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Base Closure What happened to Blytheville, Arkansas? The nine surviving jets are scattered from coast to coast most of them restored and on display. On Jan. 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings. ", From: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm. The War Assets Administration officially closed down the installation in 1946, at which point control and responsibility for the land was transferred to the city of Blytheville. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Blytheville had their own team. Part of the reason was the USAF's adoption of "Combat Warrior," which was meant to instill a sense of history among its pilots and airmen, requiring the study of the USAF/USAAF historical record. As "Hoosier Hotshot," it flew first with the 97th BW at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, then finished its career with the 93rd BW at Castle AFB, California. Luckily, the nose art was removed first and donated to the nearby Pima Air and Space Museum. Ruth Eaker, General Eakers widow, signing autographs during the name change of the base in 1988. Psychiatry and Psychology 1 Buildings have collapsed in that time frame. The WASP program tasked select women with many key roles on airfields across the nation. The B-52 is one of the few planes I remember Dad talking about during his career at Hill Air Force Base. Though it is currently in a rough shape as an Air Force Base it doesnt have to be that way. A strong gust of wind has pushed the rear of the aircraft left then right. See original furniture from the famous alert compound, pictures, uniforms & other memorabilia including a . The newer B-52Hs had turbofan powerplant, which was more fuel efficient, and START arms control treaties required the dismantling of the B-52G force after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Veteran C. Young. Find the perfect adversary concept stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition: BAFB Exhibition - Blytheville/Eaker AFB - See 9 traveler reviews, 32 candid photos, and great deals for Blytheville, AR, at Tripadvisor. During its test flight, Boeing was performing tests to show the aircrafts resilience against low-altitude turbulence. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. By October of the same year the aircraft was moved to Robins AFB, Georgia. I was stationed at this base in 1972-1976 and worked in the 97th Supply Squadron which is one of the large buildings located near the center of the photo. Eaker. In July 1963 the aircraft was stationed at Beale AFB, California, with the 456th Bombardment Wing (H). In the politically correct 2000s, nose art has been hidden in wheel-well doors or, in the case of the A-10, behind the integral ladder door, and often as not, simply does not exist. Photographs are from numerous people and I encourage you to send me your photos if you want to add to the Blytheville collection. Like the Arc Light strikes of Vietnam, Iraqi forces on the ground could not hear or see B-52s before they struck. After World War II the C-47s were used in the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. These women had proved their selves capable of flying aircraft such as the B25 and the B29. Renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 honoring Gen. Ira Eaker, the entire facility closed in 1992. Select from premium Blytheville Air Force Base of the highest quality. All photos (32) Top ways to experience nearby attractions. An exploration of the base's history and its impact on the community. . Operated by the 97th Bombardment Wing based at Eaker AFB, Blytheville AR. In June 1965 B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "blythevilleairforcebase" Flickr tag. Blytheville AFB experienced a great deal of activity throughout the Cold War era, when for instance, the 97th Bombardment Wing went on airborne alert on 22 October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Unit of Service: 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron; Air National Guard. "A B52 with a full nuclear payload, is the seventh most powerful country in the world.". As the National Cold War Center develops, the first on-site exhibit depicts the history of the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base. View allAll Photos Tagged Blytheville Air Force Base. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Merged with: Blytheville herald-news (non-extant), to form: Blytheville courier news. My father was a pilot in SAC throughout his career (bombers and tankers); he and the other bomber and tanker crews spent a whole lot of time, away from their families, living in this bunker. My father manufactured this and built a front wheel carrier for my motorcycle so I could mount the front wheel and removed the chain and allow the rear wheel to freely roll as we towed it down the road. But it is well-worth the visit. The current BAFB Exhibit is housed in the former B52 crew briefing building, and will continue to be an exhibit. The Blytheville Air Force Base Alert Center and Alert Apron constructed as part of a national expansion of Strategic Air Command Facilities across the United States and its Territories, to help in creating a "program to safeguard nuclear deterrence" through the SAC Alert program. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. We share a body likeness and dress and I had an orange helmet but most of the time I wore my Easy Rider Flag helmet. 88 of the aircraft built are modified versions to serve specific purposes such as reconnaissance aircraft, and cargo carriers. Honorable Discharged at the rank of E5 Staff Sgt. The last duty station for this aircraft was with a previous owner, the 93rd Bombardment Wing (H) at Castle AFB, where it arrived in December 1988. Vietnam saw a return of nose art (or, in the case of the F-105, "armpit art" as it was carried beneath the high wing), but while pilots and crews didn't have to worry about irate wives, they did have to worry about irate commanding officers, some of whom saw nose art as unprofessional and childish. Copyright 2009-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) - Abandoned Atlas Foundation - board@AbandonedAtlas.com | Designed By Prairie Nation Creative, LLC - Disclaimer, Eaker Air Force Base (Click the Thumbnails to See Full Album), Extras (sirens, wildlife, monument, signs). The Southeast Asia War Tour Boeing B-52D Stratofortress BUFF LF USAF Museum (9202) Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 3-10-2019. VetFriends.com helps reunite veterans from the Air Force daily. of conventional or nuclear bombs, Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. If you wish to support our current and future work, please consider making a donation or purchasing one of our many books. 