1.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source
2.
Fifth Air Force
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The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces. It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan and it is the U. S. Air Forces oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organization has provided 70 years of air power to the Pacific since its establishment in September 1941. Fifth Air Force is the Headquarters Pacific Air Forces forward element in Japan, in addition,5 AF is the air component to United States Forces Japan. First, it plans, conducts, controls, and coordinates air operations assigned by the PACAF Commander, Fifth Air Force maintains a level of readiness necessary for successful completion of directed military operations. To achieve this mission, Fifth Air Force maintains its deterrent force posture to protect both U. S. and Japanese interests, and conducts appropriate air operations should deterrence fail, Fifth Air Force is commanded by Lieutenant General Jerry P. Martinez. With its origins going back over a century to 1912, the command was established on 6 May 1941 as the Philippine Department Air Force at Nichols Field, Luzon. Fifth Air Force was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the Pacific Theater of World War II, engaging in combat operations primarily in the Southwest Pacific AOR. During World War II, Fifth Air Force units first engaged the Japanese during the Philippines Campaign, rearmed, it engaged the Japanese in New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies and then as part of the liberating forces in the Philippines Campaign. In the postwar era, Fifth Air Force was the primary USAF occupation force in Japan, the United States Army Philippine Department was established on 11 January 1911 in the Unincorporated Philippine Territory. Fifth Air Force traces its roots to the Philippines with the activation of the Air Office of the Philippine Department in March 1912, the First Company, 2d Aero Squadron, was activated at Fort William McKinley, Luzon, on 3 February 1916. This unit was a school, operating Martin S Hydro seaplanes. The unit operated under the Air Office until 15 October 1917, in 1917 outside Fort Stotsenburg, Luzon, construction began on a half-mile long dirt runway, hangars and other support facilities to bring the local army units into the air age. A permanent Army Air Service presence in the Philippines began in December 1919 with the activation of the 3d Aero Squadron at the facility, the unit was initially equipped with de Havilland DH-4 medium bombers. The next year it moved to the new Clark Field on 15 October 1920 where, combined with support units. Clark Field became the Army Air Corps headquarters overseas, and was the only American air base west of Hawaii, when workmen at Rockwell Field outside San Diego, California opened one of the crates, they found a motor with a remarkable history. Built in Detroit, it went to France, back to the United States, then to the Philippines, with that, the 1st Observation Group at Clark was re-designated as the 4th Observation, and later the 4th Composite Group. The 4th Composite would be the mainstay of United States air power in the Philippines until 1941, in addition to Clark Field, additional airfields at Kindley Field on Corregidor in Manila Bay, and one at Camp Nichols were constructed
3.
Pacific Air Forces
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Pacific Air Forces is a Major Command of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Pacific Command. The mission of Pacific Air Forces is to provide air and space power to promote U. S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region during peacetime, through crisis. PACAF comprises three numbered Air Forces, nine main bases and nearly 375 aircraft. The commands area of responsibility extends from the west coast of the United States to the east coast of Asia and from the Arctic to the Antarctic, the area is home to nearly two billion people who live in 44 countries. Not to be confused with Far East Air Force, the military organization of the United States Army in the Philippine Islands from 1941 to 1942. The beginnings of PACAF can be traced back to June 1944, Far East Air Forces was activated on 3 August 1944, at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. FEAF had actually created on 15 June 1944, and Fifth Air Force assigned to it. FEAF was subordinate to the U. S. Army Forces Far East, the creation of FEAF consolidated the command and control authority over United States Army Air Forces units widely deployed throughout the southwest Pacific in World War II. A realignment of forces was needed by the USAAF to better organize its forces in the Pacific for peacetime. Shortly afterwards, Eighth Air Force was reassigned to the newly established Strategic Air Command on 7 June 1946, the major mission of PACUSA in the postwar years was occupation duty in Japan and the demilitarization of the Japanese society in conjunction with the United States Army. In addition, PACUSA helped to support atomic bomb testing in the Pacific Proving Grounds beginning with the Operation Crossroads test on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands in 1946. With the impending establishment of the United States Air Force as an independent service later that year, on that same date, Seventh Air Force in Hawaii was inactivated with its organization absorbed by HQ, FEAF. On 25 June 1950, the forces of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea invaded South Korea. On 27 June, the United Nations Security Council voted to assist the South Koreans in resisting the invasion, president Harry Truman authorized General of the Army Douglas MacArthur to commit units to the battle. MacArthur ordered General George E. Stratemeyer, CIC of FEAF, despite the post-World War II demobilization of United States armed forces, the U. S. Air Force still had substantial forces in the Pacific to oppose the North Korean military. Support units were equipped with the Douglas C-54 Skymaster cargo aircraft and the Boeing RB-17 Flying Fortress, the 512th and 514th Weather Reconnaissance Squadrons of the 2143d Air Weather Wing were located at Yokota Air Base, Japan, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. On 29 June 1950, the unit began flying missions over the Korean Peninsula in their RB-29 Superfortresses to provide FEAF Bomber Command with target. Eventually, these USAF F-86 units would establish a kill ratio of 10,1 versus their KPAF adversaries, during the Korean War FEAFs Fifth Air Force was the main United Nations combat air command until the Korean Armistice Agreement ended the combat 1953
4.
Kadena Air Base
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Kadena Air Base, is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Kadena Air Base is home to the USAFs 18th Wing, the 353d Special Operations Group, reconnaissance units, 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, over 20,000 American servicemembers, family members, and Japanese employees live or work aboard Kadena Air Base. The airfield, used by Imperial Japanese warplanes, was one of the first targets of the Tenth United States Army 7th Infantry Division, the United States seized it from the Japanese. What the Americans captured was a 4,600 feet strip of badly-damaged coral runway, Army engineers from the 13th Combat Engineer Battalion, 7th U. S. Infantry Division quickly made repairs and, by nightfall the same day, upon reassignment, its headquarters element absorbed the command staff of the inactivated XX Bomber Command. Kadena was used by the staff for administrative flying requirements. In the planned invasion of Japan, the mission of Eighth Air Force would be to conduct strategic bombing raids from Okinawa, however, the atomic bombings of Japan led to the Japanese surrender before Eighth Air Force saw action in the Pacific theater. The surrender of Japanese forces in the Ryukyu Islands came on 7 September, General Joseph Stilwell accepted the surrender in an area that would later become Kadenas Stearley Heights housing area. 317th Troop Carrier Group Assigned to Seventh Air Force in the Philippines, Deployed aircraft to Kadena and flew courier and passenger routes to Japan, Guam, Korea, and the Philippines, and transported freight and personnel in the area. 333d Bombardment Group Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion of Japan, Operations terminated before the group could enter combat. For a time after the war the group ferried Allied prisoners of war from Japan to the Philippine Islands, 346th Bombardment Group Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion of Japan. Operations terminated before the group could enter combat, after the war the group participated in several show-of-force missions over Japan and for a time ferried Allied prisoners of war from Okinawa to the Philippine Islands. 316th Bombardment Wing Assigned to Eighth Air Force for planned invasion of Japan, Operations terminated before the group could enter combat. Far East Air Forces January 1946, redesignated as 316th Composite Wing in January 1946, and 316th Bombardment Wing in May 1946. 413th Fighter Group Assigned to Eighth Air Force and served as a part of the air defense, on 7 June 1946, Headquarters Eighth Air Force moved without personnel or equipment to MacDill AAF, Florida. It was replaced by the 1st Air Division which directed fighter reconnaissance, twentieth Air Force became the command and control organization for Kadena on 16 May 1949. The Korean War emphasized the need for maintaining a presence in Okinawa. On 15 February 1951, the US Naval Facility, Naha, was activated, Commander Fleet Activities, Ryukyus was commissioned on 8 March 1957
5.
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
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The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award is one of the unit awards of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1954 and was the first independent Air Force decoration created, the Air Force Longevity Service Award would follow in 1957 with most of the standard Air Force awards established in the early to mid 1960s. The Outstanding Unit Award is awarded to any unit of the U. S, multiple awards of the Outstanding Unit Award are denoted by oak leaf clusters on the ribbon. Until 2004, the Outstanding Unit Award was the senior most unit award in the U. S. Air Force and it is awarded to personnel who were assigned or attached to the unit receiving the award during the period it was awarded for. Non-USAF personnel personnel assigned to USAF units awarded the Outstanding Unit Award are also eligible to wear the ribbon on their uniforms, however, the ribbon does not come in the larger size of unit awards common to the U. S. Army
6.
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
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In recognition of allied military service to South Korea during the Korean War, all United States military departments were authorized the unit award for that period. When the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation is worn on the South Korea military uniform it is as a ribbon 1 3⁄8 inches wide surrounded by a gold frame, the ribbon is white, with a 15⁄64 inch red above blue Taeguk in the center. No ribbon devices are authorized for wear with this award, U. S. Marine Corps for service in South Korea between 9 December 1999 to 24 April 2002. 2nd Infantry Division was recognized in 2011, for their support of South Korea over the preceding 60 years, seventh Air Force was recognized in October 2013, for longstanding achievements in operational readiness and force employment in South Korea. Eighth Army was recognized on October 1,2014, for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic of Korea, first Marine Division, Reinforced for operations from 15 September to 11 October 1950, including the Inchon landing and the battle for Seoul. 58th Engineer Treadway Bridge Company for their bridge building efforts with the X Corps at the Chosin Reservoir, the first was for service at Inchon, the second for service during the period of 1950-1953, and finally for deployment to the Korean Peninsula from 1945-1948 and 1953-1971. One Italian unit, the Ospedale da Campo n°68 of Corpo Militare della Croce Rossa Italiana, was awarded battle honour twelve, October 6,1952. One unit of the U. S. Armys 3rd Infantry Division, the first was for service in the Uijongbu Corridor in June 1951. The second was for service in the Iron Triangle at Hill 717 in July 1951, one South African unit, the 2 Squadron SAAF was also awarded this battle honour. It was presented on November 1,1951 and it reads This unit was dispatched from South Africa in support of the United Nations Forces in Korea. It was equipped with P-51 aircraft and has functioned continually in support of operations of the Eighth Army, through all gallantry and devotion to duty of its personnel it has earned high praise and its losses in pilots have been heavy. It continued to meet cheerfully all tasks allotted to it,16 Field Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery. A Dutch battalion embedded into the US 2nd Infantry Division was awarded the U. S, Presidential Unit Citation in February 1951, for the capture of Hill 325, north of Manjong Station. The under-strength A Company, reinforced by personnel from B and heavy weapons companies, was ordered to recapture Hill 325 on the 15th of February 1951. At 0230 hrs the next morning, the Dutch were beaten back by heavy fire, at 0345 hrs they tried again. Just before dawn the exhausted Dutch, their ammunition almost expended, fixed bayonets and, shouting their battle cry, for these actions the Van Heutsz received its first U. S. This came at a cost, however, as the battalion had suffered over a hundred casualties. watv. org
7.
Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)
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The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnam Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam. Individuals who received the medal, ribbon, and a citation were personally cited at the Armed Forces, Corps, Division, the Republic of Vietnam authorized members of units and organizations that were cited, to wear the Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Emblem with Palm and Frame. The medal is gold in color,35 mm wide and it consists of a Celtic cross with two crossed swords between the arms. The cross is superimposed over a wreath, the center of the cross contains a disc with the outline of the country of Vietnam between two palm branches joined at the bottom. A scroll is on top of the map and is inscribed QUOC-GIA LAO-TUONG, the suspension ribbon of the medal is 35 mm wide and is made up of the following stripes,9 mm of Old Glory Red,17 mm center stripe in Golden Yellow. The center stripe has sixteen strands of Old Glory Red, and 9 mm of Old Glory Red, degrees The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross was awarded in four degrees, with a basic medal followed by higher degrees which were the equivalent of personal citations on an organizational level. U. S. Marine Corps uniform regulations in 2003, state the recipient should wear only one Gallantry Cross award regardless of the number received, for multiple awards, wear as many authorized devices as will fit on one medal suspension ribbon or ribbon bar. Wear the devices for subsequent awards in order of seniority from the wearers right, the first palm is 1 7⁄16 inches on the suspension ribbon or 6⁄8 inch on the service ribbon. Subsequent palms are 6⁄8 inch on the ribbon or 3⁄8 inch on the service ribbon. Service versions The Gallantry Cross was awarded to members of all branches, as well as service members of foreign. The similarly named decorations were the Air Gallantry Cross and Navy Gallantry Cross and these decorations were awarded under a different authority, with different criteria, and were considered separate decorations. The former Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces awarded the Gallantry Cross to specific units that distinguished themselves to the same level as would be required for the individual award. Regulations for the issuance of the Vietnam Gallantry Cross permit the wearing of both the individual and unit award simultaneously since both are considered separate awards, the Gallantry Cross was awarded to every Allied nation which provided support to South Vietnam. The Gallantry Cross became the most commonly awarded Vietnamese decoration to foreigners, Fourragere The South Vietnamese military Fourragere in the colors of the Gallantry Cross represented a military unit cited two times. It was a brilliant golden-yellow, with red intermixed, Department of the Army message 111030Z from April 1974, established the policy that only one emblem for a unit award was authorized to be worn at a time. This change resulted in the fourragere being no longer authorized for wear, U. S. authorization Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, U. S. Department of Defense, U. S. The United States military began authorizing the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross in March 1968 with retroactive presentation of the decoration to 1961, the full medal and or unit citation award are both considered foreign military awards and are not issued to Vietnam veterans by the NPRC. John Beal, film and television composer, was awarded the RVN Gallantry Cross with palm, george R. Christmas, USMC Lieutenant General who was awarded the RVN Gallantry Cross with palm
8.
Patrick K. Gamble
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Patrick K. Gamble is a retired President of the University of Alaska and a retired Air Force General whose assignments included service as Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Gamble entered the Air Force in 1967 through the four-year Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Texas A&M University and he flew 394 combat missions as a forward air controller in the O-1 Bird Dog in Vietnam. He has commanded a squadron and three wings. Before assuming his current position, he was deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, Headquarters U. S. Air Force and he retired from the Air Force on May 1,2001. Following his service in the Air Force, Gamble became an executive for the Alaska Railroad. In 2010, he retired from the railroad and accepted appointment as president of the University of Alaska, succeeding Mark R. Hamilton, himself a retired general. In December of 2014, he announced his resignation from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D. C. January 1975 – July 1977, chief of standardization and evaluation, 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D. C. S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D. C, august 1992 – June 1993, commander, 58th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona June 1993 – November 1994, commandant of cadets and commander, 34th Training Wing, U. S. S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D. C
9.
Richard E. Hawley
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General Richard Earl Hawley served as commander of Air Combat Command, headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. As commander, Hawley was responsible for organizing, training, equipping and maintaining combat-ready air forces for deployment and employment in the United States. He has served as commander of United States Air Forces in Europe and Allied Air Forces Central Europe with headquarters at Ramstein Air Base and he also commanded an Air Force group, a wing and U. S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force, with headquarters at Yokota Air Base and he served as a forward air controller at Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam, where he flew 433 combat missions. He retired on July 1,1999, june 1964 - March 1965, student, Georgetown University, Washington, D. C. March 1965 - September 1966, staff officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, September 1966 - September 1967, student, pilot training, Williams Air Force Base, Ariz. October 1967 - September 1968, student, F-4C and O-2A training, Homestead Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, Air Forces in Europe inspector general team, Wiesbaden Air Base, West Germany July 1973 - February 1974, student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va. February 1974 - March 1976, operations officer, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington. March 1976 - September 1977, assistant executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, July 1979 - July 1981, director of operations, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Va. July 1981 - July 1982, student, Naval War College, Newport, august 1991 - November 1993, commander, U. S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan November 1993 - July 1995, principal deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Washington, July 1995 - April 1996, commander, U. S. S. Archived from the original on February 10,2004
10.
William T. Hobbins
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General William T. Hobbins was Commander, U. S. Air Forces Europe, Commander, Air Component Command, Ramstein, and Director, Joint Air Power Competence Center, Kalkar, Germany. General Hobbins entered the Air Force in December 1969 as a graduate of Officer Training School and he has commanded two tactical fighter wings and a composite air group. He has served as the Director of Plans and Operations for U. S, Forces Japan, Director of Plans and Policy for U. S. Atlantic Command, and the Director of Operations for U. S. Air Forces in Europe, as the USAFE Director of Operations, General Hobbins was responsible for the planning, beddown and execution of combat forces in Europe for Operation Allied Force. Whilst serving as Commander, Air Forces Iceland, Hobbins led the wing in the intercept of 80 Soviet bomber aircraft in nine months. A command pilot, as of August 2007 the general has more than 5,000 flying hours, General Hobbins also stars in a number of Armed Forces Network commercials. S. Forces Japan, Yokota Air Base, Japan August 1994 - July 1996, Commander, 18th Wing, Kadena AB, Japan August 1996 - April 1998, Director of Plans and Policy, U. S. S. Southern Command Air Forces, and Air Force Component Commander, U. S. Strategic Command, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona October 2002 - August 2003, Commander, Twelfth Air Force and U. S. Southern Command Air Forces, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona August 2003 - May 2005, Deputy Chief of Staff for Warfighting Integration, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, December 2005 - December 2007, Commander, U. S
11.
Lauris Norstad
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Lauris Norstad was an American General in the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. Lauris Norstad was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to a Norwegian immigrant Lutheran minister and he earned his high school diploma from St. Thomas Military Academy in St Paul, Minn. He graduated from the United States Military Academy June 12,1930 and was commissioned a lieutenant of cavalry. In September 1930, he entered Primary Flying School at March Field, California, going to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, in January 1932, he was assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group, assuming command of it in July 1933. In March 1936 he was named adjutant of the Ninth Bomb Group there, in February 1942 he was appointed a member of the Advisory Council to the commanding general of the Army Air Forces at Washington, DC. He was and is one of those men whose capacity knows no limit. In February 1943, he was promoted to general and assumed the additional duty of assistant chief of staff for operations of the Northwest African Air Forces. In December 1943 he was appointed director of operations of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces at Algiers, moving with it to Caserta, Italy, two months later. Norstad was transferred to Washington, D. C. in August 1944 and he was relieved of this additional duty May 8,1945, and assumed additional duty as assistant chief of Air Staff for Plans at Army Air Force Headquarters. He was promoted to general the following month. Joining the U. S. Air Forces in Europe in October 1950 General Norstad was commander in chief, USAFE, with headquarters at Wiesbaden, Germany. On April 2,1951 he assumed duty as commanding general of the Allied Air Forces in Central Europe under the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe. He was designated air deputy to the allied commander, Europe, SHAPE. He served in that post until January 1963 when General Lyman Lemnitzer replaced him, Norstad initially encouraged France to develop its own nuclear capacity, but then defected on the idea once he grew disillusioned with French President Charles de Gaulles interference with NATO. He was rated a pilot, combat observer, and technical observer. General Norstad retired from the USAF on December 31,1963, after his military retirement, he became the Chief Executive Officer and President of Owens Corning from 1963 until 1972 and also served on the Board of Directors of Rand Corporation. He died on September 12,1988 and he is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Jordan, Robert S. Norstad, Cold War NATO Supreme Commander—Airman, Strategist,350 pp. Papers of Lauris Norstad, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library General Lauris Norstad, USAF Biography
12.
George B. Simler
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George Brenner Simler was a United States Air Force general, who served as commander of the U. S. Air Forces Air Training Command. Simler was born in 1921, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and he entered the University of Maryland in 1940 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in August 1942. He returned to the University of Maryland in 1946 as the first professor of Air Science and he later enrolled as a student to complete his college work, graduating in 1948. He graduated from the National War College in 1961, Simler served two combat tours in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. In July 1944, on his combat tour, he was shot down, evaded capture. Following assignments as commander of the 86th Fighter-Bomber Group and the 355th Fighter Group, later in his life, he would lead the campaign to establish the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy, the annual football competition between the three U. S. service academies. In June 1965 following an assignment as commander of the Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during this assignment he was director of operations of the Seventh Air Force and flew combat missions in every tactical strike aircraft assigned to the Seventh Air Force. From Southeast Asia, Simler was assigned to Headquarters U. S. Air Force and he became vice commander of United States Air Forces in Europe in July 1969. Simler assumed command of Air Training Command in September 1970, Simler, along with his aide Captain Gil L. Gillespie, was killed in the crash of a T-38 Talon jet trainer on takeoff at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, on September 9,1972. He was scheduled to be promoted to the grade of General and take command of the Military Airlift Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois and he was posthumously promoted to the grade of General effective August 16,1972
13.
Wing (military aviation unit)
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In military aviation, a wing is a unit of command. In most military services, a wing is a relatively large formation of planes. In Commonwealth countries a wing usually comprises three squadrons, with several wings forming a group, each squadron will contain around 20 planes. On its establishment in 1912, the British Royal Flying Corps was intended to be an inter-service, combined force of the British Army and Royal Navy. Given the rivalry existed between the army and navy, new terminology was used, in order to avoid marking the corps out as having an army or navy ethos. While the term wing had been used in the cavalry, its general use predominated. Accordingly, the wing, with its allusion of flight, was chosen as the term of subdivision and the corps was split into a Military Wing. Each wing consisted of a number of squadrons, by 1914, the naval wing had become the Royal Naval Air Service, and gained its independence from the Royal Flying Corps. The Royal Flying Corps was amalgamated with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1918, the RFC usage of wing was maintained in the new service. In most Commonwealth air forces, as well as some others, in these air forces a wing is inferior to a group. Originally all wings were commanded by a wing commander. From World War II onwards, operational flying wings have usually been commanded by group captains, a wing may also be used for non-flying units, such as the infantry forces of the RAF Regiment. Additionally, RAF stations are divided into wings. In 2006, expeditionary air wings were established at the RAFs main operating bases and these expeditionary air wings consist of the deployable elements of the main operating base and other supplementary forces. Expeditionary air wings may be subordinated to an air group. In the British Air Training Corps, a wing consists of a number of squadrons within a geographical area. In this context, a wing is inferior to a region which is made up of six wings, in all, there are 36 Air Training Corps wings in six regions within the United Kingdom, each of which is commanded by a RAFVR wing commander. The size of a wing follows US usage, it varies greatly, in the 1990s, the Canadian Forces Air Command altered the structure of those bases under its control, declaring them to be Wings under the overall control of 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg
14.
