The National Museum of the United States Air Force is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2023. Since 1923 the Museum has grown from a small engineering study collection to the world's largest military aviation museum and is a world-renowned center for air and space power technology and culture preservation.
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The museum started off with the very early exploration of airplanes through the Wright brothers, then moved into more modern aviation. We had already visited the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, so I will not put them in here. Since the Wright Brothers' First Flight, the history of aviation has been marked by the courage and consuming desire for knowledge which have enabled mankind in a relatively few years to leave the Earth and begin the exploration of space.
1942-1945: Dedicated to the "Fames Favored Few" who served in the 92nd Bombardment Group and support units, and to those who served in the first and eleventh combat crew replacement centers, Eighth Air Force, World War II. May their dedication and sacrifice always be remembered.
With a Total Force of more than 689,000 personnel, Airmen work to support all aspects of airpower, which includes five core missions: air superiority; global strike; rapid global mobility; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and command and control. Airpower also requires people and resources dedicated to unit readiness, base infrastructure and talent management.
Balloons were the first air vehicles. The golden age of ballooning that began in the 1780s captured the public's fancy and offered thrills and amusements -- as well as an incentive and a means for further scientific investigation of the principles of flight. In September 1783, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier demonstrated a hot air balloon before King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The passengers, a sheep, a duck and a chicken, landed safely a mile and a half away after an eight minute flight to 1,400 feet, proving life could exist in the "upper air." The next month, Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier went aloft in a tethered Montgolfier balloon, becoming the first person to fly in a hot air balloon.
About the same time, J.A.C. Charles, a French physicist, experimented with using "inflammable air" -- hydrogen -- as a means of lift. In December 1783, Charles and a companion went aloft in a hydrogen-filled balloon that could fly longer and higher than the Montgolfier balloon.
There are two basic types of "lighter-than-air" vehicles -- balloons and dirigibles. Balloons are either tethered or drift with the wind, and the pilot can only control altitude. Dirigibles, often called airships, are powered vehicles that can be steered.
Military ballooning began during the American Civil War. Balloons gave the Union the ability to view enemy troops from the "high ground" during a battle. Best known of the "aeronauts" was Thaddeus S.C. Lowe. He and others made numerous observations using hydrogen-filled balloons during the first two years of the war. At one time the Union Army had seven balloons in service. Due to the lack of cooperation by the Army, Lowe resigned in May 1863, and all ballooning ceased the following month, thus depriving the Union of a useful military tool.
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| Inflating Lowe's Balloon Intrepid during the Battle of Fair Oaks, VA, in 1862 |
The Confederates also realized the value of aerial reconnaissance. It is often stated that the sole Confederate balloon was fabricated of silk from dresses donated by Southern ladies. Actually, the South had at least three balloons in service, one of cotton and two made from new bolts of silk of various colors. The South's inability to produce hydrogen in the field, along with material shortages, forced the Confederates to abandon balloon operations in 1863.
After the Civil War, the U.S. did not conduct ballooning operations again until 1892, when the U.S. Army established a balloon section within the Signal Corps. When war with Spain broke out in 1898, the Army's "air arm" consisted of one hand-sewn balloon. Despite incredible difficulties, Lt. Col. Joseph Maxfield succeeded in getting the balloon to Cuba. The balloon made several ascents with different observers, including one in preparation for the famous charge up San Juan Hill. In 1899, the U.S. Army disbanded the balloon detachment and military aeronautics faded until 1907.
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| Balloon ascension in Cuba with Lts William and Campbell in the basket |
Besides the "lighter-than-air" balloons, there is also "heavier-than-air" flight. These generally achieve flight with aerodynamic lift created by airflow over a surface (usually a wing). There were three basic types of early heavier-than-air vehicles -- kites, gliders and airplanes. Kites are unpowered, tethered craft. Gliders fly freely. Both kites and gliders are limited because they rely on the airflow provided by wind to remain aloft. Airplanes are powered air vehicles that use their own propulsion to create airflow over the wings.