35 57.54 N, 89 57.74 W. Marker is in Gosnell, Arkansas, in Mississippi County. However, some F-15E Strike Eagle units have begun painting nose art again, so reports of its demise is probably premature. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. The 97th deployed to Edwards AFB, California, while operating this aircraft. The B-47 Stratojet was slated to be replaced by a mix of both the heavy Stratofortress and the Convair B-58 Hustler high-speed medium bomber. Available for both RF and RM licensing. c/n 18002/T0417. Currently, there is a restoration program working to rebuild and reuse buildings that arent disappearing. The Southeast Asia War section of the Modern Flight Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/). At the height of the Cold War, Eaker Air Force Base was home to the 97th Bombardment Wing, the 42nd Air Division, the 97th Air Refueling Squadron, the 97th Supply Squadron, the 97th Organizational Maintenance Squadron, the 820th Medical Group, and many more. When I arrived in July 1972, Blytheville Air Force Base's B-52s, KC-135s, pilots, navigators, electronic warfare officers, tail gunners and many . These three 97th BW aircraft were stationed and flown out of Anderson AFB, Guam, as part of the 72nd Strategic Wing (Provisional). Club was demolished. I'm fairly certain I saw this aircraft at an airshow at Malmstrom AFB in the 1980s, as the nose art is familiar, but it may be wishful thinking on my part. Location. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. This B-52G-100-BW (S/N 58-0191), nicknamed "Bearin' Arms," was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, and delivered to the USAF on October 16, 1959. Armament: Four .50-cal. In any case, out of a sense of history and because commanders were now favorable to the idea, nose art began to return, though the USAF was very careful to ensure any "painted ladies" to have nothing more risque than bikinis. He arranged the trade of my old piece of crap Harley, arranged the financing so I could just get on my new motorcycle and drive away. It is the USAFs main aerial fueling aircraft. Jul 1999. Movie Theater. The 97th comm mustve been a very short lived entity as it was the 2101 CS / AFCC when I was there. After any major war, surplus equipment and property is sold to the general public and agencies. Eaker AFB was selected for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round of 1991. It is aRead more . "Valkyrie" would fly a few more missions during the war, the only time she would drop bombs in anger. action specifically caters to closures and revitalization of U.S. military bases. Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. I only ask that you send older photos (probably sometime before 1970).and they can be of People, Places in Blytheville, and Things. This view also shows how well 58-0183 is preserved, and the EVS bulges beneath the B-52's nose. In the years leading up to the reunification of Germany, the U.S. government sought out to begin a process that would eventually end in many bases like Eaker, to be closed. Below is my Blytheville Air Force Base token collection. Coupled with the more regulation bound USAF of the 1950s, almost no B-36s or B-52s carried nose art, despite a larger "canvas" than the B-29 or B-17. The base's primary mission shifted to bomber training. machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000+ lbs. [3] Unfortunately, Eaker Air Force Base topped the Strategic Air Command's list of base closures in 1991 and with the Cold War coming to an end, the installation was officially chosen; in March 1992, the last aircraft left the base. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978. This does not include 149 civil aircraft impresses before delivery. [1] Other aircraft stationed at Blytheville AFB included: KC-97 refueler, B-52G bomber, KC-135A tanker, T-33 jet fighter, and the T-37 traineramong others. It was always fascinating to hear stories about how papers were left on desks and furniture left abandoned. Ritz. To differentiate ALCM-equpped B-52Gs from unmodified aircraft, a wing fairing was added solely for the benefit of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, in accordance with arms control treaties. Pinterest. All the glass is shattered. At Mildenhall. Blytheville AFB became fully operational when it was equipped with a wing of three squadrons of B-57 bomber on 19 July 1955. MEMORIES. Gosnell reported losing over half its students. Eaker Air Force Base was home to a group of Strategic Air Command B-52 bombers and more than 3,000 military personnel before closing in 1992. I saw this jet in the Thunderbird performance at Blytheville Air Force base Oct 25 1972.. My USAF service had no connection to the Thunderbirds other than I saw this Thunderbird perform at Blytheville Air Force Base Oct 25 1972. Jun 18, 2016 - blytheville afb photos | Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . Today the base is mostly in a decrepit state of disrepair. Arkansas had six Army airfields. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. Airplane Photos & Aviation Photos - View, Search, or Upload Photos! Hill Aerospace Museum officially received the aircraft for static display on July 11, 1991. This area was developed pursuant to guidelines established by the Federal Housing Administration , and is laid out with . My Heritage. It seemed like every morning at 5:00 AM the flight line maintenance crews would fire up some of the airplanes engines. Who knew that 41 years later I would have a new Mustang or even still be alive. In the Monett City Park is displayed the USAF Thunderbird F4 Phantom #3 Jet. The nose art trend continued through Operation Desert Storm--though some of the ladies were censored or temporarily taped over to avoid offending Saudi religious officials--but then began to disappear again during the 1990s.