Dave Howell, RN Bob Gilbert, Gunner Rick Watson, EW Chuck Kinkhead, N Can't remember, CP Kevin Rice. 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. A photo of my Mustang in the snow at Barker's Trailerpark in Blytheville Arkansas. Fill out the form and sign up to help us protect: By signing up, you are not committing to anything, you are simply subscribing to be notified of upcoming volunteer dates. Pinterest. The B-52H, however, continues to serve without a replacement on the horizon; the USAF intends to keep it in service until at least 2025, by which time the newest Stratofortress would have been in service sixty years. B52 for his quick thinking, response to a crisis, and heroic duties. It is the USAFs main aerial fueling aircraft. machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000+ lbs. In 2020, both Arkansas senators proposed a bill to designate the museum in Blytheville. Owners of said buildings had big ambitions to renovate and repurpose the old buildings, but either plans never took off or money was tight. The majority of buildings have suffered the same fate. 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. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. It was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988, in honor of General Ira Eaker, an aviation pioneer and second . Watch. "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. 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 . About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . 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. 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. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. 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 - Facebook Lots of good memories. No photo description available. Below is my Blytheville Air Force Base token collection. My USAF service had no connection to the Thunderbirds other than Juliet and I saw this Thunderbird perform at Blytheville Air Force Base Oct 25 1972. Location. It was one of many air fields created in the country's interior during the war for this purpose. It launched rescue missions from the base to Grenada in 1983 and in August 1990, the pilots of the 97th Bomber Wing began practicing for missions in the Middle East and eventually supported Operation Desert Storm. All of these were under the Strategic Air Command. 732 of the aircraft were specifically aerial tankers. No photo description available. Eaker AFB was selected for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round of 1991. The boom operators on KC-135s got a laugh over it, the pilots loved it, commanding officers were horrified and eventually ordered it removed. Available for both RF and RM licensing. Who knew that 41 years later I would have a new Mustang or even still be alive. Photographs are from numerous people and I encourage you to send me your photos if you want to add to the Blytheville collection. Buildings have collapsed in that time frame. Links: Thule AFB . Of reinforced concrete and concrete-block construction, moleholes were of two-story height, with one story below ground. LIEUTENANT GENERAL BRUCE K. BROWN > Air Force > Biography Display - AF blytheville afb photos | Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville The facility now operates as the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas International Airport. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in Oct. 26, 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. Louisiana was the aircraft's next stop when in May 1974 it was transferred to the 2nd Bombardment Group (H) at Barksdale AFB. May be an image of text that says 'David Pride 2000' No photo description available. c/n 18002/T0417. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956. 6 'Cat And Mouse' UFO Chase Over Cannon AFB January 1976. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Thousands of jobs were lost. I had only three duty assignments, I began my service at Blytheville right out of Tech School as the Supply Representative to Base Procurement, then most of my time I was a "NORS Controller" responsible for keeping the Alert Aircraft and Nuclear Missiles supplied with parts. Posted June 9th, 2014 by NFFF & filed under Uncategorized. Photo from Facebook. In 1942, at the graduation ceremony it was believed that women could not fly as well as men. Marker is at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Chestnut Drive, on the right when traveling east on Memorial Drive. Thank you! Many DC-3 and C-47s are still in operation, nearing the end of their first half century of service and looking like they could go another half century. A taxi way to the southern end of the apron joins the Blytheville Air Force Base Alert area to the main runway, which allows bombers and tankers with the quickest access to that . Microscopy, Atomic Force Pulmonary Ventilation Acoustic Impedance Tests. At 14 I was hopping buses and trains and hanging out with friends in surrounding towns. There was some concern that female aircrew--which were becoming far more common in the 1980s than in years previously--would object to the nose art, but no such objections materialized. Best years of my life. Of the 3,778 acres the base is comprised of, two thirds of the land is abandoned. Timeline photos. It is aRead more . B.R.A.C. Since 1955, the B52 Stratofortress has been Americas go-to long-distance strategic bomber. Armament: Four defensive .50-cal. Though, local organizations and legal entities constantly fight to preserve the base. This is a photoshopped 1972 Suzuki Brochure that I have transposed my face over the riders face. Desert Storm was the swan song for the B-52G. 