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| Otto Lilienthal |
Otto Lilienthal remains the most famous of the glider experimenters. He built his first glider in 1891, and within the next five years, made more than 2,000 gliders. His experiments were publicized throughout the world, providing inspiration to others, including the Wright Brothers. Sadly, in 1896, he died in a fatal gliding accident.
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| Sir George Cayley |
Born in 1773, Sir George Cayley essentially created the science of flight. Using scientific methods and keeping detailed and careful notes, Cayley became the first to identify the basic problems of heavier-than-air flight, the first to carry out basic aerodynamic research, and the first to discover that curved surfaces produce more lift than flat ones. In addition, he discovered the importance of streamlining and developed methods to balance an aircraft in flight. Before his death in 1857, Cayley built and flew a successful model glider, followed by a full-size, man-carrying glider.
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| Octave Chanute |
Octave Chanute was already a well-known engineer when he began studying the problem of flight. His classic 1894 volume Progress in Flying Machines brought together in one book a history of humankind's attempts to fly. Chanute also applied his knowledge of bridge building to the design of gliders. Some of the gliders that Chanute designed and tested had either movable wings or tail control surfaces. All of his gliders, however, relied on the pilot's body movements for control, which limited their handling ability.
No less important to the history of aviation was Chanute's role as friend and advisor to Orville and Wilbur Wright. The Wrights used Chanute's book as a starting point to understand human knowledge of flight to that point. Also, during the Wright brothers' early experiments with gliders, Chanute offered them encouragement and advice based on his own observations.
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| Professor Langley (right) with Charles Manly |
In 1896, Samuel Pierpont Langley, astronomer and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, flew an unmanned steam-driven airplane model three-fourths of a mile. In 1898, he received a Congressional grant of $50,000 for further development of an airplane capable of carrying a person. Langley and his assistant, Charles Manly, designed and built the Aerodrome, powered by a 125-lb, 53-hp gasoline engine.
On October 7, 1903, Manly attempted to fly from the deck of a houseboat on the Potomac River, but the airplane apparently fouled some portion of the catapult mechanism and tumbled into the river. Manly tried again on December 8, and again the attempt failed. These failures, plus the cruel jeers of the newspapers and cynics, crushed Langley's spirit, and he retired. Nine days later, the Wrights successfully flew on a beach in North Carolina.
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| Langley's Aerodrome on its houseboat before launch |
Next we are going to head into World War I and the airplanes used during that war. World War I began in August 1914. In contrast to the U.S. which had fewer than a dozen military airplanes at that time, Germany, France and England had 180, 136, and 48 aircraft, respectively. These nations soon discovered the immense value of aerial reconnaissance to the enemy; thus aerial combat was born. During the first several years of the war, great strides were made in airplane design and performance, in the development of gunnery and bombing equipment, and in aerial combat tactics and techniques. The airplane became a true weapon of destruction over the battlefields of Europe.
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| Standard J-1 |
The Standard Aircraft J-1 was a two-seat primary trainer used by the U.S. Army Air Service.
British two-seater pusher with swivel machine gun in front for use by the observer. This airplane was shot down and captured by the Germans; the victorious German pilot, Lt. Heinrich Gontermann, is standing in the rear cockpit.
"The United States must be neutral in fact, as well as in name, during these days that try men's souls." ~~ President Woodrow Wilson appeals to Americans on the outbreak of World War I (August 19, 1914)
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| The L-30 in 1916, typical of the Zeppelins which raided England during WWI |
Strategic bombing had its beginning during WWI when German Zeppelins began raiding London. Small attacks against England were carried out early in the war, but by October 1915, "squadron-size" raids by numerous Zeppelins had begun, always at night and in the dark of the moon.
Early in September 1916, a British fighter shot down an airship in flames, and three weeks later, two Zeppelins attempting to attack London were also destroyed. Although Zeppelin performance was gradually improved, so were British defenses and heavy losses continued. After a disastrous raid on August 5, 1918, the Germans practically discontinued Zeppelin warfare.
There were 159 Zeppelin attacks against England in WWI, resulting in the death of 557 people, primarily civilians, and damages of $7,500,000.
