 1991. 3 items. Photo Gallery Assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base until deactivated in 1992. Honorable Discharged at the rank of E5 Staff Sgt. As the National Cold War Center develops, the first on-site exhibit depicts the history of the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base. The B-47 Stratojet was slated to be replaced by a mix of both the heavy Stratofortress and the Convair B-58 Hustler high-speed medium bomber. What aRead more , Stationed there 1989-1992, loved the place and love the life long friends from there. thrust each. Arkansas World War II Army Airfields - Wikipedia When the klaxon sounded, the aircrews scrambled to their aircraft, and got a radio code to start their engines; after the engines were running, they got another code that instructed them either to shut down, and go back to the alert facility (in which case it would be called a Coco alert), or to taxi (that would be a Bravo alert). Electrical work and flood damage repair have begun. Altus AFB ACTIVE Need photos: Location: Altus, Oklahoma. Finally, again to save weight, the tail gunner position was eliminated in favor of a remote-controlled barbette, with the gunner moved forward to the crew compartment. The Blytheville Courier (Blytheville, Mississippi County, Ark.) 1902 Buildings, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, car . This view also shows how well 58-0183 is preserved, and the EVS bulges beneath the B-52's nose. It has the exact same problems as the hospital, though both buildings trade off on extremities. 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 . Camo with white under belly North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile on display at the Global Power Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base. Below is my Blytheville Air Force Base token collection. wikipedia.en/List_of_B-57_units_of_the_United_States_Air_Force.md at The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. For the families, GI's, and community that was Blytheville AFB Cover photos. My job was to keep the alert aircraft supplied with the parts they needed to be mission ready. At 14 I was hopping buses and trains and hanging out with friends in surrounding towns. . The base closed in December 1992 and has re-opened as a general aviation/commercial airport and industrial park known as the Arkansas Aeroplex. Blytheville Air Force Base? - vetfriends.com When Castle closed in 1995, 57-6486 was retired and sent to AMARG in Arizona; it was scrapped soon thereafter as part of the START arms reduction treaty. While with the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, it received the name "Valkyrie" with appropriate nose art of a mail-clad female warrior on horseback; nose art made a renaissance in the USAF in the late 1980s, though not quite as risqu as that seen during World War II. BLYTHEVILLE ARMY AIRFIELD 1942. BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE EXHIBITION. There is a SAC Lapel Pin and two United States Air Force Lapel Pins that I have included in my display. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Since its organization on 21 March 1946, SAC had continuously used C-47s or Gooney Birds as they were usually called, for support and administrative purposes. Blytheville Air Force Base Tokens | Coin Talk Places to visit . Would love hear your stories or your thoughts. Many times I stopped what I was doing and watched the full power, roaring and smoke trailing takeoffs. 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. 27 items. Today the base is mostly in a decrepit state of disrepair. The aircraft was set on course to Boeings headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. 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". The 456th completed deployments to Anderson AB in Guam with this B-52G. In the bomb bay were ADM-20 Quail decoys. Arkansas Razorbacks. Vietnam saw a return of nose art (or, in the case of the F-105, "armpit art" as it was carried beneath the high wing), but while pilots and crews didn't have to worry about irate wives, they did have to worry about irate commanding officers, some of whom saw nose art as unprofessional and childish. On the opening night of the war, a group of B-52s took off from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and struck targets in Iraq with ALCMs, in a 34-hour nonstop round trip mission, a record that stood until 1996. The Air Force packed up and left. Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition: BAFB Exhibition - Blytheville/Eaker AFB - See 9 traveler reviews, 32 candid photos, and great deals for Blytheville, AR, at Tripadvisor. ADM-20 Quail Decoy used to produce a fake B-52 signature on radar making a single B-52 appear to be as many as eight B-52s causing the Soviets to waste their SAMs chasing the Quails. Arkansas Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate Blytheville Air After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. Blytheville AFB experienced a great deal of activity throughout the Cold War era, when for instance, the 97th Bombardment Wing went on airborne alert on 22 October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Mississippi Counties - North Sawba Cemetery - ARGenWeb Five feet of water was pumped out of the basement of the building. National Cold War Center in Blytheville receives $400K grant from By that time, the B-52G had already been tested in combat, with mixed results. c/n 18002/T0417. My Heritage. (USAF Museum Official Website), Objects and images related to Blytheville Air Force Base, aka Eaker Air Force Base, The patch for the 340th Bomb Squadron assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base aka Eakers Air Force Base. I think it is lost on most Americans that the first time a B-52 was used in actually live combat was in Vietnam and it was the only time a B-52 was lost to enemy fire. Details on 57-6486 are sparse; it may have seen combat over Vietnam with another unit. Touch . The first model arrives at former Eaker Air Force Base - NEA Town Courier Jul 1999. 