Ash. Powerplant: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp, 14-cylinder radial air-cooled engines, 1,200 horsepower each. I was stationed at Eaker from 89-91 in the comm building pictured. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. The majority of buildings have suffered the same fate. Eaker Air Force Base is located approximately 3 miles northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas, on Interstate 55 between St Louis and Memphis. Serial Number 61-0023 landed safely in Blytheville. Ruth Eaker, General Eakers widow, signing autographs during the name change of the base in 1988. The KC135 fuels other aircraft through an extendable boom on the aft of the aircraft. My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. I only ask that you send older photos (probably sometime before 1970).and they can be of People, Places in Blytheville, and Things. In June 1975 the aircraft was sent to the 97th Bombardment Wing (H) residing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas. CENTCOM commander H. Norman Schwartzkopf demanded continual B-52 strikes-- eventually forty percent of all ordnance expended--and the results were devastating. 07-4637 photos; United States - US Air Force (USAF) Airline: United States - US Air Force (USAF) Reg: 07-4637 photos; Aircraft: Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Hercules; Serial #: 382-5597; . Merged with: Blytheville herald-news (non-extant), to form: Blytheville courier news. 326th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 21 July 1942-30 April 1944 2111th Army Air Forces Base Unit; 1 May 1944-16 June 1945 Became Blytheville Air Force Base / Eaker Air Force Base (1951-1992) Now: Arkansas International Airport (IATA: BYH, ICAO: KBYH, FAA LID: BYH) (1992-Present) Newport Army Air Field, 6 miles northeast of Newport 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). Pinterest. These windowless alert quarters were identical everywhere, with tunnel-like egress covered in corrugated steel. At Mildenhall. My last 8 months of service I was the NCOIC of the Repair Cycle Unit "DIFM Control", KC-135A - 61-0267 - 97th BW, Blytheville Air Force Base, N503DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport. And in 1991, Eaker Air Force Base was on the top of the list. machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000+ lbs. But it is well-worth the visit. The National Cold War Center will be an entirely brand new building itself. Find the perfect adversary concept stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. The aircraft was set on course to Boeings headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. The original, one-of-a-kind model was created by P.J. Airwomen were tasked with testing electronics of aircraft, testing aircraft by means of flights, and ferrying aircraft. Some commanders, such as General Charles Donnelly in USAFE (no relation to the author) reportedly considered making names and/or nose art on USAFE aircraft a requirement. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. Like the Arc Light strikes of Vietnam, Iraqi forces on the ground could not hear or see B-52s before they struck. Arkansas Razorbacks. The effect on the neighboring towns of Gosnell and Blytheville the closure had on were tremendous. Fifteen B-52s were lost during the 1972 Linebacker II Christmas bombings and three of those B-52s originated from the 97th Bombardment Wing assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base; B 52G 58-0201 "Charcoal 1" went down on the 18th, B 52G 58-0198 "Olive 1" and B 52G 58-0169 "Tan 3" were shot down on the 21st. An exploration of the base's history and its impact on the community. And this is a photo of the HULK 46 design that the . Ritz. This VC-47D had been assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Doors and numerous truckloads of metal were being hauled off the alert pad. By August 1973, they had flown 126,615 combat sorties with 17 B-52s lost to enemy action. 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. 732 of the aircraft were specifically aerial tankers. For more information, visit the website at www.nationalcoldwarcenter.com or call 870-532-2100. As the 97th Bomb Group it's B-17 were the first to drop bombs on the Germans in France in 1942. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. The pictures and history lesson accompanying are amazing. At 14 I was hopping buses and trains and hanging out with friends in surrounding towns. In the late 1980s, the government, under congress had begun inspections on Air Force Bases. Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. "Valkyrie" shows one of Norse mythology's legendary "choosers of the slain" in full armor on horseback, with her shield a SAC emblem and carrying SAC's red lightning bolts in her other hand--which is pretty inventive. KC-135A - 61-0267 - 97th BW, Blytheville Air Force Base by Darren Currie 19 International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. The airplane dismantler used most of the tarmac we were using and we havent been back since before covid. On the opening night of the war, a group of B-52s took off from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and struck targets in Iraq with ALCMs, in a 34-hour nonstop round trip mission, a record that stood until 1996. Since its organization on 21 March 1946, SAC had continuously used C-47s or Gooney Birds as they were usually called, for support and administrative purposes. [1], On 15 July 1955, the facility was reopened as Blytheville Air Force Base (AFB), when the 461st Bombardment Wing was moved from Hill Air Force Base in Utah. Jul 1999. After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. Constructed on former agricultural land, the site was originally activated as the Blytheville Army Airfield in 1942. My Heritage. . On 16 January 1991, she was one of seven B-52s that would fly from Barksdale to fire cruise missiles at Saddam Hussein's Iraq on the first night of Operation Desert Storm. Base Theater. The B-52 had 8 engines but the two AGM-28 engines could also be used for take off and getting up to altitude. Though, local organizations and legal entities constantly fight to preserve the base. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. This increased the B-52Gs range over earlier B-52s, though it also added considerable weightone reason why the tail was shortened; to help the heavy bomber get off the ground, the water-injection system already present was increased. Eaker. It was rolled out of Boeings Wichita plant. Arkansas had six Army airfields. The WASP program tasked select women with many key roles on airfields across the nation. Deactivated at the close of the conflict, the base was reactivated in the 1950s as Blytheville Air Force Base and was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 . I saw this jet fly Oct 25 1972 at the Blytheville AFB air show. There was some concern that female aircrew--which were becoming far more common in the 1980s than in years previously--would object to the nose art, but no such objections materialized. 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 plane . The deactivation of the Eakers (Blytheville) Air Force Base in 1992 hit the community hard as in 2019 the population is about 15,000 while the population of Fayetteville exploded to near 90,000. Was stationed there from 1967 to 1970 with 97th AMS, the old A&E Squadron. Link to the fact sheet on the museum's web page: www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5714, Link to the other B52s I remember: www.youtube.com/watch?v=leohcvmf8kM&feature=related. Any monthly plan. Deactivated at the close of the conflict, the base was reactivated in the 1950s as Blytheville Air Force Base and was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 . Marker is at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Chestnut Drive, on the right when traveling east on Memorial Drive. There was no need for the Global Shield. Offering the freedom of maintenance-free independent living with the flexibility of an affordable rental program, Westminster Village enables you to remain close to the best of Blytheville near fishing at Big Lake, as well as convenient access to Memphis . In June 1965, B-52s entered combat in Southeast Asia. The exhibit is on the old air base, which is now an FBO for the new steel and other corporations that fly in there, along with other airplane related functions. The National Cold War Center at the former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville announced Monday that it had received a $400,000 grant from the Division of Arkansas Heritage Cultural Institutions Trust Fund.A spokesperson said the money would be used to . of conventional or nuclear bombs. Roof repairs began on February 19, 2022. This gallery is to showcase old photographs from Blytheville, Arkansas. Microscopy, Atomic Force Pulmonary Ventilation Acoustic Impedance Tests. The B-52G entered service in February 1959, and eventually 193 would be built, making it the most produced B-52 variant. Photographs are from numerous people and I encourage you to send me your photos if you want to add to the Blytheville collection. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. On 7 July 1971 SACs last C-47 was transferred to the USS Alabama Monument Commission. The project mainly serves to save the best buildings and bring buildings in the worst shape down for safety purposes. In 1990, Blythevilles population was 23,443. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Club was demolished. He served active duty March 21 1972 to March 20 1976. View allAll Photos Tagged Blytheville Air Force Base. Blytheville Air Force Base was established in 1942 as a pilot training station. Because it was an Air Force base, the airport has room and facilities that are not available in many other complexes. N503DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport by M.J. Scanlon 17 . Since then, there have been only 744 aircraft built by Boeing. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. The B-52H, however, continues to serve without a replacement on the horizon; the USAF intends to keep it in service until at least 2025, by which time the newest Stratofortress would have been in service sixty years. Branch of Service: Air Force. I hope they can save this base so that it doesnt get destroyed. New in 1960. I never earned Air Force Wings, the wings that appear in the photo are those of the Commemorative Air Force of which I am a member. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); http://www.fi-aeroweb.com/Defense/KC-46-Tanker.html#:~:text=Compared%20to%20the%20KC%2D135,cargo%20and%20aeromedical%20evacuation%20capabilities.&text=The%20KC%2DX%20Program%2C%20the,current%20KC%2D135%20tanker%20fleet. After a brief hiatus of less than a decade, the facility reopened as the Blytheville Air Force Base. By that time, the B-52G had already been tested in combat, with mixed results. 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. Yes we grew up overseas and only went to Department of Defense Schools but it was amazing. The G models were not equipped with the same robust electronic countermeasures suite as the Ds, nor did their crews have the same training. Formerly the site of family housing for Eaker Air Force Base, Westminster Village is a non-profit community. Assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base until deactivated in 1992. Far in the northeast corner of Arkansas, five miles west of the Mississippi River, the city of Blytheville remembers a prosperous past while hoping for a bright future. Mold and asbestos float through the air like dust that just got kicked up. The population suffered as well. About ten years ago a group of old 97 OMS troops made a trip to see the old place. 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. Fighter units also rarely carried nose art or even a name, though they made up for it with very gaudy colors and flamboyant unit crests. Retired from service in December 2019, MD-88 N907DL is stored at the former Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base, now Arkansas International Airport, in Blytheville, Arkansas. Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. I grew up on Army bases overseas. Since 1955, the B52 Stratofortress has been Americas go-to long-distance strategic bomber. Thanks to Dave Howell for posting this photo of Miss Piggy and her crew. Finally, again to save weight, the tail gunner position was eliminated in favor of a remote-controlled barbette, with the gunner moved forward to the crew compartment. PIGGOTT, Ark., July 30 (UPI) An Air Force C130 transport plane crashed, and burned at dusk today in a pasture in this town in northeastern Arkansas, killing all six persons aboard. What aRead more , Stationed there 1989-1992, loved the place and love the life long friends from there. for another radio code that would tell him to turn around. Nose Art: Boeing B-52G Stratofortress "Hoosier Hotshot", Nose Art: Boeing B-52G Stratofortress "Valkyrie", N915DN Delta Air Lines | McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 | Arkansas International Airport, N502DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport, 59-1514 Boeing KC-135E Stratotanker United States Air Force, N907DL Delta Air Lines | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Arkansas International Airport, www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5714, www.youtube.com/watch?v=leohcvmf8kM&feature=related, B-52G with an North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio, Photoshopped image of Rick OKelley Age 20 on his 1972 Suzuki GT750J Le Mans, Post Card KC 135 refueling a B-52G from Blytheville AFB, Sign that set at the Main Gate at Blytheville Air Force Base, 1977477_10202915854723496_3494507586333601988_n, www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm, Blytheville Air Force Base exhibit at DGM, Rickie D O'Kelley Staff Sergeant 1975 - Age 22. During the weekend of February 21st, 2022, the former N.C.O. Armament: Four defensive .50-cal. In May 1962 the aircraft returned to the Boeing factory in Kansas for wing modification and strengthening to counteract the fatigue cracks occurring in the B-52 fleet. Gym - Center of Wing's Athletic Activities. In December of 1992, the base officially closed. As Soviet air defenses increased in numbers and lethality, the B-52 was switched from high-altitude attack to low-altitude penetration; the job of Hound Dog-equipped B-52s was to use the nuclear-tipped primitive cruise missiles to destroy SAM defenses, giving the follow-on B-52s equipped with gravity nuclear weapons a better chance at reaching their targets. It boasted a vibrant downtown and it had an eclectic population due to the wide variety of people the base brought to the city. Our B-52s had the Vietnam War Camo paint while this appears to have the Pre-Vietnam War SAC paint which our bombers had before their Vietnam days. It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. "Valkyrie" was known to the USAF as 58-0183, a B-52G Stratofortress. The KC135 replaced the KC97, as the latter could not keep up with newer, larger and faster aircraft. The model is on a 1/72 scale with a 26" wingspan. Details on 57-6486 are sparse; it may have seen combat over Vietnam with another unit. Cover photos. However, some F-15E Strike Eagle units have begun painting nose art again, so reports of its demise is probably premature. Housing for members of the military and their families was developed between 1957 and 1962 north and south . The incident over Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on January 21, 1976, would not only stretch to a second night but was also witnessed by pure chance by a student journalist known only as "Bruce.". A photo of my Mustang in the snow at Barker's Trailerpark in Blytheville Arkansas. A bomber crew from Blytheville were among the first shot down during Operation Linebacker II, a December 1972 mission targeting complexes in North Vietnam. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Airport information, from map to hotels to aeronautical information. Photo by Democrat-Gazette file photo . It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956. This area was developed pursuant to guidelines established by the Federal Housing Administration , and is laid out with . 97th Bomb Wing has a long and honorable history. Capt R.D. The National Cold War Center is planned to be the largest collection of history and information on the decades that made up the war in the world. The local economy tankedand unemployment skyrocketed. "Hoosier Hotshot" was originally applied to a B-17G Flying Fortress of the 91st Bomb Group during World War II, but when SAC began applying nose art to their B-52s, a 97th Bomb Wing B-52G crew reproduced the nose art on 57-6486 as a tribute to the original. 3 talking about this. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Only ten B-52Gs survive today as museum pieces. Certain buildings are worth saving. Buy None was a no notice operational exercise conducted in 1989. Several C-47s were fitted with pontoons and redesignated C-47C. As the Cold War ended, "Valkyrie" was assigned to her last duty station with the 2nd BW at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, but she would have one last mission. Thousands of jobs were lost. [3] Six more men from the 97th were also lost in Vietnam, whose names are recognized on a memorial placard at the former base. 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. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. 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. After extensive renovations, the "BAFB Exhibition", at the former Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base, is open for business. 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. Tom Sylvester used to look up at the sky above Blytheville in the 1970s, watch the planes fly out of the nearby Air Force base and dream about being able to glide among the clouds. Everything from a static display of a B52 Stratofortress (which the Arkansas Aeroplex hopes to someday acquire), to letters from soldiers to their families overseas. Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, Blytheville: See 8 reviews, articles, and 21 photos of Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 6 attractions in Blytheville. Louisiana was the aircraft's next stop when in May 1974 it was transferred to the 2nd Bombardment Group (H) at Barksdale AFB. . Officers Club. See original furniture from the famous alert compound, pictures, uniforms & other memorabilia including a . The aircraft was flown from Castle AFB to Hill AFB, Utah, in its final flight. It was one of many air fields created in the country's interior during the war for this purpose. When I arrived in July 1972, Blytheville Air Force Base's B-52s, KC-135s, pilots, navigators, electronic warfare officers, tail gunners and many . Officials had hoped, after hearing rumors of the base's possible closure, that the name would endear the base among military leaders and be enough to incentivize its continued existence. Dave Howell, RN Bob Gilbert, Gunner Rick Watson, EW Chuck Kinkhead, N Can't remember, CP Kevin Rice. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. Honorable Discharged at the rank of E5 Staff Sgt. The worst building on base is the hospital. Veteran C. Young. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. I have been to the former base and tarmac many times in the 2010s for Sports Car Club of America events. Home of 96th Bombardment Wing: 1953-1957; 11th . As I recall, crew members were typically on alert for 10 days of every month. The current BAFB Exhibit is housed in the former B52 crew briefing building, and will continue to be an exhibit. It launched rescue missions from the base to Grenada in 1983 and in August 1990, the pilots of the 97th Bomber Wing began practicing for missions in the Middle East and eventually supported Operation Desert Storm. Military Photos; Military Reunion Stories; Military Service Map; Military Cadences; Military Jokes; Military Lingo; Great Military Web Pages; Recommended Military Books; Today in Military . Washington, DCMay 26, 2020.Today, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) joined Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-1), Congressman French Hill (AR-2), and Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-4) in announcing the introduction of legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in Blytheville, Arkansas the "National Cold War Center." The air force base was established in 1942 as a . Thule is the only air force base with no aircraft and a tugboat. Mr. Gorbachev tore down that wall. In the bomb bay were ADM-20 Quail decoys. The nine surviving jets are scattered from coast to coast most of them restored and on display. The airbase was phased out years ago, but Blytheville has emerged as a steel production center and agri-business is strong. In 2020, both Arkansas senators proposed a bill to designate the museum in Blytheville.
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