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| Eugene Jacques Bullard |
So why is Mr. Bullard featured in the museum -- what was his contribution to World War I? Eugene Jacques Bullard was the first Black Military Aviator. The insignia on his right chest is his student pilot insignia, and the Croix de Guerre with Star he received for valor during the Battle of Verdum on his left. Just visible over the Croix de Guerre on the left are unofficial wings worn by many French pilots.
In August of 1917 Bullard became the first Black military pilot and one of only a few Black pilots in Worth War I. Born in Columbus, Georgia, on October 9, 1894, Bullard left home at the age of 11 to travel the world, and by 1913, he had settled in France as a prizefighter. When World War I started in 1914, he enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and rose to the rank of corporal. For his bravery as an infantryman in combat, Bullard received the Croix de Guerre and other decorations.
During the Battle of Verdun in 1916, Bullard was seriously wounded. While recuperating, he accepted an offer to join the French air force as a gunner/ observer, but when he reported to gunnery school, he obtained permission to become a pilot. After completing flight training, Bullard joined the approximately 200 other Americans who flew in the Lafayette Flying Corps, and he few combat missions from August 27 to November 11, 1917. He distinguished himself in aerial combat, as he had on the ground, and was officially credited with shooting down one German aircraft. Unfortunately, Bullard, an enlisted pilot, got into a disagreement with a French officer, which led to his removal from the French air force. He returned to his infantry regiment, and he performed non-combatant duties for the remainder of the war.
After the war, Bullard remained in France as an expatriate. When the Germans invaded France in May 1940, the 46-year-old Bullard rejoined the French army. Again seriously wounded by an exploding shell, he escaped the Germans and made his way to the United States. For the rest of World War II, despite his lingering injuries, he worked as a longshoreman in New York and supported the war effort by participating in war bond drives.
Bullard stayed in New York after the war and lived in relative obscurity, but to the French, he remained a hero. In 1954, he was one of the veterans chosen to light the "Everlasting Flame" at the French Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, and in 1959, the French honored him with the Knight of the Legion of Honor.
On October 13, 1961, Bullard died and was buried with full military honors in his legionnaire's uniform in the cemetery of the Federation of French War Veterans in Flushing, New York. On September 14, 1994, the secretary of the Air Force posthumously appointed him a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.
When the U.S. entered into World War I, it had no military air arm capable of fighting an enemy. It did have, however, an untapped pool of men and materials to which England and France, bled almost dry after years of war, looked hopefully. France proposed that an American "flying corps" of 4,500 planes, 5,000 pilots, and 50,000 mechanics be readied for the front in 1918. In response, the U.S. enthusiastically established an unrealistic goal of 22, 625 airplanes, spare parts for another 17,600 airplanes, and 44,000 engines. Although Congress appropriated $640 million for aeronautics and production of training airplanes was accelerated, the U.S. eventually had to purchase from England and France most of its combat aircraft for use on the Front.
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| Thomas-Morse S4C Scout Model |
How planes were built 100 years ago. This model of a Thomas-Morse S4C Scout Training Plane is a faithful 1:5 scale reproduction of the real aircraft. It shows how airplanes were built in World War I using wood frames and metal fittings.
Early aircraft like the Scout were carefully hand-built. They had to be light, yet strong, since their engines were not very powerful. Spruce wood was the ideal building material for airframe structures, and builders selected the best wood, without knots or other defects. Metal parts in airplanes included the engine and various fittings. These were mainly steel, aluminum, tin, brass and bronze. Since wood changes shape with temperature and humidity, airplanes had adjustable wires to keep the wings and other components in the right shape. Making sure the aircraft was well adjusted was often called "trueing up" or "tuning" the plane -- something like tuning a piano or guitar.
Unbleached, finely woven linen stitched to wood frames formed airplanes' fabric coverings. Builders brushed on liquid cellulose called "dope" to tighten the linen and give it a smooth, glossy, weather-resistant finish. Dope also prevented air from "seeping" through the fabric. Doped fabric weighs about a pound for each ten square feet.