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. Currently, the main tarmac is used as Blythevilles airport. The Blytheville Air Force Base Capehart Housing Historic District encompasses a large residential area built between 1957 and 1962 as part of a military housing program for service members stationed at the now-closed Blytheville Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas. 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 Blytheville, Arkansas, the "National Cold War Center." The Eaker base opened in 1942 as a World War II advanced pilot training school, and later became an alert center during the Cold War. [1], On 15 July 1955, the facility was reopened as Blytheville Air Force Base (AFB), when the 461st Bombardment Wing was moved from Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Hear those stories come to life from the soldiers who served at the BAFB Exhibition. Blytheville: Return to Prosperous Past? - AMP Reactivated as the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB. Airman First Class Monex Thomas of the Blytheville Air Force Base died in an aircraft training incident on August 1 1982. Though it is referred to these names, the airport officially goes by Arkansas Aeroplex. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. If you can make it, even for an hour, we will be glad to have you! Blytheville, Arkansas was selected as a training location due to its proximity to the Mississippi River, where supplies could easily be shipped to and from the site. After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Blytheville was the only two engine training base in Arkansas. I thanked my dad for my upbringing. The current BAFB Exhibit is housed in the former B52 crew briefing building, and will continue to be an exhibit. 326th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 21 July 1942-30 April 1944 2111th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-16 June 1945 Became Blytheville Air Force Base / Eaker Air Force Base (1951-1992) Now: Arkansas International Airport (IATA: BYH, ICAO: KBYH, FAA LID: BYH) (1992-Present) Newport Army Air Field, 6 miles northeast of Newport For more information, visit the website at www.nationalcoldwarcenter.com or call 870-532-2100. 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. 10 UFO Incidents Over Air Force Bases In The United States The majority of the bases housing is still in use, a few buildings are in use, and the tarmac is now the Arkansas Aeroplex. In its prime, it housed over 3,000 service members, and a whole fleet of Strategic Air Command B52 BUFF Stratofortresses. Base Closure What happened to Blytheville, Arkansas? 2, no. Operated by the 97th Bombardment Wing based at Eaker AFB, Blytheville AR. [1], During the Vietnam War the 97th Bomber Wing at Blytheville supported strike operations throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Arkansas Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate Blytheville Air (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. 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. The nine surviving jets are scattered from coast to coast most of them restored and on display. NUMBER BUILT: Douglas built a total of 10,047 C-47s and derivatives. Strategic Air Command Bases Here's a little blurb about the alert facilities themselves (aka "mole holes"): "The SAC alert crew quarters, like the SAC command post, were partially below ground structures. Jwt708 Well-Known Member. The 456th completed deployments to Anderson AB in Guam with this B-52G. Base Theater. On January 23rd, 2022, it was announced that the former dorms would be demolished. He told me many stories about the German . 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. 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 . [1] It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. As the National Cold War Center develops, the first on-site exhibit depicts the history of the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base. Today. Scanned from 35mm Negative. Arkansas World War II Army Airfields - Wikipedia It was located 3 miles (5 km) northwest of central Blytheville, Arkansas. Rick O'Kelley was drafted in Oct 1971 and enlisted in the USAF November 10 1971 on delayed enlistment. I never earned Air Force Wings, the wings that appear in the photo are those of the Commemorative Air Force of which I am a member. Blytheville Air Force Base. . Electrical work and flood damage repair have begun. The Blytheville Research Station - Arkansas Archeological Survey As the Cold War ended, "Valkyrie" was assigned to her last duty station with the 2nd BW at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, but she would have one last mission. 