Okinawa Prefecture
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The larger are mostly high islands and the smaller ones are mostly coral islands. The largest of the islands is Okinawa, the climate of the islands ranges from humid subtropical climate in the north to tropical rainforest climate in the south. Precipitation is very high, and is affected by the rainy season, the islands beyond the Tokara Strait are characterized by their coral reefs. The Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands have a native population collectively called the Ryukyuan people, the varied Ryukyuan languages are traditionally spoken on these islands, and the major islands have their own distinct languages. In modern times, the Japanese language is the language of the islands. The northern islands are called the Satsunan Islands, while the southern part of the chain are called the Ryukyu Islands in Japanese. Following are the grouping and names used by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of the Japan Coast Guard, the islands are listed from north to south where possible. Nansei Islands Satsunan Islands Ōsumi Islands with, Tanegashima, Yaku, Kuchinoerabu, Mageshima in the North-Eastern Group and they agreed on February 15,2010, to use Amami-guntō for the Amami Islands, prior to that, Amami-shotō had also been used. The English and Japanese uses of the term Ryukyu differ, in English, the term Ryukyu may apply to the entire chain of islands, while in Japanese Ryukyu usually refers only to the islands that were previously part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom after 1624. Nansei-shotō is the name for the whole island chain in Japanese. Japan has used the name on nautical charts since 1907, based on the Japanese charts, the international chart series uses Nansei Shoto. Nansei literally means southwest, the direction of the chain from mainland Japan. Some humanities scholars prefer the uncommon term Ryūkyū-ko for the island chain. In geology, however, the Ryukyu Arc includes subsurface structures such as the Okinawa Trough, the name of Ryūkyū is strongly associated with the Ryūkyū Kingdom, a kingdom that originated from the Okinawa Islands and subjected the Sakishima and Amami Islands. The name is considered outdated in Japanese although some entities of Okinawa still bear the name. In Japanese, the Ryukyu Islands cover only the Okinawa, Miyako, the northern half of the island chain is referred to as the Satsunan Islands in Japanese, as opposed to Northern Ryukyu Islands in English. Humanities scholars generally agree that the Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, there is, however, no good name for the group. The native population do not have their own name, since they do not recognize themselves as a group this size, Ryukyu is the principal candidate because it roughly corresponds to the maximum extent of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
15.
18th Operations Group
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The 18th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 18th Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. 18th Wing heritage began on 21 January 1927, when the War Department activated a provisional pursuit group at Wheeler Field, carlyle H. Walsh in February 1931, and officially approved in 1932. Major Kenneth M. Walker assumed command in March 1940, having on his staff Captain Roger W. Ramey, and Lieutenants Bruce K. Holloway, K. P. Bocquist, John G. Simpson, over 60 P-40Cs were destroyed on the ground at Wheeler. The group, assigned to Seventh Air Force in February 1942, had to be re-equipped before it could resume training, during March 1943, the group moved to the South Pacific Theater and rejoined the war effort as part of Thirteenth Air Force and began operations from Guadalcanal. Used Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Northrop P-61 Black Widows, escorted bombers to targets in the southern Philippines and Borneo, and attacked enemy airfields and installations in the Netherlands Indies. Moved to the Philippines in January 1945, at the end of the war, the group moved to Clark Field on Luzon and became part of Far East Air Forces after the war. Flew patrols and trained with Lockheed F-80 Shooting Stars, with the distinction of being the first overseas fighter unit to be jet-equipped, the group lost all personnel in March 1947 but was re-manned in September 1947. Equipped first with Republic F-47 Thunderbolts, later with North American F-51 Mustangs, in August 1948, it became a subordinate unit to the newly activated 18th Fighter Wing. On 20 January 1950, the wing was re-designated the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing, the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reassigned to Korea in July 1950 and entered combat. In late July, the headquarters with two of its squadrons deployed with F-80s from the Philippines to Taegu AB, South Korea. From 28 July to 3 August, the 18th Group operated directly under Fifth Air Force then passed to the control of the 6002nd Fighter Wing, pilots exchanged their F-80s for F-51 Mustangs. Combat targets included tanks and armored vehicles, locomotives and trucks, artillery and antiaircraft guns, fuel and ammunition dumps, warehouses and factories, and troop concentrations. Because the front advanced so rapidly, operations from Pusan soon became impractical, the 2nd SAAF Squadron joined the 18th in mid-November. The Chinese Communist caused the group to move twice in as many weeks, first to Suwon AB, South Korea, from there the 18th FBG continued to support ground forces and carry out armed reconnaissance and interdiction missions. From November 1950 through January 1951, it earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for destroying roughly 2,400 enemy vehicles and severely damaging almost 500 more. From early 1951 until January 1953, the group and its squadrons, moving from base to base in South Korea. When in January 1953 the group rejoined the wing at Osan-ni AB and it flew its first F-86 counter air mission on 26 February 1953. In the final days of the war, the 18th FBG attacked dispersed enemy aircraft at Sinuiju and Uiju Airfields, the group remained in Korea for some time after the armistice
16.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
17.
31st Rescue Squadron
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The 31st Rescue Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It trains, equips and employs combat-ready pararescue specialists, 31st Special Operations Squadron was constituted as the 31st Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952. They made combat rescues in Southeast Asia, 1965–1966 and also operated the Joint Rescue Coordination Center for Thirteenth Air Force and they took part in Disaster relief missions in the Philippines between 16–31 July 1990. As a USAF Special Operations Squadron the 31st was forward deployed at Osan AB, Korea from 1992-2001, while its headquarters at the 353rd SOG was stationed at Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan. Inactivated for a couple of years, in 2003 the squadron was redesignated the 31st Rescue Squadron under the 18th Wing and stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan
18.
44th Fighter Squadron
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The 44th Fighter Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. The 44th Pursuit Squadron was activated on 1 January 1941 and assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group, the 44 FS operates the F-15 Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions. The 44th Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii from 7 December 1941–October 1942 and it went on to fly combat missions in the South and Southwest Pacific from 21 December 1942 –15 August 1945. It again flew missions in Southeast Asia from 18 December 1964 –25 February 1965,21 April –22 June 1965,19 –29 October 1965. The squadron was unmanned from 31 December 1966 –24 April 1967 and it has flown air defense over Okinawa and Japan since 1971. The 44th Fighter Squadron was named as the winner of the Raytheon Trophy for 2012, Air Combat Command officials announced a stand down and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal year 2013 due to mandatory budget cuts. The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan. Squadrons either stood down on a basis or kept combat ready or at a reduced readiness level called basic mission capable for part or all of the remaining months in fiscal 2013. This affected the 44th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, Maurer, Maurer, ed. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, Maurer, Maurer, ed. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History, library, Fact Sheet, 18th Operations Group. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016
19.
67th Fighter Squadron
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The 67th Fighter Squadron Fighting Cocks is a fighter squadron of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Continually active since January 1941, the 67th was activated as a single-engine fighter operational and it was initially assigned to III Fighter Command, and reassigned to I Fighter Command in 1942. Used P-39 Airacobras and P-40 Warhawks for training, converted to an operational squadron,1943, re-eqipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. Deployed to South Pacific Area,1943, being assigned to the 347th Fighter Group, began combat operations in February 1944, providing protection for U. S. bases and escorting transports initially, then escorting bombers over New Guinea and sea convoys to Admiralty Islands. From Noemfoor, bombed and strafed Japanese airfields and installations on Ceram, Halmahera, moved to the Philippines in Nov, flew fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, supported U. S. ground forces, and protected sea convoys and transport routes. Beginning in July 1945, attacked railways, airfields, and enemy installations in Korea and Kyushu, after V-J Day, flew reconnaissance missions over Japan. Moved without personnel or equipment to the Philippines in December and demobilized, became part of the defense forces of Far East Air Forces in the postwar years at Clark Air Base, being deployed to Okinawa in 1949. As a result of the North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950, at Taego, the squadron exchanged its P-80 Shooting Star jets for propeller-driven F-51D Mustangs which were more suited to the ground attack and support role. Combat targets included tanks and armored vehicles, locomotives and trucks, artillery and antiaircraft guns, fuel and ammunition dumps, warehouses and factories, and troop concentrations. Because the front advanced so rapidly, operations from Pusan East soon became impractical, the Chinese Communist caused the unit to move twice in as many weeks, first to Suwon AB, South Korea, then to Chinhae. From there the unit continued to support forces and carry out armed reconnaissance. Throughout the conflict, the squadron moved from base to base in South Korea, in January 1953 the squadron rejoined the wing at Osan-ni AB where it transitioned to the F-86 Sabre without halting the fight against the enemy. It flew its first F-86 counter air mission on 26 February 1953, in the final days of the war, the squadron attacked dispersed enemy aircraft at Sinuiju and Uiju Airfields. The squadron remained in Korea for some time after the armistice and it was reassigned to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa in November 1954, performing tactical fighter operations in South Korea, Japan, Formosa, and the Philippines with frequent deployments. In 1957, the squadron upgraded to the North American F-100 Super Sabre, was re-equipped with the F-105 Thunderchief in 1962. Was moved to Misawa AB, Japan in December 1967, being reassigned to the 39th Air Division, equipment was changed to the F-4 Phantom II, with a to rotate squadrons to South Korea, providing air defense of the nation. Remained in Japan/South Korea until returned to Kadena AB in March 1971, until 1975, primary mission was the air defense of Taiwan, performing frequent rotational TDYs to Ching Chaun Kang AB. Chinese air defense mission ended with United States political recognition of Communist China, for the past 35 years, the squadron has operated from Kadena Air Base, providing air defense in the Far East
20.
909th Air Refueling Squadron
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The 909th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions, the squadron was first activated in 1942 as the 19th Reconnaissance Squadron, but was redesignated the 409th Bombardment Squadron shortly after activation. After briefly serving as a unit, it participated in combat in the Mediterranean and European Theaters of Operations. After the surrender of Germany the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated, the squadron was reactivated shortly after the end of World War II as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress unit, and became one of the first units of Strategic Air Command in 1946. It was inactivated later that year when its parent group was replaced by the 43d Bombardment Group, the 909th Air Refueling Squadron was activated in 1963 at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas. After the end of the Vietnam War, the continued to support refueling. In 1985 the 409th and 909th squadrons were consolidated into a single unit, the squadron also provided support for combat operations in Southwest Asia during the 1990s. The 909th is the Pacific Air Forces s lead force for air refueling U. S. the squadron accomplishes aeromedical evacuations for military and civilian members, transporting patients to as far away as the United States when necessary. It also conducts Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and headquarters- and command-directed missions, the squadron was established as the 19th Reconnaissance Squadron in early 1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana as one of the original four squadrons of the 93d Bombardment Group. The squadron was formed from a cadre supplied by the 44th Bombardment Group and was equipped with Consolidated B-24D Liberators, shortly after activation the 19th was redesignated as the 409th Bombardment Squadron. It completed its Phase I training at Barksdale, the squadron moved to Page Field, Florida, and flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea until the end of July. Its parent group claimed the destruction of three U-boats while stationed in Florida, two weeks later the squadron began to deploy to the European Theater of Operations. Its ground echelon sailed aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth on 31 August, the air echelon transferred to Grenier Field, New Hampshire, where it received new B-24Ds. It flew the first formation crossing of the Atlantic in September, the squadron was a member of the first B-24 heavy bomber group to become part of VIII Bomber Command in England. It flew its first mission on 9 October against a factory at Lille. Until December, it operated primarily against submarine pens on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, the squadron flew some antisubmarine patrols with RAF Coastal Command from RAF Holmsley South. Later in the month the 409th transferred some of its personnel to the 329th Bombardment Squadron, in early December, the air echelon of the squadron deployed to Algeria, where it was attached to XII Bomber Command. Operating with inadequate supplies under difficult conditions the squadron struck heavy blows against enemy shipping, tafaraoui Airfield had no hardened runways, and the first four missions had to be cancelled when heavy rains turned the airfield into a sea of mud, making it impossible to taxi
21.