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| Sopwith F.1 Camel |
The British Sopwith Camel shot down more enemy aircraft than any other Allied World War I fighter. It had amazing maneuverability and was difficult to defeat in a dogfight. It was a dangerous aircraft to fly and over 380 men died training to fly the aircraft, nearly as many who died while operating it in combat.
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| Kettering Aerial Torpedo "Bug" |
In 1917, Charles F. Kettering of Dayton, Ohio, invented the unmanned Kettering Aerial Torpedo, nicknamed the "Bug." Launched from a four-wheeled dolly that ran down a portable track, the Bug's system of internal pre-set pneumatic and electrical controls stabilized and guided it toward a target. After a predetermined length of time, a control closed an electrical circuit, which shut off the engine. Then, the wings were released, causing the Bug to plunge to earth -- where its 180 pounds of explosive detonated on impact.
World War I was known as "The War to End Wars." Most Americans believed the slogan and from across the land came the call "Bring the Boys Home." U.S. troops were returned to the States as rapidly as possible, but a small number remained in Europe for occupation duty in Germany on the west bank of the Rhine, plus a small bridgehead area east of the Rhine 18 miles deep. Included were some Air Force aero squadrons and balloon companies, primarily in the areas of Trier and Koblenz.
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| Caproni CA.36 |
During World War I, Italian aeronautical engineer Gianni Caproni developed a series of multi-engined heavy bombers that played a key role in the Allied strategic bombing campaign.
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| Spokane Spokesman-Review Free-For-All Trophy |
Army Air Corps pilot Lt. Eugene C. Batten received the Spokane Spokesman-Review Trophy for winning the "Free-For-All Military Pursuit Ship Race" at the 1927 National Air Races sponsored by the city of Spokane, Washington. This race consisted of ten laps around a 12-mile course, and it was called a "free-for-all" because all the competing Army, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots took off at the same time. Lt. Batten's aircraft, a Curtiss XP-6A Hawk, had been built by the Experimental Section at Wright Field, Ohio, by adding a 700hp Curtiss V-1750 Conqueror engine and wings fitted with radiators to a standard P-6 fuselage.
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| Kellet K-2/K-3 Autogiro |
Before World War II, aeronautical engineers sought to build an aircraft capable of making short takeoffs and landings. Eventually, their efforts produced the helicopter, but they also pursued a less common design -- the autogiro. Like helicopters, autogiros used a rotary wing to produce lift. However, unlike helicopters, the engine did not power the autogiro's rotor. Instead, aerodynamic forces made the autogiro rotor spin, while the engine propelled the aircraft.
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| Gordon Bennett Balloon Trophy |
Donated by the Aero Club of Belgium, and awarded to the U.S. in 1928 for winning it for the third successive year when Capt. William E. Kepner and Lt. William O. Eareckson flew 460.9 miles in a free balloon from Detroit, Michigan. The first Gordon Bennett Balloon Trophy race was won in 1906 by two Americans when they flew 402 miles in a free balloon from Paris, France. The first trophy, permanently awarded to Belgium in 1924, was donated in 1906 by James Gordon Bennett, an American newspaper publisher.
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| Curtiss P-40E Warhawk |
Brigadier General Claire Chennault led the famed "Flying Tigers" and the U.S. 14th Air Force against the Japanese in China and Burma during World War II. Chennault was also highlighted when we visited the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia, so I am not going to put more information here. If you are interested in reading more about Chennault and the Flying Tigers, please visit my blog on the Museum of Aviation.
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| Nancy Harkness Love, founder of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron |
Proud WASPs following their graduation from B-17 school of Lockbourne Army Air Field in 1944. As early as 1930, the War Department had considered using women pilots but the chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps had called the idea "utterly unfeasible," stating that women were too "high strung." Famed woman aviator Jacqueline Cochran in 1939 wrote to Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt to suggest women pilots could be used in a national emergency. Nancy Harkness Love in 1940 made a similar proposal to the Air Corps' Ferry Command. Nothing was done until after American entry into World War II.
