The United States Air Forces (USAF) turned seventy-seven years old yesterday. On September 18, 1947, Chief Justice Fred Vinson swore in Stuart Symington (our senator from Missouri) as the first secretary of the air force, officially founding a new branch of the U.S. military.
I've spent my married life with an Airman who had the harrowing task of flying 35 plus missions in a B17 Fortress bombing enemy sites.
However his service was called Army Air Corp.
He was "Air Force" before it "was" Air Force, an Airman to the core.
We spent years visiting airports, air shows and museum for the remainder of his life. His love for flight never wained.
In fact if you are in Dayton, Ohio, take some time to visit the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The museum is the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display, including the Memphis Belle, a Boeing B-17 famous for the number of bombing missions it flew during World War II. You can also see the Boeing B-29 Superfortress that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
My favorite exhibit is the Space Gallery, which includes the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft. Yes as a family we loved the space program too!
Back to Topic...
Happy Belated Birthday Wish To The United States Air Force!
Nana
Comments