961st Airborne Air Control Squadron
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The 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron is part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, Japan. It operates the E-3 Sentry aircraft conducting airborne command and control missions, provide airborne command and control, long-range surveillance, detection and identification information for commanders in support of U. S. goals. After the Pearl Harbor Attack, became first an Operational Training Unit at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona, re-designated on 1 April 1944 as a B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron. When training was completed moved to North Field Guam in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area in January 1945 and assigned to XXI Bomber Command and its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of its war-making capability. Flew shakedown missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, the squadron began combat missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over Northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide area firebombing attack, until then the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs. The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended, afterwards, its B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria Squadron remained in Western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some aircraft scrapped on Tinian, others flown to storage depots in the United States, inactivated as part of Army Service forces at the end of 1945. The 961st flew radar surveillance missions along East Coast of the United States from,18 December 1954 –31 December 1969, the squadron assisted with the coverage of salvage operations of downed Korean Air Lines Flight 007,1 –10 September 1983. World War II Combat Operations, Conducted bombardment missions against Japan, campaigns, World War II, Western Pacific, Air Offensive, Japan. Decorations, Distinguished Unit Citations, Japan,10 May 1945, Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. Washington, DC, Office of Air Force History
22.
Cockfight
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A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters, or more accurately gamecocks, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years, the combatants, referred to as gamecocks, are specially bred birds, conditioned for increased stamina and strength. The comb and wattle are cut off in order to show standards of the American Gamefowl Society. Cocks possess congenital aggression toward all males of the same species, cocks are given the best of care until near the age of two years. They are conditioned, much like professional athletes prior to events or shows, wagers are often made on the outcome of the match. Cockfighting is a sport due in some part to the physical trauma the cocks inflict on each other. While not all fights are to the death, the cocks may endure significant physical trauma, in some areas around the world, cockfighting is still practiced as a mainstream event, in some countries it is regulated by law, or forbidden outright. Advocates of the age old sport often list cultural and religious relevance as reasons for perpetuation of cockfighting as a sport, two owners place their gamecock in the cockpit. The cocks fight until one of them dies or is critically injured. Historically, this was in a cockpit, a term which was used in the 16th century to mean a place of entertainment or frenzied activity. William Shakespeare used the term in Henry V to specifically mean the area around the stage of a theatre, in Tudor times, the Palace of Westminster had a permanent cockpit, called the Cockpit-in-Court. Cockfighting is an ancient spectator sport, there is evidence that cockfighting was a pastime in the Indus Valley Civilization. The Encyclopædia Britannica holds, The sport was popular in ancient times in India, China, Persia, based on his analysis of a Mohenjo-daro seal, Iravatham Mahadevan speculates that the citys ancient name could have been Kukkutarma. However, according to a recent study, it is not known whether these birds made much contribution to the domestic fowl. Chickens from the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley may have been the source of diffusion throughout the world. Within the Indus Valley, indications are that chickens were used for sport and not for food, an early image of a fighting rooster has been found on a 6th-century BC seal of Jaazaniah from the biblical city of Mizpah in Benjamin, near Jerusalem. The anthropologist Clifford Geertz wrote the influential essay Deep Play, Notes on the Balinese Cockfight, in some regional variations, the birds are equipped with either metal spurs or knives, tied to the leg in the area where the birds natural spur has been partially removed. A cockspur is a bracelet with a curved, sharp spike which is attached to the leg of the bird, the spikes typically range in length from short spurs of just over an inch to long spurs almost two and a half inches long
23.
Clark Air Base
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Clark Air Base is a Philippine Air Force base on Luzon Island in the Philippines, located 3 miles west of Angeles, about 40 miles northwest of Metro Manila. Clark Air Base was previously a United States military facility, operated by the U. S. Air Force under the aegis of Pacific Air Forces, the base covered 14.3 square miles with a military reservation extending north that covered another 230 square miles. The base was a stronghold of the combined Filipino and American forces during the months of World War II. Following the departure of American forces in 1991, the base became the site of Clark International Airport, the Clark Freeport Zone. In April 2016, an Air Contingent of USAF A-10s and HH-60s was deployed from U. S. air bases in Pyeongtaek, the air contingent builds upon previous deployments by U. S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft to Clark. Clark Air Base was originally established as Fort Stotsenburg in Sapang Bato, a portion of Fort Stotsenburg was officially set aside for the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps and named Clark Field in September 1919 after Harold M. Clark. Clark later served as a field for U. S. Army Air Corps medium bombers. It was very large for an air field of its day, however, most of them were destroyed on the ground during an air raid nine hours after the Pearl Harbor attack. The base was overrun by Japanese forces in early January 1942, Japanese aircraft flying out of Clark participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of the Second World War. During the war, the Allied prisoners on the Bataan Death March passed by the gate of Clark Air Base as they followed the railway tracks north towards Camp ODonnell. Clark Air Base was recaptured by Americans in January 1945, after three months of fighting to liberate the Philippines. It was immediately returned to U. S. Army Air Forces control, Clark grew into a major American air base during the Cold War, serving as an important logistics hub during the Vietnam War. The base was closed by the United States in the early 1990s due to the refusal by the then- Philippine government to renew the lease on the base. In November 1991, the United States Air Force lowered the U. S. flag, with the United States militarys withdrawal from Clark, the base was systematically looted by the local population and was left abandoned for several years. It finally became the Clark Freeport Zone, the site of Clark International Airport and parts of it are owned and operated by the Philippine Air Force, retaining the same name. In June 2012, the Philippine government, under pressure from Chinese claims to their seas and it also hosted an interceptor squadron and a flight school, all of which flew a variety of other combat aircraft. Transient aircraft of many types, especially cargo jets, were common, fighter planes regularly visited to participate in aerial warfare exercises at Crow Valley about 30 miles to the northwest. In November 1973, headquarters for the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing was transferred to Clark Air Base, with this move came two squadrons of C-130E transport aircraft, the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron and the 776th Tactical Airlift Squadron
24.
12th Special Operations Squadron
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The 12th Special Operations Squadron is assigned to the 27th Special Operations Group at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Its mission is the launch and recovery of Remotely Piloted Aircraft from unprepared locations throughout the world, the squadron was activated in 2015 to replace a detachment that had been performing the same mission since October 2013. The squadron was active at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska as the12th Fighter Squadron. The squadron operated the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions, the mission of the 12th is to launch and recover Remotely Piloted Aircraft operationally employed by the 2d, 3d and 33d Special Operations Squadrons. This minimizes risk during critical flight operations, while permitting mission operations to be performed from more remote secure locations, the 12th Special Operations Squadron was first activated at Selfridge Field, Michigan as the 12th Pursuit Squadron, one of the original squadrons of the 50th Pursuit Group. In January 1941 when the United States expanded its forces on the eve of World War II. It was located there when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 8, responding to the critical need for fighters in the Pacific, in February 1942 the squadron deployed to Christmas Island. The 12th flew patrols over the Pacific from Christmas Island between February and October 1942 and it began combat operations from Fighter Strip No.2 on Guadalcanal on 19 November 1942, moving to Guadalcanal in February. Although based on Guadalcanal until August 1944, flight operations were conducted from Mono Airfield on Stirling Island, the 12th moved to Mar Drome, Sansapor, Netherlands East Indies that month although starting on 8 November, a portion of the squadron operated from Morotai. Combat operations continued until 14 August 1945 from Moret, following the surrender of Japan, the squadron remained in the Philippines. The following month it returned to Korea and Pusan East Air Base, however, Chinese intervention in Korea forced the squadron to withdraw in December, first to Suwon Air Base, then to Chinhae Air Base. The 12th deployed to Vietnam from 1 February –15 March 1965 and 15 June –25 August 1965 and it supported air defense alert capability in Southeast Asia from, 1968–1972. The squadron stood alert in South Korea from,23 January –13 June 1968, the squadron was unmanned and unequipped from May 1972 until November 1975. It remanned and reequipped with McDonnell F-4 Phantom II aircraft in late November 1975, through 1980, it flew offensive and defensive exercises in support of its wing, the 313th Air Division, and Pacific Air Forces. It converted to McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle aircraft in 1980, in 1981, the 12th earned the Hughes Trophy in recognition as the outstanding fighter squadron in the USAF. On 5 November 1999, the squadron moved without personnel or equipment to Elmendorf Air Force Base, at Elmendorf Air Force Base, the squadron employed the F-15C air superiority fighter in global expeditionary support of war-fighting commands. The squadron was inactivated in September 2006, due the Base Realignment and it absorbed the personnel and equipment of a small detachment that had been performing the same mission at Cannon since October 2013. The squadron is the first of its kind in the United States Air Force,1 June 2015 – present Hughes Trophy,1981 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http, //www. afhra. af. mil/
25.
39th Flying Training Squadron
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The 39th Flying Training Squadron is part of the 340th Flying Training Group and is the reserve associate to the 12th Flying Training Wing based at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. It operates the T-6 Texan II, T-1A Jayhawk and T-38 Talon aircraft conducting Pilot Instructor Training, activated by Northeast Air District as a P-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron, assigned to Selfridge Field, Michigan. Moved to Baer Field, Indiana during the summer of 1941, deployed to the Pacific Northwest after the Pearl Harbor Attack and flew Antisubmarine patrols off the coast of Washington from, c.15 December 1941-c. Re-equipped with long-range P-38 Lightnings and deployed to Fifth Air Force in Australia, engaged in combat operations against the Japanese in the Lightning, but became the second Pacific Theater Fighter Group to convert to the P-47 in late 1943. Conducted combat operations in the P-47 Thunderbolt from late 1943 through Spring 1945, participated in offensives in the Netherlands East Indies, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Philippines and the Battle of Okinawa. Re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs and moved to Japan as part of the Army of Occupation, September 1945, engaged in combat, June 1950, during the initial actions of the Korean War. Re-equipped with F-80 Shooting Star jets, fighting air-to-air combat against communist aircraft and engaging in ground support missions supporting United Nations Forces, returned to Japan after the 1953 armistice and upgraded to the purpose-built F-94 Starfire interceptor flying air defense missions. Inactivated 1957 due to budget restraints, reactivated by Tactical Air Command in 1969 at Shaw AFB, South Carolina. Equipped with reconnaissance and electronic versions of the B-66 Destroyer and trained tactical reconnaissance and electronic warfare crews from. Moved to George AFB, California and equipped with F-4E Phantom IIs, trained Wild Weasel aircrews in SAM suppression tactics from, 1977-1984. Inactivated when the F-4 was retired, re-activated by Air Training Command as an UPT squadron with T-38s, 1990-1991. Transferred to Air Force Material Command,1993 as a flight test squadron on various systems from 1993-1999. 39th Flying Training Squadron History 39th Fighter Squadron
26.