07-4637 photos; United States - US Air Force (USAF) Airline: United States - US Air Force (USAF) Reg: 07-4637 photos; Aircraft: Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules; Serial #: 382-5597; . My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. In June 1975 the aircraft was sent to the 97th Bombardment Wing (H) residing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas. This increased the B-52Gs range over earlier B-52s, though it also added considerable weightone reason why the tail was shortened; to help the heavy bomber get off the ground, the water-injection system already present was increased. 18 (Feb. 26, 1904). The boom is controlled by an operator lying prone under the cargo deck of the aircraft. Airman First Class Monex Thomas of the Blytheville Air Force Base died in an aircraft training incident on August 1 1982. Thousands of jobs were lost. Sheila Russell Thurber. I was stationed there from 1966-69. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. The aircraft in question was tail number 61-0023. Ritz. These jets were flown from 1969 to Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the oil crisis. He served active duty March 21 1972 to March 20 1976. The Blytheville Air Force Base Alert Center and Alert Apron constructed as part of a national expansion of Strategic Air Command Facilities across the United States and its Territories, to help in creating a "program to safeguard nuclear deterrence" through the SAC Alert program. The Ritz Theater from the outside circa. During the second World War, the United States needed more areas to train pilots, and launch aircraft to respond to the threat on the Eastern front. [1] Then the airfield briefly became a processing center for the rapid demobilization of military personnel being discharged. The process is called B.R.A.C.. Find Blytheville Air Force Base unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. Blytheville Air Force Base Exhibition | Blytheville, AR | Arkansas.com Ruth Eaker, General Eakers widow, signing autographs during the name change of the base in 1988. Granted today, the area has stayed well populated due to industrial jobs, but Blythevilles unemployment rate is four percent higher than the national average (pre-covid). Base Closure What happened to Blytheville, Arkansas? Serial Number 61-0023 landed safely in Blytheville. The 97th comm mustve been a very short lived entity as it was the 2101 CS / AFCC when I was there. The G models most noticeable feature was its 8-foot shorter tail, done to ease maintenance and to save weight. Posted on Facebook by Michael Meagher, Photographer unknown. Base Theater. "A B52 with a full nuclear payload, is the seventh most powerful country in the world.". Eaker Air Force Base was complete with swimming pools, tennis courts, a grocery store, a dental office, a nine hole golf course, a theater, multiple clubs, visitation centers, a gym, and on-base housing for military families. My other picture of "Valkyrie" was taken from the right side, but the other day I realized I had never posted the picture of the aircraft's nose art. Officials had hoped, after hearing rumors of the base's possible closure, that the name would endear the base among military leaders and be enough to incentivize its continued existence. 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. Blytheville Air Force Base - Facebook for another radio code that would tell him to turn around. Any monthly plan. [1], In 1988, the U.S. Air Force officially renamed Blytheville AFB to Eaker AFB in commemoration of World War II General Ira Eaker, the former commander of the 8th Air Force. Officers Club. In July 1991, she was retired, and as one of the Secret Squirrel aircraft, was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum immediately. On January 10th, 1964, a B52H loaned to Boeing by the USAF was testing the structural integrity of, and new technology for the aircraft. Links: Thule AFB . Loved it. Our B-52s had the Vietnam War Camo paint while this appears to have the Pre-Vietnam War SAC paint which our bombers had before their Vietnam days. The nine surviving jets are scattered from coast to coast most of them restored and on display. Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Blytheville Air Force Base - Facebook The Hound Dog was withdrawn in the 1970s and replaced with the AGM-69 SRAM, which could be carried in groups of 20 rather than just two of the huge Hound Dogs. The aircraft remained there until November when it was reassigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing (H) at Mather AFB, California. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. A great surprise - Reviews, Photos - Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB When Operation Linebacker and especially Linebacker II taxed the Southeast Asia-based B-52D fleet to the limit, President Richard Nixon authorized the G models to be deployed to Vietnam as well. Scanned from 35mm Negative. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978. The population suffered as well. Blytheville Air Force Base Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Far in the northeast corner of Arkansas, five miles west of the Mississippi River, the city of Blytheville remembers a prosperous past while hoping for a bright future. 