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. It is planned to be its own exhibit within the system of buildings. Movie Theater. See All. Those dorms were pristine (almost new if I remember correctly) when they were abandoned. The National Cold War Center at the former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville announced Monday that it had received a $400,000 grant from the Division of Arkansas Heritage Cultural Institutions Trust Fund.A spokesperson said the money would be used to . 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. BLYTHEVILLE ARMY AIRFIELD 1942. Arkansas Razorbacks. Many times I stopped what I was doing and watched the full power, roaring and smoke trailing takeoffs. 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. The Southeast Asia War Tour Boeing B-52D Stratofortress BUFF LF USAF Museum (9202) Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 3-10-2019. Posted to Facebook by William Travis. Jun 18, 2016 - blytheville afb photos | Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . Beechcraft AT-10, and Curtiss-Wright AT-9s. Constructed on former agricultural land, the site was originally activated as the Blytheville Army Airfield in 1942. Assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base until deactivated in 1992. It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. Douglas Ash - Altoona, Florida, United States - LinkedIn Nowadays, the base goes by a few names. Blytheville warming up for Cold War museum at defunct Air Force base The 97th comm mustve been a very short lived entity as it was the 2101 CS / AFCC when I was there. Airmen from the 97th Bombardment Wing lost their lives and their photos appear on the lonely memorial at their abandoned base in Blytheville; Lt Col Keith R Heggen was in "Olive1", (now buried at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery) Lt Col Donald L Rissi, 1st LT Robert J Thomas and Msgt Walter L Ferguson were in "Charcoal 1" Major Bobby A Kirby, Capt Randall J Craddock, Capt George B Lockhart, Capt Ronald D Perry and 1st Lt Charles E Darr were in "Tan 3". From an extreme case of having to be boarded up like a top secret quarantine, to simply being an old tool shed that never got used. If the alert force had not received that second "stand down" code, they would have taken off; and (as we saw it, back then) if that happened, very soon, we would have been in the midst of a nuclear war. During WWII, my Dad and his best friend, John Whittington, would go to the base (teenagers) and work. Find the perfect adversary concept stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Base Fire Station. The worst building on base is the hospital. Most of the Gs ended their days sliced into pieces in the Arizona desert. In any case, out of a sense of history and because commanders were now favorable to the idea, nose art began to return, though the USAF was very careful to ensure any "painted ladies" to have nothing more risque than bikinis. Currently, the wet carpet has molded over and over again. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978. For those wishing to explore BAFB history and its impact, the Blytheville Air Force Base Exhibition is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to tell "the story of the war that saved the world.". Branch of Service: Air Force. The B-52 Stratofortress force had always been intended to be supplemented by newer designs, allowing older types and eventually the B-52 itself to be retired. 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. No photo description available. Blytheville Air Force Base - O'Kelley The population suffered as well. Have history here? The B-52 is one of the few planes I remember Dad talking about during his career at Hill 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. Gosnell reported losing over half its students. Only ten B-52Gs survive today as museum pieces. During World War II, the site served as a training airfield as part of the 70,000 Pilot Training Program. 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. Some commanders, such as General Charles Donnelly in USAFE (no relation to the author) reportedly considered making names and/or nose art on USAFE aircraft a requirement. Serial Number 61-0023 landed safely in Blytheville. 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 . 3 talking about this. A great surprise - Reviews, Photos - Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Eaker Air Force Base | Military Wiki | Fandom Photos from Blytheville Eaker Air Force Base - KBYH on JetPhotos 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). The aircraft remained there until November when it was reassigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing (H) at Mather AFB, California. Notice my Mustang has what appears to be a trailer hitch. if I remember correctly it was one of the rooms pictured (162). Blytheville Eaker Air Force Base - KBYH, USA - Arkansas; By: Brady Brooks Photos | Profile | Contact; This has been an ongoing project for over a year. But it is well-worth the visit. Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. 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 . The WASP program tasked select women with many key roles on airfields across the nation. All photos (32) Top ways to experience nearby attractions. Once more, however, the B-52G was called upon for the conventional role during Operation Desert Storm against Iraq in 1991. Blytheville had their own team. Property is disposed of, and the government cleans up after itself. wikipedia.en/List_of_B-57_units_of_the_United_States_Air_Force.md at BLYTHEVILLE AFB HOSPITAL: Reunite With 4 Other Veterans - VetFriends The base was deactivated in 1945 at the end of World War II. 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. Blytheville air force base photos. I single had a wonderful time on my motorcycle that summer when I arrived at Blytheville Air Force base and my motorcycle was a major reason for my fond memories of a carefree time in my youth. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. The US needed a long range aircraft able to refuel other long range aircraft. Retired from service in December 2019, MD-88 N907DL is stored at the former Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base, now Arkansas International Airport, in Blytheville, Arkansas. VetFriends.com helps reunite veterans from the Air Force daily. Over 1,000,000 pictures My 1972 Suzuki looked exactly like the one in the brochure. BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE EXHIBITION. . Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. I really hope some other people can find this service and get in touch with people like I did. 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. This gallery is to showcase old photographs from Blytheville, Arkansas. "Valkyrie" was known to the USAF as 58-0183, a B-52G Stratofortress. Known as Operation Secret Squirrel, this 34-hour mission was at the time the longest aerial mission ever flown, and was not surpassed until the strikes on Afghanistan in 2001. Blytheville Air Force Base Archives - National Fallen Firefighters I was an army brat and a military wife along with an army civilian off and on over the years. Details on 57-6486 are sparse; it may have seen combat over Vietnam with another unit. [1] Other aircraft stationed at Blytheville AFB included: KC-97 refueler, B-52G bomber, KC-135A tanker, T-33 jet fighter, and the T-37 traineramong others. View of the southern end of the former Blytheville AFB (Eaker AFB). On June 10, 1942, the U.S. Army opened an advanced pilot training school at Blytheville, Arkansas. Places to visit . New in 1960. 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 5 BEST Things to Do in Blytheville - 2023 (with Photos School trips were to other countries LOL. Recovery in Blytheville after Air Force Base Closing | St. Louis Fed Because it was an Air Force base, the airport has room and facilities that are not available in many other complexes. or the notorious F-105 "Cherry Girl," which positioned a full-frontal nude girl strategically over the refueling port on the nose. The walls are riddled with holes. The G models most noticeable feature was its 8-foot shorter tail, done to ease maintenance and to save weight. It was always fascinating to hear stories about how papers were left on desks and furniture left abandoned. 35 57.54 N, 89 57.74 W. Marker is in Gosnell, Arkansas, in Mississippi County. 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. Arkansas Air Crash Kills 6 - The New York Times 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. A B52 with a full nuclear payload, is the seventh most powerful country in the world.. Eaker Air Force Base was home to a group of Strategic Air Command B-52 bombers and more than 3,000 military personnel before closing in 1992. blythevilleairforcebase photos on Flickr | Flickr 3 items. 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. Philip John Rovang Collection | Library of Congress "Valkyrie" would fly a few more missions during the war, the only time she would drop bombs in anger. The Air Force needed a long-distance bomber that could travel all the way to the former U.S.S.R., drop a payload on a target and travel back without needing refueling. Rolls-Royce Offers Peek At The B-52's New Engines Undergoing Testing The B-52G was to return to the nuclear delivery role through the 1970s and 1980s, with the SRAM itself replaced by the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile, a truly precise cruise missile. Arkansas had six Army airfields. The first model arrives at former Eaker Air Force Base - NEA Town Courier The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. Ruth Eaker, General Eakers widow, signing autographs during the name change of the base in 1988. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe . The base contributed greatly to the economic and . [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. He served active duty March 21 1972 to March 20 1976.

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