2 Squadron SAAF
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2 Squadron is a squadron in the South African Air Force which was formed in 1940. The squadron has a history, having been involved in every single combat action in which the SAAF has taken part. During the Second World War it made a name for itself in the battles for East Africa, before distinguishing itself in North Africa as part of the Desert Air Force, the squadron was established on 1 October 1940. During the initial years of the war,2 Squadron served as part of 1 Bomber Brigade in the East African Campaign, after August 1943, it also saw action in Sicily, Italy and Yugoslavia. 2 Squadron was attached to the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing U. S. Air Force for the duration of the war, initially flying the P-51 Mustang, the squadron re-equipped with the F-86 Sabre in February 1953. During the war the squadron flew a total of 12,067 sorties,74 of the 94 Mustangs and 4 out of the 22 Sabres were lost, along with 34 pilots. For its actions, the received the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation, United States Presidential Unit Citation. After the Korean War 2 Squadron, based at Waterkloof AFB, was equipped with Sabres, the first aircraft to fly through the sound barrier over South African soil was a Sabre piloted by Captain Gerrie Moolman. Conversion to the new Mirage III occurred in 1963 and the moved to AFB Hoedspruit at the end of 1978. The squadron fought in several engagements during the South-West Africa/Angola Border War and they continued to fly the Mirages until October 1990. They later re-equipped with the Atlas Cheetah C and D, reconnaissance was also performed using Vinten Vicon 18 Series 601 pod. Regular night flying was performed and the aircrew also performed air-to-air refuelling operations with the Boeing 707 aircraft of 60 Squadron, the squadron participated in the annual SANDF force preparation exercises which includes using live weapons. During joint exercises with the German Luftwaffe in 2006,40 live V3S Snake short-range air-to-air missiles were fired at the Denel Overberg Test Range, moving to Louis Trichardt in January 1993,2 Squadron became the sole front line combat jet squadron in the SAAF. Till 2 April 2008 the squadron operated the Cheetah C/D fighter aircraft and was equipped with 28 examples, the squadron flew 1010 hours in 2004. The last of the Cheetahs were retired on 2 April 2008, the SAAF accepted its first Gripen D in April 2008 and the final two Gripen D aircraft arrived in South Africa in July 2009. The first two Gripen Cs arrived on 11 February 2010 with deliveries ongoing as at October 2011, the squadron operates all the SAAFs Gripens except for the first Gripen D, which is assigned to the Test Flight and Development Centre at AFB Overberg. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988, unofficial South African Air Force website
27.
Korean War
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The Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. The United Nations, with the United States as the principal force, China came to the aid of North Korea, and the Soviet Union gave some assistance. Korea was ruled by Japan from 1910 until the days of World War II. In August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan, as a result of an agreement with the United States, U. S. forces subsequently moved into the south. By 1948, as a product of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Korea was split into two regions, with separate governments, both governments claimed to be the legitimate government of all of Korea, and neither side accepted the border as permanent. The conflict escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces—supported by the Soviet Union, on that day, the United Nations Security Council recognized this North Korean act as invasion and called for an immediate ceasefire. On 27 June, the Security Council adopted S/RES/83, Complaint of aggression upon the Republic of Korea and decided the formation, twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force, with the United States providing 88% of the UNs military personnel. After the first two months of war, South Korean forces were on the point of defeat, forced back to the Pusan Perimeter, in September 1950, an amphibious UN counter-offensive was launched at Inchon, and cut off many North Korean troops. Those who escaped envelopment and capture were rapidly forced back north all the way to the border with China at the Yalu River, at this point, in October 1950, Chinese forces crossed the Yalu and entered the war. Chinese intervention triggered a retreat of UN forces which continued until mid-1951, after these reversals of fortune, which saw Seoul change hands four times, the last two years of fighting became a war of attrition, with the front line close to the 38th parallel. The war in the air, however, was never a stalemate, North Korea was subject to a massive bombing campaign. Jet fighters confronted each other in combat for the first time in history. The fighting ended on 27 July 1953, when an armistice was signed, the agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate North and South Korea, and allowed the return of prisoners. However, no treaty has been signed, and the two Koreas are technically still at war. Periodic clashes, many of which are deadly, continue to the present, in the U. S. the war was initially described by President Harry S. Truman as a police action as it was an undeclared military action, conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. In South Korea, the war is referred to as 625 or the 6–2–5 Upheaval. In North Korea, the war is referred to as the Fatherland Liberation War or alternatively the Chosǒn War. In China, the war is called the War to Resist U. S
28.
Pusan East (K-9) Air Base
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Pusan East Air Base was a former United States Air Force and Republic of Korea Air Force air base adjacent to the Suyeong River in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea. It was redeveloped in the 1990s as Centum City, a commercial and residential area, by the end of July 1950, UN forces had been pushed back into the Pusan Perimeter, which contained three airfields all in poor condition. Engineers urgently improved the former Japanese military airfield at K-9 to allow heavy transport aircraft such as C-54s to land there, on 8 September 1950 the 18th Fighter Wing arrived at K-9 from Ashiya Air Field before moving to Pyongyang East Air Base in November 1950. On 5 March 1951 a USAF C-54 #42-72663 was damaged beyond repair at K-9, on 23 May 1951 the 452d Bombardment Wing operating the Douglas A-26 Invader was deployed to K-9. On 10 May 1952 the 17th Bombardment Wing was activated at K-9 to replace the 452d, K-9 was transferred to the South Korean military in 1956 and remained in use until the early 1990s. Busan Suyeong Airport opened in August 1958 and renamed as Busan International Airport in September 1963, in August 1976 the airport was moved to its current location in Gimhae. In the late 1990s the area was redeveloped as Centum City, Gimhae Air Base Gimhae International Airport This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force website http, //www. af. mil. Photos and video taken on and around K-9 in 1952 Aerial photos of K-9 taken in 1952/3
29.
Louis J. Sebille
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Louis Joseph Lou Sebille was a fighter pilot in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and later the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He rose to the rank of major and posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions on August 5,1950 in South Korea during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter. Born in Michigan, Sebille worked as an MC in Chicago, Sebille flew B-26 Marauder bombers over Europe from 1943 to 1945. He flew 68 combat missions and accrued more than 3,000 hours of flying time, Sebille briefly became a commercial airline pilot after the war before he was offered a commission as a first lieutenant and reentered the service in July 1946. Sebille commanded the 67th Fighter-Bomber Squadron at the outbreak of the Korean War, flying F-51 Mustangs in close air support, on August 5,1950, he attacked a North Korean armored column advancing on United Nations military units. Though his aircraft was damaged and he was wounded during the first pass on the column, he turned his plane around. Louis J. Sebille was born on November 21,1915 in Harbor Beach and he attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. After his graduation from the university in the 1930s he moved to Chicago and he was described as a handsome glib master of ceremonies who used to wow the customers with his own parody of My Blue Heaven. Sebille married and his wife gave birth to a son in December 1949, Sebille enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan. During that time he was described as a pilot and leader. Deployed to England in January 1943, Sebille flew bombing missions in the European theatre, the mission was Sebilles first sortie, and the group suffered one plane lost and 10 damaged. Three days later an attack was assigned on the same target, however. Of the planes flew the mission, one aborted and the rest did not return. Sebille advanced to flight leader and then was promoted to operations officer with a temporary rank of major. By the end of the war, Sebille had flown 68 combat missions with 245 combat hours, in the war he had been awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and twelve Air Medals. His unit returned to the United States in March,1945, after the end of the war, Sebille left active duty with the Air Force and began work as a commercial airline pilot. However he returned to the Air Force in July 1946 after he was offered a commission as a First Lieutenant and he held several positions, first as a staff officer with the Ninth United States Air Force headquarters at Biggs Army Airfield at Fort Bliss, Texas. Sebille then attended Air Tactical School at Tyndall Field, Florida and he was then assigned to Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1948
30.
Medal of Honor
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The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U. S. Congress. There are three versions of the medal, one for the Army, one for the Navy, personnel of the Marine Corps and Coast Guard receive the Navy version. U. S. awards including the Medal of Honor do not have titles and while there is no official abbreviation. The Medal of Honor is the oldest continuously issued combat decoration of the United States armed forces, because the medal is presented in the name of Congress, it is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. However, the name is Medal of Honor, which began with the U. S. Armys version. Within United States Code the medal is referred to as the Medal of Honor, in 1990, Congress designated March 25 annually as National Medal of Honor Day. The capture saved the fort of West Point from the British Army, although the Badge of Military Merit fell into disuse after the American Revolutionary War, the concept of a military award for individual gallantry by members of the U. S. 539 Certificates were approved for this period and this medal was later replaced by the Army Distinguished Service Medal which was established on January 2,1918. Those Army members who held the Distinguished Service Medal in place of the Certificate of Merit could apply for the Army Distinguished Service Cross effective March 5,1934. There were no awards or medals at the beginning of the Civil War except for the Certificate of Merit which was awarded for the Mexican-American War. Scott however, was strictly against medals being awarded which was the European tradition, after Scott retired in October 1861, the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, adopted the idea of a decoration to recognize and honor distinguished naval service. Senator James W. Secretary Wells directed the Philadelphia Mint to design the new military decoration, on May 15,1862, the United States Navy Department ordered 175 medals with the words Personal Valor on the back from the U. S. Mint in Philadelphia. Senator Henry Wilson, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, the resolution was approved by Congress and signed into law on July 12,1862. During the war, Townsend would have some medals delivered to recipients with a letter requesting acknowledgement of the Medal of Honor. By mid-November the War Department contracted with Philadelphia silversmith William Wilson and Son, the Army version had The Congress to written on the back of the medal. Both versions were made of copper and coated with bronze, which gave them a reddish tint,1863, Congress made the Medal of Honor a permanent decoration. On March 3, Medals of Honor were authorized for officers of the Army, the Secretary of War first presented the Medal of Honor to six Union Army volunteers on March 25,1863 in his office. 1890, On April 23, the Medal of Honor Legion is established in Washington,1896, The ribbon of the Army version Medal of Honor was redesigned with all stripes being vertical
31.
Jinhae Airport
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Jinhae Airport also known as Chinhae Air Base is an airport in Jinhae, South Korea. The airfield was established as a seaplane base during the Japanese Imperial period. During the Korean War the USAF designated the airfield as Chinhae Air Base, the field was refurbished with a Marsden Matting surface over crushed gravel. 17 May 1951, F-51D #44-74822 crashed on landing, the aircraft was written off,8 July 1951, USAF C-47D #44-77269 crashed on takeoff due to an engine failure, the aircraft was written off. 11 July 1951, F-51D #44-74495 crashed, the aircraft was written off,17 September 1951, F-51D #44-74014 crashed on landing, the aircraft was written off. 8 October 1951, F-51D #44-74592 crashed on takeoff, the aircraft was written off and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force website http, //www. af. mil. Current weather for RKPE at NOAA/NWS Accident history for CHF at Aviation Safety Network
32.
