Currently, there is a restoration program working to rebuild and reuse buildings that arent disappearing. About Westminster Village . 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. Jwt708 Well-Known Member. The facility now operates as the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas International Airport. The Hound Dog was withdrawn in the 1970s and replaced with the AGM-69 SRAM, which could be carried in groups of 20 rather than just two of the huge Hound Dogs.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 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. B.R.A.C. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. 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. 2, no. 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. On the evening in question, Bruce was working for a local radio station, performing tests on their transmitters. . Communism had shriveled in the world. Housing for members of the military and their families was developed between 1957 and 1962 north and south . From its days as an Army Airfield until closing in 1992 as a major Strategic Air Command facility, the Blytheville Air Force Base told many stories. This has led to the current dilapidated state of some buildings. 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. There were VIP transports (designated VC-47A/B) and there were SC-47s used as search and rescue aircraft. Some were torn down. As the 97th Bomb Group it's B-17 were the first to drop bombs on the Germans in France in 1942. [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. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in Oct. 26, 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. 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. Since then, there have been only 744 aircraft built by Boeing. Any and all donations are appreciated. 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). Building 1225 is currently registered on the National Register Of Historic Places and is quoted as being the crown jewel of the National Cold War Center campus. Though Phase Two of the project is underway (as of February 2022), there have been no announcements of when the museum will officially open. 3 talking about this. The G models most noticeable feature was its 8-foot shorter tail, done to ease maintenance and to save weight. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. This is the alert facility, or "mole hole," where bomber and tanker aircraft crew in the Strategic Air Command (SAC; USAF) lived while they were pulling alert duty during the Cold War. 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. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. Armament: Four .50-cal. 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. It is a peculiarly shaped building, like the rest of the buildings on the base. 97th Bomb Wing has a long and honorable history. BLYTHEVILLE ARMY AIRFIELD 1942. Airwomen were tasked with testing electronics of aircraft, testing aircraft by means of flights, and ferrying aircraft. They could go out of the facility to visit family, go to a movie or the BX, but the whole crew had to go everywhere together. The War Assets Administration officially closed down the installation in 1946, at which point control and responsibility for the land was transferred to the city of Blytheville. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. The last model 61-0040, was produced in 1962. BX and Cafeteria. On January 23rd, 2022, it was announced that the former dorms would be demolished. action specifically caters to closures and revitalization of U.S. military bases. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark., this aircraft was flown to the museum in November 1978. NCO Club. Donate to our causeCheck out our books! c/n 18002/T0417. All photos. 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. Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. 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. In 1990, Blythevilles population was 23,443. The 456th completed deployments to Anderson AB in Guam with this B-52G. However, two years later they proved him and everyone else wrong. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And in 1991, Eaker Air Force Base was on the top of the list. A bomber crew from Blytheville were among the first shot down during Operation Linebacker II, a December 1972 mission targeting complexes in North Vietnam. As crew chiefs we had all spent many tours in the mole hole. Doors and numerous truckloads of metal were being hauled off the alert pad. 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. 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. Blytheville was the only Advanced training base in Arkansas. 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. Today the base is mostly in a decrepit state of disrepair. It is aRead more . Sheila Russell Thurber. See All. Roof repairs began on February 19, 2022. Yes we grew up overseas and only went to Department of Defense Schools but it was amazing. Touch . Unit of Service: 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron; Air National Guard. Military Photos; Military Reunion Stories; Military Service Map; Military Cadences; Military Jokes; Military Lingo; Great Military Web Pages; Recommended Military Books; Today in Military . 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. As the National Cold War Center develops, the first on-site exhibit depicts the history of the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base. Gosnell appears right center of the photo.. Today it is the headquarters for the group that runs the old base for civilian use and the aircraft are: I was promoted to Staff Sergeant after 37 months of active duty plus 5 months delayed enlistment program. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978. Photo by Democrat-Gazette file photo . 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. . Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: majesticholidays.com, +12423231410, +13088411818, +14132671187, +13856680111, +12815278722 Bahamas hotels, vacation tour packages by majestic holidays 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 ). 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 Air Force Base, Blytheville . I hope they can save this base so that it doesnt get destroyed. Eaker Air Force Base is located approximately 3 miles northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas, on Interstate 55 between St Louis and Memphis. The base was deactivated in 1945 at the end of World War II. 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. When 58-0183 got its nose art, it was assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, but it would carry its nose art into combat during the First Gulf War as part of the 2nd BW at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. Profile pictures. 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). 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. It was good to see jets setting on the tarmac, even if they are only civilian jets. [1] Then the airfield briefly became a processing center for the rapid demobilization of military personnel being discharged. At the former Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base, now Arkansas International Airport, Delta Air Lines has stored many aircraft because of the downturn of passengers due to the 2020 Corona Virus. Renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 honoring Gen. Ira Eaker, the entire facility closed in 1992. I really hope some other people can find this service and get in touch with people like I did. Microscopy, Atomic Force Pulmonary Ventilation Acoustic Impedance Tests. My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. MEMORIES. Notice my Mustang has what appears to be a trailer hitch. As I recall, crew members were typically on alert for 10 days of every month. Since 1955, the B52 Stratofortress has been Americas go-to long-distance strategic bomber. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. The hospital is also a very large (plan wise) building, so it is very possible to get lost inside the building without a map. This had the added benefit of giving the gunner an ejection seat, eliminating the need for a manual bailout system. The KC135 fuels other aircraft through an extendable boom on the aft of the aircraft. Today. Several C-47s were fitted with pontoons and redesignated C-47C. As a kid in nearby Jonesboro, our cub scout pack got to visit what was then Blytheville AFB. The B52 Stratofortress was the answer to all the problems found in the Convair B36 Peacemaker and the B24. Merged with: Blytheville herald-news (non-extant), to form: Blytheville courier news. Explore. 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. Capt. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956. In the politically correct 2000s, nose art has been hidden in wheel-well doors or, in the case of the A-10, behind the integral ladder door, and often as not, simply does not exist. Watch. Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Mr. Gorbachev tore down that wall. by Ryan Nix, Photos by Jamison Mosley. Armament: Four defensive .50-cal. Though it is currently in a rough shape as an Air Force Base it doesnt have to be that way. It was closed as a military base in 1992 at the end of the Cold War pursuant to BRAC action and now operates as Arkansas International Airport . This view also shows how well 58-0183 is preserved, and the EVS bulges beneath the B-52's nose.
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