Facing the need for male combat pilots, the situation by mid-1942 favored the use of experienced women pilots to fly U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) aircraft within the United States. Two women's aviator units were formed to ease this need and more than 1,000 women participated in these programs as civilians attached to the USAAF. These were merged into a single group, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program in August 1943, and broke ground for U.S. Air Force female pilots who would follow their footsteps.
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| Jacqueline Cochran receiving the Distinguished Service Medal in December 1945 |
Pioneer Aviator Jacqueline Cochran led the way forward for women in aviation. Having initially started her aviation adventures in order to advance her cosmetics business, she became instrumental for women ready to defy the social norms of the early 20th century. Her efforts broke barriers that had prevented women from participating in military aviation careers.
WASPs had the privileges of officers, but they were never formally adopted into the USAAF, even though they had been led to believe this would happen. They remained civil service employees without injury or death benefits. In 1944, bills in Congress to militarize the WASPs met strong opposition from some individuals, including famed columnist Drew Pearson, who failed like other attempts. Due to political pressures and the increasing availability of male pilots, the WASPs were disbanded effective on December 20, 1944, with no benefits. The exploits of these dedicated women were largely ignored by our government for more than 30 years. However, in November 1977, President Carter signed a bill granting WWII Veterans' status for former WASPs.
The WASP pilots were an important element in the movement of women into war work to free men for combat and other duties. Gen. H.H. Arnold, speaking before the last WASP graduating class in Sweetwater, Texas on December 7, 1944, paid tribute to them in this manner:
"You ... have shown that you can fly wingtip to wingtip with your brothers. If ever there was a doubt in anyone's mind that women could become skilled pilots, the WASPs dispelled that doubt. I want to stress how valuable I believe the whole WASP program has been for this country."
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| Look who snuck in here 😁 |
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| Legacy of Equality -- the Tuskegee Airmen |
The Tuskegee Airman proved themselves equal to white fliers and support troops, but black Airmen remained segregated after the war. However, they had made it obvious to many leaders, President Harry S. Truman in particular, that segregation in the military was morally wrong, inefficient, and should be ended. Stating that the "highest standards of democracy" were essential in the armed services, President Truman's Executive Order 9981, of July 26, 1948, directed that "... there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin."
When the U.S. Air Force became a separate service in 1947, it benefited directly from the experience of the Tuskegee Airmen. The USAF was the first service to erase the color line, thanks largely to the pioneering efforts and courageous legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. In April 2006, the U.S. Congress voted to award the Tuskegee Airmen a Congressional Gold Medal, the most prestigious award Congress can give to civilians.
The Memphis Belle and its crew became timeless symbols of the service and sacrifice of the heavy bomber crews and support personnel who helped defeat Nazi Germany. This famed aircraft was the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to return to the United States after completing 25 missions over Europe.
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| Margaret with Morgan in front of the Memphis Belle |
The Memphis Belle was named in honor of Robert Morgan's fiancee Margaret Polk, of Memphis, Tennessee, whom he met before leaving for England. Their love story was well-publicized, but their engagement ended during the war bond tour.
After the bond tour, the Memphis Belle went to McDill Army Air Field, Florida, to be used for training. At war's end, it was stored at Altus Army Airfield, Oklahoma, with other surplus bombers awaiting scrapping. In 1946, the city of Memphis, Tennessee acquired the aircraft and displayed it outdoors at a National Guard Armory. In 1977, after decades of deterioration from weather and vandalism, the Memphis Belle was moved to a local airport for restoration and placed on loan by the U.S. Air Force to the newly-formed Memphis Belle Memorial Association. The Memphis Belle eventually made its way to the National Museum of the United Air Force on May 17, 2018, 75 years to the day after the crew's 25th mission.
The Memphis Belle was not the first USAAF heavy bomber to finish 25 missions -- it was the first to complete 25 missions over Europe and return to the U.S. A small number of heavy bombers finished their 25th missions before the Memphis Belle, including:
Hot Stuff, a B-24. In February 1943, Hot Stuff became the first Eighth Air Force heavy bombers to complete 25 missions. It flew about half of its approximately 30 combat missions over Europe, with the remainder being strikes in Africa and patrol missions over the Mediterranean.