Distinguished Unit Citation
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The unit with the most Presidential Unit Citations is the USS Parche with 9 citations. The Army citation was established by Executive Order 9075 on 26 February 1942, superseded by Executive Order 9396 on Dec.2,1943, as with other Army unit citations, the PUC is in a larger frame than other ribbons, and is worn above the right pocket. All members of the unit may wear the decoration, whether or not they participated in the acts for which the unit was cited. Only those assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award, for both the Army and Air Force, the emblem is a solid blue ribbon enclosed in a gold frame. The Air Force PUC was adopted from the Army Distinguished Unit Citation after the Air Force became a military branch in 1947. By Executive Order 10694, dated Jan,10,1957 the Air Force redesignated the Distinguished Unit Citation as the Presidential Unit Citation. The Air Force PUC is the color and design as the Army PUC but slightly smaller. The Citation is carried on the units colors in the form of a blue streamer,4 ft long and 2.75 in wide. For the Army, only on rare occasions will a larger than battalion qualify for award of this decoration. The Navy citation was established by Executive Order 9050 on 6 February 1942, the Navy version has blue, yellow, and red horizontal stripes, and is the only Navy ribbon having horizontal stripes. These are only worn by persons who meet the criteria at the time it is awarded to the unit, unlike the Army, those who later join the unit do not wear it on a temporary basis. The current decoration is known as the Department of Homeland Security Presidential Unit Citation. A Coast Guard version of the award was awarded to all U. S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel responding to Hurricane Katrina by President George W. Bush for rescue, the United States Public Health Service Presidential Citation was established in 2015. The design was finalized by the Army Institute of Heraldry on 17 August 2015, two units of the Free French Forces were awarded Presidential Unit Citations during World War II. On April 22,1986, the 1st Fighter Group Força Aérea Brasileira was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in the Po Valley region of Italy in World War II. The Brazilians, operating in Italy in support of Allied forces, destroyed in one day over 45 vehicles, strafed pontoon bridges on the River Po, eleven missions of 44 sorties were flown destroying nine motor transports and damaging 17. One Belgian-Luxembourgian battalion of the Belgian United Nations Command was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation once for actions during the Battle of the Imjin River, the Colombia Battalion received the citation while attached to the American 21st Infantry Regiment in 1951. One Dutch unit, the Netherlands Detachment United Nations, part of the Regiment Van Heutsz, was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation twice for actions during the Korean War, the first citation was awarded after the battle near Wonju and Hoengson in February 1951
33.
Osan Air Base
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Osan Air Base, is a United States Air Force base located near Songtan Station in the county of Pyeongtaek, South Korea,64 km south of Seoul. Despite its name, Osan AB is not within Osan City, the base is the home of the Pacific Air Forces 51st Fighter Wing, and a number of tenant units, including the headquarters for Seventh Air Force. The base is also the headquarters of the ROK Air Force Operations Command, Osan Air Base is one of two major U. S. Air Force installations operated by U. S. Forces Korea, the other being Kunsan Air Base. S, Air Force in the Republic of Korea and the only base on the peninsula entirely planned and built from scratch by Aviation Engineers units attached to the U. S. Air Force during the Korean War. In the spring of 1951, CCF were driven back north of the 38th parallel, Aviation engineers, meanwhile, surveyed locations in the ROK to build an air base capable of supporting jet fighters. They decided upon the area southwest of Osan-Ni, established in November 1951, the base originally was named Osan-Ni AB. The name Osan-Ni was chosen for practical reasons – it was the only village shown on most military maps of the time, the 839th Aviation Engineer Battalion began construction of base support facilities and infrastructure early in 1952. On July 9,1952, the 839th, joined by the 840th and 841st Engineer battalions, started work to lay the airfields runway, taxiway, monsoon rains, though, impeded initial efforts to fill the rice paddies and begin airfield construction. The delay forced engineers to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning in August, three engineer aviation battalions were assigned the task of building Osan, the 839th, 840th, and 841st EABs. They completed laying a 9, 000-foot, 8-inch-thick concrete runway in 2 1⁄2 months, with the taxiway also completed, and parking ramps nearing completion, the 18th Fighter-Bomber Wing and one of its F-51 combat squadrons arrived on December 26,1952. With the wings other two squadrons arriving shortly thereafter, the converted to the F-86F. In February 1953, the 18th FBW began flying air superiority missions from Osan-Ni AB which continued through the remainder of the Korean War, with the Armistice Agreement signed on July 27,1953, the 18th FBW remained at Osan-Ni AB for defensive purposes until November 1954. Meanwhile, plans called for HQ Fifth Air Force to move from Seoul National University to Yongsan Garrison in Seoul. This plan was changed, and in January 1954, the relocated to Osan-Ni AB. As the Armistice took hold, the U. S, the 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing moved from Taegu AB to Osan-Ni AB in March 1955, and became the only permanently assigned tactical fighter wing on the peninsula. On September 18,1956, the base was redesignated Osan AB, in July 1958, the U. S. Air Force inactivated the 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing. At this time, the Eisenhower Administration promulgated a nuclear deterrence strategy, although the Matador missiles were relocated in 1962, fighter deployments continued throughout the 1960s. Other than a reconstruction of the runway in 1959, the base still retained its Korean War-vintage facilities
34.
North American F-86 Sabre
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The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in that war and its success led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956, in the United States, Japan and Italy. Variants were built in Canada and Australia, the Canadair Sabre added another 1,815 airframes, and the significantly redesigned CAC Sabre, had a production run of 112. The Sabre was by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with production of all variants at 9,860 units. North American Aviation had produced the propeller-powered P-51 Mustang in World War II, by late 1944, North American proposed its first jet fighter to the U. S. Navy, which became the FJ-1 Fury. It was an unexceptional transitional jet fighter that had a wing derived from the P-51. Initial proposals to meet a United States Army Air Forces requirement for a medium-range, single-seat, in early 1945, North American Aviation submitted four designs. The USAAF selected one design over the others, and granted North American a contract to build three examples of the XP-86, despite the gain in speed, early studies revealed the XP-86 would have the same performance as its rivals, the XP-80 and XP-84. It was also feared that, because these designs were advanced in their development stages. Crucially, the XP-86 would not be able to meet the top speed of 600 mph. The North American F-86 Sabre was the first American aircraft to take advantage of research data seized from the German aerodynamicists at the end of World War II. By 1944, German engineers and designers had established the benefits of swept wings based on designs dating back to 1940. Study of the data showed that a wing would solve their speed problem. Because development of the XP-86 had reached a stage, the idea of changing the sweep of the wing was met with resistance from some senior North American staff. Despite stiff opposition, after results were obtained in wind tunnel tests. Many Sabres had the 6–3 wing retrofitted after combat experience was gained in Korea and this modification changed the wing airfoils to the NACA 0009-64 mod at the root and the NACA0008. 1–64 mod at the tip. Delays caused by the major redesign meant that manufacturing did not begin until after World War II, the XP-86 prototype, which would lead to the F-86 Sabre, was rolled out on 8 August 1947. The maiden flight occurred on 1 October 1947 with George Welch at the controls, flying from Muroc Dry Lake, the United States Air Forces Strategic Air Command had F-86 Sabres in service from 1949 through 1950
35.
North American F-100 Super Sabre
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The North American F-100 Super Sabre was an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of speed in level flight. The F-100 was designed by North American Aviation as a higher performance follow-on to the F-86 Sabre air superiority fighter, adapted as a fighter bomber, the F-100 was supplanted by the Mach two class F-105 Thunderchief for strike missions over North Vietnam. The F-100 flew extensively over South Vietnam as the air forces primary close air support jet until being replaced by the more efficient subsonic LTV A-7 Corsair II, the F-100 also served in other NATO air forces and with other U. S. allies. In its later life, it was referred to as the Hun. In January 1951, North American Aviation delivered an unsolicited proposal for a day fighter to the United States Air Force. Named Sabre 45 because of its 45° wing sweep, it represented an evolution of the F-86 Sabre, the mockup was inspected on 7 July 1951, and after over a hundred modifications, the new aircraft was accepted as the F-100 on 30 November 1951. Extensive use of titanium throughout the aircraft was notable, on 3 January 1952, the USAF ordered two prototypes followed by 23 F-100As in February and an additional 250 F-100As in August. The YF-100A first flew on 25 May 1953, seven ahead of schedule. It reached Mach 1.04 in spite of being fitted with a de-rated XJ57-P-7 engine, the second prototype flew on 14 October 1953, followed by the first production F-100A on 9 October 1953. These findings were confirmed during Project Hot Rod operational suitability tests. Particularly troubling was the yaw instability in certain regimes of flight which produced inertia coupling, the aircraft could develop a sudden yaw and roll which would happen too fast for the pilot to correct and would quickly over-stress the aircraft structure to disintegration. It was under conditions that North Americans chief test pilot. Another control problem stemmed from handling characteristics of the wing at high angles of attack. As the aircraft approached stall speeds, loss of lift on the tips of the caused an violent pitch-up. This particular phenomenon became known as the Sabre dance, nevertheless, delays in the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak program pushed the Tactical Air Command to order the raw F-100A into service. Tactical Air Command also requested that future F-100s be fighter-bombers, with the capability of delivering nuclear bombs, the North American F-107 was a follow-on Mach 2 development of the F-100 with the air intake moved above and behind the cockpit. It was not produced in quantity in favor of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, the F-100A officially entered USAF service on 27 September 1954, with the 479th Fighter Wing at George AFB, California
36.
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
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The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force. An F-101A set a number of speed records for jet powered aircraft, including fastest airspeed. They operated in the role until 1979. Delays in the 1954 interceptor project led to demands for an interceptor aircraft design. The F-101B entered service with Air Defense Command in 1959 and the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1961, US examples were handed off to the Air National Guard where they served until 1982. Canadian examples remained in service until 1984, the Voodoos career as a fighter-bomber was relatively brief, but the reconnaissance versions served for some time. Interceptor versions served with the Air National Guard until 1982, initial design on what would eventually become the Voodoo began just after World War II in response to a USAAF Penetration Fighter Competition in 1946. Several companies responded with designs, and the Air Force provided funds for several of them to produce prototypes, after being awarded a contract on 14 February 1947, McDonnell built two prototypes, designated the XF-88 Voodoo. The first prototype, powered by two 3,000 lbf Westinghouse XJ34-WE-13 turbojets, flew from Muroc on 20 October 1948, preliminary testing revealed that while handling and range was adequate, the top speed was a disappointing 641 mph at sea level. Fuel consumption was increased by use of the afterburners, however. Analysis of Korean war missions, however, revealed that contemporary USAF strategic bombers were vulnerable to fighter interception, in 1951, the USAF issued a new requirement for a bomber escort with all major US manufacturers submitting designs. The McDonnell design was a larger and higher powered version of the XF-88, the F-88 was redesignated the F-101 Voodoo in November 1951. The new design was larger, carrying three times the initial fuel load and designed around larger, more powerful Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojets. The greater dimensions of the J57 engines required modifications to the engine bays, the new intake also was designed to be more efficient at higher Mach numbers. In late 1952, the mission of the F-101 was changed from fighter to strategic fighter. The new Voodoo mock-up with the inlets, tail surfaces, landing gear. F-101A serial number 53-2418 was the first production aircraft, its flight was on 29 September 1954 at Edwards AFB where it reached Mach 0. It was previously on display at the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, the end of the war in Korea and the development of the jet-powered Boeing B-52 Stratofortress negated the need for fighter escort and Strategic Air Command withdrew from the program
37.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
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It first entered service in 1960 with the U. S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was adopted by the U. S. Marine Corps and the U. S. Air Force. The Phantom is a fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds of weapons on nine hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon, later models incorporated an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records for performance, including an absolute speed record. The Phantom has the distinction of being the last U. S. fighter flown to attain ace status in the 20th century. The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the U. S. in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the aircraft used by both U. S. flight demonstration teams, the USAF Thunderbirds and the US Navy Blue Angels. The F-4 was also operated by the forces of 11 other nations. Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several Arab–Israeli conflicts, while Iran used its fleet of Phantoms in the Iran–Iraq War. Phantoms remain in front line service with five countries, Phantom production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most numerous American supersonic military aircraft. The F-4 is currently used by Greece, Iran, Japan, South Korea and it has been recently used in combat against the Islamic State. In 1952, McDonnells Chief of Aerodynamics, Dave Lewis, was appointed by CEO Jim McDonnell to be the preliminary design manager. With no new aircraft competitions on the horizon, internal studies concluded the Navy had the greatest need for a new and different aircraft type, in 1953, McDonnell Aircraft began work on revising its F3H Demon naval fighter, seeking expanded capabilities and better performance. The company developed several projects including a variant powered by a Wright J67 engine, the J79-powered version promised a top speed of Mach 1.97. On 19 September 1953, McDonnell approached the United States Navy with a proposal for the Super Demon, the Navy was sufficiently interested to order a full-scale mock-up of the F3H-G/H, but felt that the upcoming Grumman XF9F-9 and Vought XF8U-1 already satisfied the need for a supersonic fighter. On 26 May 1955, four Navy officers arrived at the McDonnell offices and, within an hour, because the Navy already had the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk for ground attack and F-8 Crusader for dogfighting, the project now had to fulfill the need for an all-weather fleet defense interceptor
38.
