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. Camo with white under belly North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile on display at the Global Power Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Best years of my life. Cover photos. Location. Currently, the main tarmac is used as Blythevilles airport. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. Extensive efforts to offset the negative economic effects on the community of Blytheville were undertaken by local and federal officials, who cleaned up the site and then distributed the land to various organizations, including the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Like many B-52s, 58-0183 was shuttled around through several units--in this case, no less than eleven bomb wings. Almost immediately, this was proven to be a vain hope: the only aircraft able to replace the B-52 was, it seemed, another B-52. The boom operators on KC-135s got a laugh over it, the pilots loved it, commanding officers were horrified and eventually ordered it removed. Sign up and get notified about upcoming volunteer events! 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. The current BAFB Exhibit is housed in the former B52 crew briefing building, and will continue to be an exhibit. Armament: Four defensive .50-cal. I think it is lost on most Americans that the first time a B-52 was used in actually live combat was in Vietnam and it was the only time a B-52 was lost to enemy fire. In August 1991 this Stratofortress was dropped from the Air Force inventory and made available to the USAF Museum Program. It worked very well and it was how I towed my new 1972 Suzuki GT750J from my parent's home in Alma the 300 miles to Blytheville Air Force Base. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. I have been to the former base and tarmac many times in the 2010s for Sports Car Club of America events. 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. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in the fall of 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. 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. It was rolled out of Boeings Wichita plant. (For some reason, this "Hotshot" never got eyes.). Owners of said buildings had big ambitions to renovate and repurpose the old buildings, but either plans never took off or money was tight. 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 . [4], It is a 247 acres (100ha) historic district which included 23 contributing buildings, 33 contributing structures, two contributing sites, a contributing object, as well as two non-contributing buildings. 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. After any major war, surplus equipment and property is sold to the general public and agencies. Communism had shriveled in the world. In selected cases, due to ground water table conditions, the moleholes were built fully aboveground, with the lower story earthen bermed for semi-hardening. 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. When Operation Linebacker and especially Linebacker II taxed the Southeast Asia-based B-52D fleet to the limit, President Richard Nixon authorized the G models to be deployed to Vietnam as well. During the weekend of February 21st, 2022, the former N.C.O. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, this aircraft was flown to the Museum in November 1978. View of the southern end of the former Blytheville AFB (Eaker AFB). Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Since Eaker Air Force Base went under B.R.A.C. Blytheville Air Force Base was established in 1942 as a pilot training station. Property is disposed of, and the government cleans up after itself. Thule is the only air force base with no aircraft and a tugboat. The pictures and history lesson accompanying are amazing. Evans was from Osceola AR. For nearly 50 years, residents of Blytheville, Ark., proudly supported the Air Force base in their town. machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000+ lbs. Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. VetFriends.com helps reunite veterans from the Air Force daily. He told me many stories about the German . All of these were under the Strategic Air Command. . On January 11th, during Agile Combat Employment training exercises performed by the U.S. Air Force at Eaker Air Force Base, work had begun on the restoration process of Building 1225. It was retired in July 1991 and donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Arizona. Electrical work and flood damage repair have begun. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov) Arkansas Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate Blytheville Air Force Base as National Cold War Center 2/7/2023 Washington - Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in . machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000 lbs. Photo from Facebook. Formerly the site of family housing for Eaker Air Force Base, Westminster Village is a non-profit community. of conventional or nuclear bombs. Profile pictures. Several C-47s were fitted with pontoons and redesignated C-47C. This had the added benefit of giving the gunner an ejection seat, eliminating the need for a manual bailout system. I thanked my dad for my upbringing. Buildings, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, car . Vietnam War, 1961-1975. I was stationed there from 1966-69. Airplane Photos & Aviation Photos - View, Search, or Upload Photos! The KC135 fuels other aircraft through an extendable boom on the aft of the aircraft. Branch of Service: Air Force. Certain buildings are worth saving. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. It was amazing. These windowless alert quarters were identical everywhere, with tunnel-like egress covered in corrugated steel. 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. 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. The USAF Thunderbirds flew the F-4E Phantom II from 1969 until Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the October 1973 fuel crisis. Eaker Air Force Base was located on 3,778 acres of land between the communities of Gosnell and Blytheville in Mississippi County. The KC135 replaced the KC97, as the latter could not keep up with newer, larger and faster aircraft. Watch. As a CAP cadet 1966-1969 the lore of this base was discussed often. 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. The Blytheville Air Force Base SAC alert area is located east of the southern end of the runway, situated at the center of the fenced area long the alert parking area. Gosnell reported losing over half its students. My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. Eaker Air Force Base Historic District, Arkansas International Airport, and Blytheville Municipal Airport. The commanding general of the U.S. Army Air Forces, Henry Arnold, went as far as saying that he doubted a woman could control a B17. 