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| Hell's Angels |
Hell's Angels, a B-17F. On May 13, 1943, the Hell's Angels became the first heavy bomber to complete 25 missions over Europe, four days before the Memphis Belle's crew. After flying 48 combat missions, it returned to the U.S. for a war bond tour, but not until 1944.
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| Hot Stuff |
Suzy-Q, a B-17E. It was the first USAAF heavy bomber to complete 25 missions and return to the United States. It flew combat missions early in the war in the Pacific from February-October 1942, when it returned to the U.S. for a war bond tour.
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| Suzy-Q |
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| Memphis Belle Crew |
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| 88mm Flak 36 Cannon |
The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany's main heavy antiaircraft -- or flak -- gun during World War II. When an 88mm projectile exploded at altitude, it sent out jagged metal fragments that tore through nearby aircraft. It also left a characteristic black cloud hanging in the sky. The term "flak" came from the German word for antiaircraft -- FLugABwehrKanone (aircraft defense cannon). The word flak was widely used by both German and Allied personnel.
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| Glenn Miller |
The Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band ~~ In 1942, the famed band leader and trombonist Glenn Miller volunteered for service in the Army Air Forces. Miller organized some of the most talented dance musicians of the era into what became known as the "Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band." In 1944, the band transferred to the UK to boost morale for homesick military personnel. While there, the band made more than 350 appearances, which were eagerly attended by 1,250,000 service members, and more than 500 radio broadcasts.
On December 15, 1944, Miller took off on a flight to Paris in a UC-64 to make arrangements to move the band to France. For unknown reasons, the aircraft crashed somewhere in the English Channel. Although Miller was lost, his band continued touring until the end of 1945.
(I wonder if they continued to make records after the war? I remember my mother playing the Glenn Miller band on the phonograph. They were really good, and even I enjoyed them.)
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| Invasion Stripes |
To aid in recognition and prevent casualties from friendly fire, Allied aircraft were hastily painted with black and white "invasion stripes" on the night of June 5-6, 1944.
"D-Day" was the general Allied code word to describe the first day of an operation, but became known as the most famous "D-Day" -- June 6, 1944. The landing itself was code-named Operation Neptune, while the overall Normandy campaign was code named Operation Overlord.
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| Martin B-26G Marauder |
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| Bockscar B-29 Superfortress |
This is a very famous plane which we learned about when we toured the K-25 History Museum in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Bockscar is the plane that dropped the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, three days after the atomic attack on Hiroshima.
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| Little Boy Atomic Bomb |
The Little Boy was the first nuclear weapon used in warfare. This was the bomb that the Enola Gay dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The result of the Manhattan Project (see K-25 History Museum), which began in June 1942, focused on developing an atomic bomb capable of ending World War II.
Prologue to the Mission: By August 1945, U.S. Navy submarines and aerial mining by the Army Air Forces (AAF) severely restricted Japanese shipping. The AAF controlled the skies over Japan and the AAF's B-29 bombing attacks crippled its war industry. A plan for the invasion of Japan had been drawn up; Operation Olympic was scheduled for November 1945. Estimates of Allied casualties ranged from 250,000 to a million with much greater losses to the Japanese. To repel invaders, Japan had a veteran army of such two million ready, an army that had already shown its ferocity and fanaticism in combat. Some 8,000 military aircraft were available that could be used for devastating Kamikaze attacks on U.S. ships. The draft had been extended to include men from age 15 to 60 and women from 17 to 45, adding millions of civilians ready to defend their homeland to the death, with sharpened sticks if necessary.
Experience throughout the Pacific war had shown that Japanese combat casualties had run from five to 20 times those suffered by the Allies, particularly in the battles of the Philippines and Okinawa. Whatever the predicted Allied losses, the potential Japanese military and civilian casualties would have been staggering. Whether Japan would have surrendered prior to an invasion without the use of the atomic bombs is a question that can never be answered. Using the history and projections available to him, President Truman made the grave decision to use the atomic bomb in an effort to end the war quickly, thus avoiding a costly invasion.