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. Did you serve with BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE? 1942-1946, 1953-1992. The Iron Curtain was torn down. Airplane Boneyard at Arkansas International Airport in Blytheville Blytheville AFB became fully operational when it was equipped with a wing of three squadrons of B-57 bomber on 19 July 1955. I have been to the former base and tarmac many times in the 2010s for Sports Car Club of America events. https://nuke.fas.org/guide/usa/bomber/kc-135.htm#:~:text=The%20KC%2D135%20can%20haul,transferable%20for%20global%20refueling%20missions. My father was a pilot in SAC throughout his career (bombers and tankers); he and the other bomber and tanker crews spent a whole lot of time, away from their families, living in this bunker. MEMORIES. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. This is not my photograph so it may not be used for commercial purposes. The exhibit is on the old air base, which is now an FBO for the new steel and other corporations that fly in there, along with other airplane related functions. Location of Service: Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Williams Air Force Base, Arizona; Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio; Vietnam; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas; Des Moines Air National . Only ten B-52Gs survive today as museum pieces. Americans did not have to fear every day of an imminent Soviet missile strike. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. By August 1973, they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with 17 B-52s lost to enemy action. Use code: FLICKR10, International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. And the aeronautical weather for the pilots with current weather and short-term forecasts with METAR (METeorological Aerodrome Report, observation message of meteorological conditions for aviation) and TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast: short-term forecast message of meteorological conditions for aviation ). This area was developed pursuant to guidelines established by the Federal Housing Administration , and is laid out with . Nearly 750 were built before production ended in Oct. 26, 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. Dave Howell, RN Bob Gilbert, Gunner Rick Watson, EW Chuck Kinkhead, N Can't remember, CP Kevin Rice. New in 1960. 2023 Getty Images. [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 airport was developed from the closed Eaker Air Force Base (formerly Blytheville Air Force Base), after its closure by the U.S. Air Force in 1992. . On 7 July 1971 SACs last C-47 was transferred to the USS Alabama Monument Commission. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. 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. Brave Men from the 97th Bombardment Wing Historical Marker 10 free downloads. Blytheville/Eaker AFB - Reviews, Photos - Tripadvisor Posted to Facebook by William Travis. Eaker Air Force Base in its entirety is a mix of private and federal property. Federal Facilities/Base Closure in Arkansas | US EPA About ten years ago a group of old 97 OMS troops made a trip to see the old place. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. Three crewmen died in the crash. Some of the land has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. The KC135 Stratotanker, as most other notary aircraft, was born out of necessity. 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 . It is a peculiarly shaped building, like the rest of the buildings on the base. However, two years later they proved him and everyone else wrong. "Hoosier Hotshot" was originally applied to a B-17G Flying Fortress of the 91st Bomb Group during World War II, but when SAC began applying nose art to their B-52s, a 97th Bomb Wing B-52G crew reproduced the nose art on 57-6486 as a tribute to the original. Though, local organizations and legal entities constantly fight to preserve the base. It was located 3 miles (5 km) northwest of central Blytheville, Arkansas. - A Blytheville museum shining a light on Cold War history received funding supporting a planned primary exhibit. Evans was from Osceola AR. (KAIT) - Members of the United States Air Force in Little Rock and Louisiana landed aircraft on the Arkansas Aeroplex on the morning of . The base contributed greatly to the economic and . It is aRead more . The B-52G is missing its missile pylon because these were removed and destroyed as a condition of he SALT treaty launcher reduction conditions. Most of the Gs ended their days sliced into pieces in the Arizona desert. I thanked my dad for my upbringing. The Strategic Air Command had reached the end of the road. This is a photoshopped 1972 Suzuki Brochure that I have transposed my face over the riders face. Buy None was a no notice operational exercise conducted in 1989. The B-52G was also built from the start to deliver standoff nuclear weapons, beginning with the AGM-28 Hound Dog. In 2020, both Arkansas senators proposed a bill to designate the museum in Blytheville. Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, Blytheville: See 8 reviews, articles, and 21 photos of Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 6 attractions in Blytheville. But, right before the first man could bail, the pilot had realized they had marginal control over the aircraft. The Mole Hole: Effort to Help Save a Cold War Concrete Resource The B52 Stratofortress was the answer to all the problems found in the Convair B36 Peacemaker and the B24.

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