South Vietnam
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South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam, was a state governing the southern half of Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. It received international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam, the term South Vietnam became common usage in 1954, when the Geneva Conference provisionally partitioned Vietnam into communist and non-communist parts. The Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed on 26 October 1955, with Ngô Đình Diệm as its first president and its sovereignty was recognized by the United States and eighty-seven other nations. It had membership in several committees of the United Nations. After the Second World War, the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, in 1949, anti-communist Vietnamese politicians formed a rival government in Saigon led by former emperor Bảo Đại. Bảo Đại was deposed by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm in 1955, after Diệm was killed in a military coup led by general Dương Văn Minh in 1963, there was a series of short-lived military governments. General Nguyễn Văn Thiệu led the country from 1967 until 1975, the Vietnam War began in 1959 with an uprising by Viet Cong forces armed and controlled by Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Fighting reached a climax during the Tet Offensive of 1968, when there were over 1.5 million South Vietnamese soldiers and 500,000 U. S. soldiers in South Vietnam. Despite a peace treaty concluded in January 1973, fighting continued until the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong armies overran Saigon on 30 April 1975, the creation of this republic, during the Indochina War, allowed France to evade a promise to recognise Vietnam as independent. This pre-Vietnam government prepared for a unified Vietnamese state, but the countrys full reunification was delayed for a year because of the problems posed by Cochinchinas legal status, Nguyễn Văn Xuân 1949–55 State of Vietnam. Roughly 60% of Vietnamese territory was controlled by the communist Việt Minh. Vietnam was partitioned at the 17th parallel in 1954, once highly lauded by America, he was ousted and assassinated in a U. S. -backed coup. In 1963–65, there were numerous coups and short-lived governments, several of which were headed by Dương Văn Minh or Nguyễn Khánh, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ was the top leader in 1965–67. Surrendered to Communists when others abandoned their posts, 1975–76 Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. Huỳnh Tấn Phát Before World War II, the third of Vietnam was the concession of Cochinchina. Between Tonkin in the north and Cochinchina in the south was the protectorate of Annam, Cochinchina had been annexed by France in 1862 and even elected a deputy to the French National Assembly. It was more evolved, and French interests were stronger than in parts of Indochina. During World War II, Indochina was administered by Vichy France, japanese troops overthrew the French administration on 9 March 1945, Emperor Bảo Đại proclaimed Vietnam independent
39.
Vietnam War
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It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The war is considered a Cold War-era proxy war. As the war continued, the actions of the Viet Cong decreased as the role. U. S. and South Vietnamese forces relied on air superiority and overwhelming firepower to conduct search and destroy operations, involving ground forces, artillery, in the course of the war, the U. S. conducted a large-scale strategic bombing campaign against North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese government and the Viet Cong were fighting to reunify Vietnam and they viewed the conflict as a colonial war and a continuation of the First Indochina War against forces from France and later on the United States. The U. S. government viewed its involvement in the war as a way to prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam and this was part the domino theory of a wider containment policy, with the stated aim of stopping the spread of communism. Beginning in 1950, American military advisors arrived in what was then French Indochina, U. S. involvement escalated in the early 1960s, with troop levels tripling in 1961 and again in 1962. Regular U. S. combat units were deployed beginning in 1965, despite the Paris Peace Accord, which was signed by all parties in January 1973, the fighting continued. In the U. S. and the Western world, a large anti-Vietnam War movement developed as part of a larger counterculture, the war changed the dynamics between the Eastern and Western Blocs, and altered North–South relations. Direct U. S. military involvement ended on 15 August 1973, the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. The war exacted a huge human cost in terms of fatalities, estimates of the number of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians killed vary from 966,000 to 3.8 million. Some 240, 000–300,000 Cambodians,20, 000–62,000 Laotians, and 58,220 U. S. service members died in the conflict. Various names have applied to the conflict. Vietnam War is the most commonly used name in English and it has also been called the Second Indochina War and the Vietnam Conflict. As there have been several conflicts in Indochina, this conflict is known by the names of its primary protagonists to distinguish it from others. In Vietnamese, the war is known as Kháng chiến chống Mỹ. It is also called Chiến tranh Việt Nam, France began its conquest of Indochina in the late 1850s, and completed pacification by 1893. The 1884 Treaty of Huế formed the basis for French colonial rule in Vietnam for the seven decades
40.
Republic F-105 Thunderchief
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The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The F-105 was commonly known as the Thud by its crews, first flown in 1955, the Thunderchief entered service in 1958. The F-105 could deliver a bomb load than some American heavy bombers of World War II such as the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. The F-105 was one of the attack aircraft of the Vietnam War, over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown. Although less agile than smaller MiG fighters, USAF F-105s were credited with 27.5 kills, during the war, the single-seat F-105D was the primary aircraft delivering the heavy bomb loads against the various military targets. Two Wild Weasel pilots were awarded the Medal of Honor for attacking North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile sites, the dangerous missions often required them to be the first in, last out, suppressing enemy air defenses while strike aircraft accomplished their missions and then left the area. When the Thunderchief entered service it was the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history and it could exceed the speed of sound at sea level and reach Mach 2 at high altitude, the F-105 could carry up to 14,000 lb of bombs and missiles. The Thunderchief was later replaced as an aircraft over North Vietnam by both the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II and the swing-wing General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. However, the Wild Weasel variants of the F-105 remained in service until 1984 after being replaced by the specialized F-4G Wild Weasel V. Republic Aviation started the Thunderchief as a project to replace the RF-84F Thunderflash. The design team led by Alexander Kartveli examined some 108 configurations before settling on a large, single-engine AP-63FBX, the new aircraft was intended primarily for supersonic, low altitude penetration to deliver a single, internally carried nuclear bomb. The emphasis was placed on speed and flight characteristics, range. The aircraft would be fitted with an engine, and a relatively small wing with a high wing loading for a stable ride at low altitudes. Traditional fighter attributes such as maneuverability were a secondary consideration, enthusiastic at first, the United States Air Force awarded Republic with a contract for 199 aircraft in September 1952. However, by March 1953, the USAF had reduced the order to 37 fighter-bombers and nine tactical reconnaissance aircraft, anticipating a protracted development of the engine, it was expected that the first aircraft would use the smaller Pratt & Whitney J57. Near the end of 1953, the program was canceled by the USAF due to a number of delays. However, on 28 June 1954, the USAF officially ordered 15 F-105s under the Weapon System designation WS-306A, the YF-105A prototype first flew on 22 October 1955, with the second YF-105A following on 28 January 1956. In spite of being powered by a less potent J57-P-25 engine with 15,000 pounds-force of afterburning thrust, in March 1956, the USAF placed a further order for 65 F-105Bs and 17 RF-105Bs
41.
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
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During the Vietnam War, from 1962 through 1975, Korat RTAFB was the largest front-line facility of the United States Air Force in Thailand. During the 1980s and early-1990s, the airfield was operated as a civil airport for Nakhon Ratchasima. This ended with the opening of Nakhon Ratchasima Airport in the early-1990s, Korat RTAFB is the home of the 1st RTAF Wing, consisting of three squadrons. The airfield has a single 9,800 + foot runway with a single,102 Squadron flies 15 F-16A-15ADF and one F-16B-15ADF Fighting Falcon air defense airplanes acquired from the USAF and delivered to the RTAF in 2003 and 2004. These airplanes were acquired under the code name Peace Naresuan IV, all F-16s are the block 15 version. A detachment of 1 UH-1H Iroquois helicopters from 203 Squadron, Wing 2 is also based at Korat, Korat RTAFB is a major facility for the Cope Tiger exercises, an annual, multinational exercise conducted in two phases in the Asia-Pacific region. Cope Tiger involves air forces from the United States, Thailand, US naval aircraft have also been involved in Cope Tiger. The flying training portion of the exercise promotes closer relations and enables air force units in the region to air combat skills. Pilots fly both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat training missions, Thai Forces fly F-16A/B Fighting Falcons, F-5E Tigers and ground attack L-39s, and Alpha jets of 231 Squadron. Singaporean forces fly F-5Es, F-16C/D Fighting Falcons, Lockheed KC-130B Hercules, Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, Boeing CH-47SD Chinooks, more than 1,100 people participate, including approximately 500 US service members and 600 service members from Thailand and Singapore. Over the last few years, Cope Tiger has widened to include CSAR assets and these included a C-130E Hercules from 36 Airlift Squadron,374 Airlift Wing in 2006, and a G-222 and a C-130H from the RTAF in 2007. Since the 1980s United States Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet fighters have used Korat as a base during Cobra Gold exercises, the origins of Korat Air Base dates back to the Japanese Occupation of Thailand during World War II. After the end of the war, the facilities were taken over by the Thai government as a military base, various Japanese facilities were used by the Royal Thai Air Force until the 1960s. In 1961, the Kennedy administration feared a communist invasion or insurgency inside Thailand would spread from the Laotian Civil War, the United States Army Corps of Engineers were deployed and established a headquarters at the RTAF airfield that later became Korat Air Base. The first facilities were built on the side of the runway. They included a hospital, some barracks and some warehouses for equipment that was flown in using the existing runway, under the agreement, United States forces using Thai air bases were commanded by Thai officers. Thai air police controlled access to the bases, along with USAF Security Police, who assisted them in base defense using sentry dogs, observation towers, and machine gun bunkers. The Geneva Accords of 1962 ended the threat, but both Camp Friendship and Korat Air Base were developed as part of the buildup of forces in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
42.