88 of the aircraft built are modified versions to serve specific purposes such as reconnaissance aircraft, and cargo carriers. When I arrived in July 1972, Blytheville Air Force Base's B-52s, KC-135s, pilots, navigators, electronic warfare officers, tail gunners and many . Military. at the old Blytheville Air Force Base now called the Blytheville Aeroplex where the city is planning to invest $20 million . Located on the former Eaker Air Force Base (also known as Blytheville Air Force Base), a few blocks inside the west gate. During WWII, my Dad and his best friend, John Whittington, would go to the base (teenagers) and work. 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. These women had proved their selves capable of flying aircraft such as the B25 and the B29. Altus AFB ACTIVE Need photos: Location: Altus, Oklahoma. 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 . Thanks to Dave Howell for posting this photo of Miss Piggy and her crew. [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. By that time, the B-52G had already been tested in combat, with mixed results. Use code: FLICKR10, International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. 766 th BS headquarters. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. The majority of the bases housing is still in use, a few buildings are in use, and the tarmac is now the Arkansas Aeroplex. . Unit of Service: 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron; Air National Guard. The Museums C-47 was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and delivered to the USAAF on July 14, 1944. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Many times I stopped what I was doing and watched the full power, roaring and smoke trailing takeoffs. Movie Theater. The B-52G entered service in February 1959, and eventually 193 would be built, making it the most produced B-52 variant. The Ritz Theater from the outside circa. While with the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, it received the name "Valkyrie" with appropriate nose art of a mail-clad female warrior on horseback; nose art made a renaissance in the USAF in the late 1980s, though not quite as risqu as that seen during World War II. And the United States was about to enter war with Saddam Hussein. (USAF Museum Official Website), Objects and images related to Blytheville Air Force Base, aka Eaker Air Force Base, The patch for the 340th Bomb Squadron assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base aka Eakers Air Force Base. In the Monett City Park is displayed the USAF Thunderbird F4 Phantom #3 Jet. A bomber crew from Blytheville were among the first shot down during Operation Linebacker II, a December 1972 mission targeting complexes in North Vietnam. In June 1972 General Brown assumed command of the 416th Bombardment Wing at Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y. Select from premium Blytheville Air Force Base of the highest quality. Leaving Little Rock as Arkansas only active base. The base closed in December 1992 and has re-opened as a general aviation/commercial airport and industrial park known as the Arkansas Aeroplex. If the alert force had not received that second "stand down" code, they would have taken off; and (as we saw it, back then) if that happened, very soon, we would have been in the midst of a nuclear war. Luckily, the nose art was removed first and donated to the nearby Pima Air and Space Museum. Scrapped at Birmingham AL in 1997. Fill out the form and sign up to help us protect: By signing up, you are not committing to anything, you are simply subscribing to be notified of upcoming volunteer dates. Of reinforced concrete and concrete-block construction, moleholes were of two-story height, with one story below ground. With the end of the war the base was closed, only to be reopened 15 July 1955 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base which was home to B-57 and B-52 . There were VIP transports (designated VC-47A/B) and there were SC-47s used as search and rescue aircraft. After extensive renovations, the "BAFB Exhibition", at the former Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base, is open for business. He served active duty March 21 1972 to March 20 1976. "Valkyrie" was known to the USAF as 58-0183, a B-52G Stratofortress. View allAll Photos Tagged Blytheville Air Force Base. Blytheville was the only two engine training base in Arkansas. In its prime, it housed over 3,000 service members, and a whole fleet of Strategic Air Command B52 BUFF Stratofortresses. Due to the high amount of asbestos flying around in the air, and the safety concerns. ", From: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm. . 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. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. The aircraft remained there until November when it was reassigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing (H) at Mather AFB, California. The 1980s saw something of a resurgence--oddly enough, mostly among Strategic Air Command units. Originally Blytheville Air Force Base, the base's official name was changed in 1988 to honor air pioneer and commander of the Mighty Eighth Air Force during World War II, Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker. 732 of the aircraft were specifically aerial tankers. (photo courtesy of Delta) On Tuesday, June 2, 2020, Delta Air Lines . Summary of H.R.859 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): To authorize references to the museum located at Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas, as the "National Cold War Center". Blytheville, Arkansas was selected as a training location due to its proximity to the Mississippi River, where supplies could easily be shipped to and from the site. School trips were to other countries LOL. The B-52G is missing its missile pylon because these were removed and destroyed as a condition of he SALT treaty launcher reduction conditions. Buildings have collapsed in that time frame. I don't have a clue who captured or created this image but this is it is an excellent computer generated image of a Pre-Vietnam War SAC Paint Scheme with a North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile. Home of 96th Bombardment Wing: 1953-1957; 11th . Was the first KC-135E conversion in 1982. The B-52 is one of the few planes I remember Dad talking about during his career at Hill Air Force Base. But it is well-worth the visit. Desert Storm was the swan song for the B-52G. Since 1955, the B52 Stratofortress has been Americas go-to long-distance strategic bomber. The B-52G was to return to the nuclear delivery role through the 1970s and 1980s, with the SRAM itself replaced by the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile, a truly precise cruise missile. As a kid in nearby Jonesboro, our cub scout pack got to visit what was then Blytheville AFB. 18 (Feb. 26, 1904). Constructed on former agricultural land, the site was originally activated as the Blytheville Army Airfield in 1942. I grew up on Army bases overseas. Ritz. The local economy tankedand unemployment skyrocketed. 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. 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.