The Mission: The world entered a new era when on August 6, 1945, the crew of the B-29 Enola Gay released an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The devastation caused by the bomb brought no response to the demand for unconditional surrender, and conventional bombing raids continued. On August 9, B-29 Bockscar took off before dawn from the island of Tinian with a second atomic bomb. The primary target was the city of Kokura, but clouds obscured it. With fuel running low due to a fuel transfer problem, it proceeded on to a second target, Nagasaki, a leading industrial center. There was enough fuel for only one bombing run, and a last minute break in the clouds allowed the bombardier to bomb visually as specified by the field order. When the bomb was detonated at 11am Nagasaki time, it felt as though Bockscar was "being beaten with a telephone pole," said a crew member.
The Aftermath of the Invasion: Even after the second atomic bomb attack, disagreement raged within the Japanese government between the peace advocates and those who urged continued resistance. An attempted coup by militant extremists failed and on August 14 Japan surrendered unconditionally. In a break with tradition, Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender in a recorded radio message. Japan accepted the terms of the July 26th Potsdam Declaration calling for an unconditional surrender, terms which the Japanese had rejected previously. This was the first time the Japanese people had ever heard their emperor's voice, and some Japanese officers committed suicide upon hearing the message. On August 28th, U.S. aircraft began landing the first occupation forces at Tokyo. B-29s were now flying relief missions, dropping food, medicine, and other supplies to U.S. and Allied prisoners at some 150 Japanese prisoner of war camps.
Americans generally felt no moral dilemma over the dropping of the atomic bombs. The surrender ended more than a decade of Japanese aggression in Asia and the Pacific. After 3-1/2 years of brutal warfare following Pearl Harbor, Americans anxiously awaited the homecoming of our surviving service personnel and a return to peacetime normalcy. To an American POW working in a coal mine near Nagasaki when the atomic bomb detonated, the bomb meant survival. He weighed only 98 pounds after 40 months of captivity.
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| Japanese representatives aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay to participate in formal surrender ceremonies (Sept. 2, 1945) |
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| Northrop P-61C Black Widow |
The heavily armed Black Widow was the U.S.'s first aircraft specifically designed as a night-fighter. It carried radar equipment in its nose that enabled its crew to locate an enemy aircraft in total darkness and fly into proper position to attack.
We Fly the President: Providing fast, safe and reliable air transportation for the President of the United States in an important U.S. Air Force mission. The President's ability to travel all over the world at short notice is critical to projecting America's diplomatic, military and economic power. The 89th Airlift Wing stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland is responsible for providing airlift for the President, senior executive staff, high-ranking government officials, and foreign dignitaries. Their unique mission is referred to as "SAM FOX." It is derived from the initials of Special Air Missions (SAM) and the phonetic word "Fox," for the letter "F" in foreign. Their motto is Experto Crede or "Trust One Who Has Experience."
Flying on Air Force One: Many Americans have flown on commercial airlines. They serve a snack, a meal, and supply magazines for reading. Airlines provide many basic amenities to make flying safe, convenient and enjoyable. The same is true when flying on Air Force One. However, flying aboard the aircraft is a different experience due to the strict security levels necessary to fly the Commander in Chief. To make the President's frequent air travel more comfortable, ordinary items aboard the aircraft like china, glassware, and stationery are custom-designed for the President, his staff, and guests. Over time, simple things like cigarettes, matches, candy and playing cards have become popular souvenirs. Travel on Air Force One is a prestigious and unforgettable experience.
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| Lockheed VC-140B Jetstar |
In 1961, the U.S. Air Force acquired six Jetstars to transport the President, high-ranking government officials, and other heads of state. The Jetstar is the military version of of the famous Lockheed Model 1329 business jet, the first business jet produced for the civilian market. The Jetstar provided fast and economical travel for several U.S. Presidents. Whenever the president was aboard, it flew under the radio call sign Air Force One. Lyndon B. Johnson used Jetstars extensively during his time both as vice president and as president, and because of the aircraft's small size, he sometimes referred to it as "Air Force One Half." This aircraft carried Presidents Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, James E. Carter, and Ronald W. Reagan a number of times, although it never served as the primary presidential aircraft.
