blytheville air force base photos

This B-52G-100-BW (S/N 58-0191), nicknamed "Bearin' Arms," was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, and delivered to the USAF on October 16, 1959. The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. The Ritz Theater from the outside circa. . The USAF Thunderbirds flew the F-4E Phantom II from 1969 until Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the October 1973 fuel crisis. Usaf Academy, CO 80840-1307 Colorado Springs, CO 80919-3732 Warrensburg, MO 64093-9357 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 Library. It was one of many air fields created in the country's interior during the war for this purpose. Description based on: Vol. Three crewmen died in the crash. Photos from Blytheville Eaker Air Force Base - KBYH on JetPhotos Photos Louisiana was the aircraft's next stop when in May 1974 it was transferred to the 2nd Bombardment Group (H) at Barksdale AFB. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. As a CAP cadet 1966-1969 the lore of this base was discussed often. Some of the land has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. In 1972, all of the bombers were temporarily moved to Guam before being returned to Blytheville AFB, at which time the installation resumed normal functions. I thanked my dad for my upbringing. These windowless alert quarters were identical everywhere, with tunnel-like egress covered in corrugated steel. After World War II the C-47s were used in the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Would love hear your stories or your thoughts. CENTCOM commander H. Norman Schwartzkopf demanded continual B-52 strikes-- eventually forty percent of all ordnance expended--and the results were devastating. On 7 July 1971 SACs last C-47 was transferred to the USS Alabama Monument Commission. 1950's. Janet Austin - Duplessis. This gallery is to showcase old photographs from Blytheville, Arkansas. 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. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. [1] It was located 3 miles (4.8km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. 10 free downloads. Under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 the United States government is obligated to consider utilization, procurement and disposal of government property. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. Any monthly plan. In May 1962 the aircraft returned to the Boeing factory in Kansas for wing modification and strengthening to counteract the fatigue cracks occurring in the B-52 fleet. However, two years later they proved him and everyone else wrong. Owners of said buildings had big ambitions to renovate and repurpose the old buildings, but either plans never took off or money was tight. . Eaker Air Force Base Historic District, Arkansas International Airport, and Blytheville Municipal Airport. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. The airfield was used as the Southeastern Training Command's flight training school, which closed in October 1945 after the Second World War ended. 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. Blytheville Air Force Base was established in 1942 as a pilot training station. The first DC-3s were ordered by the USAAF in 1941 under the designation C-47, but there was no way to predict that simple designation would become a legend, that over 10,000 would be built and that the plane would be listed by General Dwight Eisenhower as one of the four pieces of equipment most vital to our success in Africa and Europe. There were countless modifications to the C-47 fleet, some taking place at the factory and some in the field. The boom operators on KC-135s got a laugh over it, the pilots loved it, commanding officers were horrified and eventually ordered it removed. Offering the freedom of maintenance-free independent living with the flexibility of an affordable rental program, Westminster Village enables you to remain close to the best of Blytheville near fishing at Big Lake, as well as convenient access to Memphis . Note that the outrigger landing gear is off the ground: naturally, "Valkyrie" is empty of fuel, and so there is no wing droop. If was really not abandoned til 10 year ago becuae I went to preschool on the base then I got shut down because all of us got sick becuase the heat and air went out. Blytheville, established as lumber mill town in the 1880s, has also served as a center for the cotton-growing industry, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) airbase and a gateway city for the Natural State. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov) Arkansas Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate Blytheville Air Force Base as National Cold War Center 2/7/2023 Washington - Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in . Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. 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. Everything from a static display of a B52 Stratofortress (which the Arkansas Aeroplex hopes to someday acquire), to letters from soldiers to their families overseas. Timeline photos. of conventional or nuclear bombs, Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. Blytheville Air Force Base aka Eaker Air Force Base. 2023 Getty Images. In 1942, at the graduation ceremony it was believed that women could not fly as well as men. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. At 14 I was hopping buses and trains and hanging out with friends in surrounding towns. The G models most noticeable feature was its 8-foot shorter tail, done to ease maintenance and to save weight. In June 1965 B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. Pilot Mike Bush, Co Pilot Larry J Houser, EWO Wayne Carver, Navagtor Doug "D.R" Kincannon, Gunner Jack Alexander. In the years leading up to the reunification of Germany, the U.S. government sought out to begin a process that would eventually end in many bases like Eaker, to be closed. Communism had shriveled in the world. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. Photo from Facebook. by Ryan Nix, Photos by Jamison Mosley. The base closed in December 1992 and has re-opened as a general aviation/commercial airport and industrial park known as the Arkansas Aeroplex. VetFriends.com helps reunite veterans from the Air Force daily. Extensive efforts to offset the negative economic effects on the community of Blytheville were undertaken by local and federal officials, who cleaned up the site and then distributed the land to various organizations, including the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. Fifteen B-52s were lost during the 1972 Linebacker II Christmas bombings and three of those B-52s originated from the 97th Bombardment Wing assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base; B 52G 58-0201 "Charcoal 1" went down on the 18th, B 52G 58-0198 "Olive 1" and B 52G 58-0169 "Tan 3" were shot down on the 21st. The B-52 had 8 engines but the two AGM-28 engines could also be used for take off and getting up to altitude. Donate to our causeCheck out our books! Watch. 58-0183 joined the USAF and the 4135th Strategic Wing, based at Eglin AFB, Florida; the 4135th oversaw several B-52 squadrons dispersed over the American Southeast to lessen their chance of being caught on the ground by a Soviet nuclear strike. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. 4 items. In 2020, both Arkansas senators proposed a bill to designate the museum in Blytheville. Upon his return to the United States in November 1970, General Brown was assigned as vice commander of the 97th Bombardment Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark., and took command of the wing in July 1971. BX and Cafeteria. The plane . Currently, the main tarmac is used as Blythevilles airport. [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. Hill Aerospace Museum officially received the aircraft for static display on July 11, 1991. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. Have history here? It was immediately assigned to the 72nd Bombardment Wing (Heavy) at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. The National Cold War Center will be an entirely brand new building itself. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Eaker_Air_Force_Base, https://www.boeing.com/history/products/b-52-stratofortress.page, https://www.boeing.com/history/products/kc-135-stratotanker.page, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1771/text?r=1&s=1, https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/12/bill-designating-national-cold-war-center-in-blytheville-introduced-in-senate, https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107172/general-ira-c-eaker/, https://www.afcec.af.mil/Home/BRAC/Eaker.aspx, https://www.npr.org/2010/03/09/123773525/female-wwii-pilots-the-original-fly-girls. Two North American AGM-28 nuclear Hound Dog Missiles were carried under the wings of the B-52 while eight Quails were carried in the bomb bay. [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. Evans was from Osceola AR. Today. As Soviet air defenses increased in numbers and lethality, the B-52 was switched from high-altitude attack to low-altitude penetration; the job of Hound Dog-equipped B-52s was to use the nuclear-tipped primitive cruise missiles to destroy SAM defenses, giving the follow-on B-52s equipped with gravity nuclear weapons a better chance at reaching their targets. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Certain buildings are worth saving. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Suggest edits to improve what we show. The worst building on base is the hospital. It was rolled out of Boeings Wichita plant. Eaker Air Force Base is located approximately 3 miles northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas, on Interstate 55 between St Louis and Memphis. Places to visit . Nose Art: Boeing B-52G Stratofortress "Hoosier Hotshot", Nose Art: Boeing B-52G Stratofortress "Valkyrie", N915DN Delta Air Lines | McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | Arkansas International Airport, N502DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport, 59-1514 Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker United States Air Force, N907DL Delta Air Lines | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Arkansas International Airport, www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5714, www.youtube.com/watch?v=leohcvmf8kM&feature=related, B-52G with an North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, Photoshopped image of Rick OKelley Age 20 on his 1972 Suzuki GT750J Le Mans, Post Card KC 135 refueling a B-52G from Blytheville AFB, Sign that set at the Main Gate at Blytheville Air Force Base, 1977477_10202915854723496_3494507586333601988_n, www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm, Blytheville Air Force Base exhibit at DGM, Rickie D O'Kelley Staff Sergeant 1975 - Age 22. The small gold Hap Arnold Wings that appear just below my name tag was a gift from the widow of a deceased WWII USAAF pilot. On January 10th, 1964, a B52H loaned to Boeing by the USAF was testing the structural integrity of, and new technology for the aircraft. Luckily, the nose art was removed first and donated to the nearby Pima Air and Space Museum. Located on the former Eaker Air Force Base (also known as Blytheville Air Force Base), a few blocks inside the west gate. In August 1991 this Stratofortress was dropped from the Air Force inventory and made available to the USAF Museum Program. Washington, DCMay 26, 2020.Today, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) joined Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-1), Congressman French Hill (AR-2), and Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-4) in announcing the introduction of legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in Blytheville, Arkansas the "National Cold War Center." The air force base was established in 1942 as a . View of the southern end of the former Blytheville AFB (Eaker AFB). If you wish to support our current and future work, please consider making a donation or purchasing one of our many books. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . "Valkyrie" would fly a few more missions during the war, the only time she would drop bombs in anger. 18 (Feb. 26, 1904). Copyright 2009-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) - Abandoned Atlas Foundation - board@AbandonedAtlas.com | Designed By Prairie Nation Creative, LLC - Disclaimer, Eaker Air Force Base (Click the Thumbnails to See Full Album), Extras (sirens, wildlife, monument, signs). If you can make it, even for an hour, we will be glad to have you! Gosnell reported losing over half its students. As a result, the B-52Gs took heavy casualties in the first days of Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, losing 15 aircraft; it was decided to pull the Gs out of operations after the first week. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. Best years of my life. Old Movies. The communication building of the 97th Bombardment Wing is in terrible condition as well. Buildings have collapsed in that time frame. On June 10, 1942, the U.S. Army opened an advanced pilot training school at Blytheville, Arkansas. In selected cases, due to ground water table conditions, the moleholes were built fully aboveground, with the lower story earthen bermed for semi-hardening. Was the first KC-135E conversion in 1982. What aRead more , Stationed there 1989-1992, loved the place and love the life long friends from there. Jul 1999. Art flourished in some units (namely F-105 wings) and was banned in others. Compared to hose style fueling systems, flying booms of KC135s are very unforgiving to errors. c/n 18002/T0417. See original furniture from the famous alert compound, pictures, uniforms & other memorabilia including a . 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. [3] Unfortunately, Eaker Air Force Base topped the Strategic Air Command's list of base closures in 1991 and with the Cold War coming to an end, the installation was officially chosen; in March 1992, the last aircraft left the base. Those dorms were pristine (almost new if I remember correctly) when they were abandoned. Photo by Democrat-Gazette file photo . BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE EXHIBITION. He arranged the trade of my old piece of crap Harley, arranged the financing so I could just get on my new motorcycle and drive away. Ruth Eaker, General Eakers widow, signing autographs during the name change of the base in 1988.

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