19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron
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The 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. During World War II and the Cold War, its mission was aerial reconnaissance and photo mapping. The 19th Photographic Mapping Squadron was activated at Colorado Springs AAF on July 14,1942 and it was equipped with F-4 Lightnings, the group trained for overseas duty. Reassigned to the 1st Photographic Group, the transferred to Bradley Field. It deployed to Mexico to perform photographic mapping over Central and South America with long range F-9 and it also performed photographic mapping of the United States while assigned to the 11th Photographic Group. Reassigned to the 311th Reconnaissance Wing, the squadron moved overseas and it was later assigned to Egypt, mapping the Middle East with long-range aircraft including some Navy PBY-5s s, photographing airfields, coastal defenses and ports. Reassigned to England in April 1945, the squadron took bomb-damage assessment photographs of airfields, marshalling yards, bridges and it remained in the theater after combat ended, performing photo-mapping of Western Europe. It was inactivated at Foggia Airfield, Italy in December 1945 and it was activated in the reserve at Newark Airport, New Jersey, as part of the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Group in November 1947. Equipped with RB-26Cs, it performed night photographic missions until being inactivated in June 1949, the 19th was reactivated at Shaw AFB, South Carolina in July 1953 as the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, assigned to the Tactical Air Command, part of the Ninth Air Force. It was attached to the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, equipped with RB-26Cs and it trained in the United States until it was deployed to RAF Sculthorpe, England in May 1954. It was assigned to the USAFE s Third Air Force and attached to the 47th Tactical Bombardment Wing and it re-equipped with RB-45C Tornado jets and performed tactical reconnaissance and photo-mapping missions over Western Europe and North Africa. It also conducted classified deep penetration and reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union, the squadron upgraded to RB-66B Destroyers and replaced the obsolescent RB-45s from February 1957. It became the primary night photographic reconnaissance squadron of the USAFE, being assigned to bases in West Germany, England and it returned to the United States after the French withdrawal from the NATO military alliance in 1966 and became a replacement training unit for RB-66 aircrews. In 1968, the squadron was re-equipped with EB-66C electronic countermeasures aircraft, the reconnaissance equipment was removed and replaced by electronic jamming equipment. The tail turret was removed, automatic jamming equipment was fitted in its place. Numerous antennae protruded from the aircraft, and chaff dispensing pods were carried, redesignated the 19th Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron and deployed to the Pacific Air Forces, it was assigned to the 18 TFW first in Japan, later in Okinawa. The unit flew missions over North Vietnam as electronic warfare aircraft, the squadron was inactivated in 1970 at Kadena AB, Okinawa as part of the draw-down of USAF forces in Southeast Asia. Original source of information, USAF Historical Research Center - Maxwell AFB, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II
43.
Shaw Air Force Base
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Shaw Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately 8.4 miles west-northwest of downtown Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command, the United States Air Force 20th Fighter Wing is the host unit. It is one of the largest military bases operated by the United States, the Shaw line was constructed in 1941 to bring in materials for base development, and has two GE 80-ton locomotives,1644 and 1671. The base is named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lieutenant Ervin David Shaw, Lieutenant Shaw was one of the first Americans to fly combat missions in World War I. Shaw, a Sumter County native, was assigned to the Royal Air Force 48 Squadron, Shaw died after three enemy aircraft attacked his Bristol F. 2B while he was returning from a reconnaissance mission on 9 July 1918. Lt. Shaw downed one of his attackers before he was killed, Shaw Field was activated on 30 August 1941 and placed under the jurisdiction of the Army Air Corps Southeast Air Corps Training Center. The mission of the new airfield was a flying school to instruct air cadets in flying. The airfield consisted of three 4, 500-foot runways and several auxiliary airfields, enough construction was completed for the first group of cadets entered training December 15,1941, and the first class completed training in February 1942. The concrete parking ramp was completed during May 1942, in October 1942, the flight training was changed to Advanced flying training and AT-6 Texan single-engine and Beech AT-10 twin-engine trainers were used. On 1 April 1945 jurisdiction of Shaw Field was transferred to First Air Force, the 139th Army Air Force Base Unit, I Fighter Command became the host unit. And pilots were sent to Shaw for fighter training in Republic P-47 Thunderbolt single-engined fighters. For a brief time, Shaw Field also served as a prisoner-of-war camp, the first group of German POWs arrived on 1 March 1945. Eventually,175 of them lived in an encampment just off the base, on Peach Orchard Road across from Shaws hospital gate. They departed in the months of 1946 for the rebuilding of European cities. Those prisoners were repatriated to Germany around 1947, with some returning to the Shaw and Sumter area. Shaw Army Airfield was designated a permanent Army Air Forces installation after the war, after a period of reorganization, jurisdiction was transferred to Air Defense Command on 1 March 1946. From July 1946 until May 1947 Shaw was the home of the 414th and 415th Night Fighter Squadrons, the squadrons flew the P-61 Black Widow in Europe with Ninth Air Force during World War II, and were reassigned back to the United States after the end of hostilities. The 414th was transferred to Caribbean Air Force at Rio Hato AB, the 415th was reassigned to Alaska Air Command at Adak Island, Alaska in May 1947 also to perform an air defense mission, over the Aleutian Islands and the territorial waters of western Alaska
44.
South Carolina
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South Carolina /ˌsaʊθ kærəˈlaɪnə/ is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. The state is bordered to the north by North Carolina, to the south and west by Georgia across the Savannah River, South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the U. S. Constitution, doing so on May 23,1788. South Carolina became the first state to vote to secede from the Union on December 20,1860, after the American Civil War, it was readmitted into the United States on June 25,1868. South Carolina is the 40th most extensive and the 23rd most populous U. S. state and its GDP as of 2013 was $183.6 billion, with an annual growth rate of 3. 13%. The capital and largest city is Columbia with a 2013 population of 133,358, South Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England, under whose reign the English colony was first formed, with Carolus being Latin for Charles. There is evidence of activity in the area about 12000 years ago. Along the Savannah River were the Apalachee, Yuchi, and the Yamasee, further west were the Cherokee, and along the Catawba River, the Catawba. These tribes were village-dwellers, relying on agriculture as their food source. The Cherokee lived in wattle and daub houses made with wood and clay, about a dozen separate small tribes summered on the coast harvesting oysters and fish, and cultivating corn, peas and beans. Travelling inland as much as 50 miles mostly by canoe, they wintered on the plain, hunting deer and gathering nuts. The names of these survive in place names like Edisto Island, Kiawah Island. The Spanish were the first Europeans in the area, in 1521, founding San Miguel de Gualdape, established with 500 settlers, it was abandoned within a year by 150 survivors. In 1562 French settlers established a settlement at what is now the Charlesfort-Santa Elena archaeological site on Parris Island, three years later the Spanish built a fort on the same site, but withdrew following hostilities with the English navy. In 1629, King Charles I of England established the Province of Carolina an area covering what is now South and North Carolina, Georgia, in the 1670s, English planters from the Barbados established themselves near what is now Charleston. Settlers built rice plantations in the South Carolina Lowcountry, east of the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, settlers came from all over Europe. Plantation labor was done by African slaves who formed the majority of the population by 1720, another cash crop was the Indigo plant, a plant source of blue dye, developed by Eliza Lucas. Meanwhile, in Upstate South Carolina, west of the Fall Line, was settled by farmers and traders. Colonists overthrew the rule, seeing more direct representation
45.
Douglas B-66 Destroyer
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The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was a United States Air Force light bomber based on the U. S. Navys A-3 Skywarrior carrier-based heavy attack aircraft. The B-66 was intended to replace the Douglas A-26 Invader, the USAF B-66 retained the three-man crew from the US Navy A-3, but incorporated ejection seats that the US Navy variant lacked. At first, the United States Air Force intended the conversion to be a matter of removing the carrier-specific features, so no prototypes were ordered. The list of modifications grew, and before long, the easy conversion became what was substantially a new aircraft. Many of the changes were due to the USAFs requirement for low-level operations, two major differences between the A-3 and the B-66 consisted in the types of jet engines used, and the emergency crew egress systems. The A-3 had two J57 turbojet engines, whereas the B-66 had two Allison J71s, the B-66 was equipped with ejection seats whereas the A-3 was not. The first RB-66A pre-production aircraft flew in 1954, whereas the first production RB-66B aircraft flew in the beginning of 1955. The basic B-66 design proved to be a one, and was produced or modified into a variety of other versions, including the EB-66, RB-66. Likewise, many variants of the A-3 Skywarrior were produced, deliveries to the USAF began in 1956, with 145 of this model produced. A total of 72 of the B-66B bomber version were built,69 fewer than originally planned and they would rotate out of an alert pad in Spain during the time that the 42nd had them. These and the RB-66Cs that the 42nd had would eventually be sent to Vietnam, unlike the U. S. Navys A-3 Skywarrior, which performed some bombing missions, the Destroyer was not used as a bomber in Vietnam. The RB-66C was a specialized reconnaissance and Electronic Counter Measure aircraft with an expanded crew of seven. A total of 36 of these aircraft were built with the crew members housed in what was the camera/bomb bay of other variants. RB-66C aircraft had distinctive wingtip pods and were used in the vicinity of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, in 1966, these planes were renamed into EB-66C. Unarmed EB-66B, EB-66C and EB-66E aircraft flew missions during the Vietnam War. Early on, B-66s flew oval racetrack patterns over North Vietnam, but after one of the aircraft was shot down by a MiG, the crew ejected and were taken prisoner briefly before being repatriated. The final Douglas B-66 variant was the WB-66D weather reconnaissance aircraft,36 of which were constructed, the EB-66C/E was removed from USAF service by 1975 and most examples either scrapped in place or placed in storage for eventual scrapping. RB-66A All-weather photo-reconnaissance variant, five built, RB-66B Variant of the RB-66A with production J71-A-13 engines and higher gross weight,149 built
46.
USS Pueblo (AGER-2)
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The seizure of the U. S. Navy ship and its 83 crew members, one of whom was killed in the attack, came less than a week after President Lyndon B. North Korea stated that Pueblo deliberately entered their territorial waters 7.6 nautical miles away from Ryo Island, Pueblo, still held by North Korea today, officially remains a commissioned vessel of the United States Navy. Since early 2013, the ship has been moored along the Potong River in Pyongyang, Pueblo is the only ship of the U. S. Navy still on the commissioned roster currently being held captive. The ship was launched at the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, on 16 April 1944, as the United States Army Freight, the Army later redesignated the FP vessels as Freight and Supply changing the designation to FS-344. The ship, commissioned at New Orleans on 7 April 1945 and her first commanding officer was Lt. J. R. Choate, USCGR, succeeded by Lt. J. G. Barker, USCGR, on 12 September 1945, FS-344 was placed out of service in 1954. FS-344 was transferred to the United States Navy on 12 April 1966 and was renamed USS Pueblo after Pueblo and Pueblo County, Colorado on 18 June of the same year. She left with orders to intercept and conduct surveillance of Soviet Union Red Navy activity in the Tsushima Strait and to gather signal. The declassified SIGAD for the National Security Agency Direct Support Unit from the Naval Security Group on Pueblo during the patrol involved in the incident was USN-467Y, AGER denoted a joint Naval and National Security Agency program. In the afternoon of 22 January 1968, the two North Korean fishing trawlers Rice Paddy 1 and Rice Paddy 2 passed within 30 yards of Pueblo. That day, a North Korean unit made an attempt in the Blue House executive mansion against the South Korean President Park Chung-hee. According to the American account, the day,23 January, Pueblo was approached by a sub chaser and her nationality was challenged. The North Korean vessel then ordered it to stand down or be fired upon, Pueblo attempted to maneuver away, but was considerably slower than the sub chaser. Additionally, three torpedo boats appeared on the horizon and then joined in the chase and subsequent attack, the attackers were soon joined by two MiG-21 fighters. A fourth torpedo boat and a sub chaser appeared on the horizon a short time later. The ammunition on Pueblo was stored belowdecks, and her guns were wrapped in cold weather tarpaulins. The machine guns were unmanned, and no attempt was made to man them, an NSA report quotes the sailing order, Defensive armament should be stowed or covered in such manner so that it does not cause unusual interest by surveyed units. U. S. Navy authorities and the crew of Pueblo insist that before the capture, North Korea says the vessel was well within North Korean territory
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This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