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| Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000 |
This Boeing was the first jet aircraft built specifically for use by the President of the United States. During its 36-year flying career, it carried eight sitting presidents and countless heads of state, diplomats, dignitaries, and officials on many historic journeys known as Special Air Missions (SAM). Whenever the president was on board, the call sign changed to "Air Force One," a special designation established in 1953 to avoid confusion with other aircraft in flight.
At the request of President John F. Kennedy, a new paint scheme was developed by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and famous industrial designer, Raymond Loewy. In addition to the vibrant blue and white colors, the words "United States of America" were emblazoned in tall letters along the fuselage and an American flag was placed on the tail. These distinctive markings reflect the stature of the Office of the President and serve as a highly visible symbol of American prestige.
The SAM 26000 bears an intimate connection to one of the nation's greatest tragedies, a moment that forever altered the course of American history. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated while traveling in a motorcade through downtown Dallas, Texas. Hours later, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the new president aboard SAM 26000. The aircraft then carried Kennedy's body and President Johnson back to Washington, DC and a grieving nation.
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| President Johnson sworn in as President |
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| Lady Bird Special |
The VC-6A was primarily used to transport President Johnson and his family between Bergstrom AFB, Texas and the Lyndon Ranch near Stonewall, Texas. Owing to these frequent flights, the aircraft became informally known as the "Lady Bird Special," a play on the childhood nickname "Lady Bird" of First Lady Claudia Johnson.
As we were leaving the museum they had some pictures and information from the Holocaust:
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| Daytonian Bernice Muler's family before the Holocaust. Bernice is the child in the upper right |
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| Daytonian Henry Steeber's mother's family. His mother is the woman on the right. She and her mother died in different concentration camps |
The terror begins: Hitler came to power in January 1933, promising to remove Jewish influence from German life. In April 1933, Germans burned Jewish books and forced most Jewish government employees and professionals to leave their jobs. Jewish life was further restricted in September 1935 with the passage of the Nuremberg Laws. The laws identified Jews by the religion of their grandparents. Some people who practiced Christianity discovered they were now classified as Jews and had lost all rights of citizenship. Hitler also decided to "improve the
purity of the Aryan race" by killing German children and adults who had physical or mental handicaps.
After 1937, Jewish children were not allowed to go to school, swim in public pools, or even play on public playgrounds. Germans forced Jews out of their businesses and required them to wear a yellow star as identification. As things got worse, many left Germany but others stayed behind hoping things would get better. Some who wanted to leave could not obtain entry into other countries.
The Nazis found an excuse to organize large scale violence against the Jewish people when a Jewish teenager shot a German diplomat in Paris. German authorities immediately instigated mob violence on November 9th and 10th, 1938.
Thousands of Jewish businesses were destroyed and synagogues burned. So many store windows were smashed, and homes ransacked that this night became known as Kristallnacht, or Night of the Broken Glass. Many Jews were beaten and at least 91 killed, and authorities sent over 30,000 Jewish men between the ages of 16 and 60 to concentration camps.
After German invaded Poland in 1939, they forced Polish Jews out of their homes and into closed-off neighborhoods called ghettos. Many families had to leave everything behind. They could bring only what they could carry. Food was scarce and the ghettos were very crowded.
In many ghettos, the Germans forced the Jews to work making supplies and munitions for the German army. Many Jews were worked to death. Others died of starvation or were shot trying to escape. Jews were rounded up and sent to death camps regularly.
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| Mannheim synagogue after Kristallnacht |
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| Bob Kahn at age 15 in front of his home in Mannheim, Germany |
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| German soldier standing outside a Jewish store to keep Germans from making purchases there |
In June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Following the army were special mobile killing units known as Einsatzgruppen. They rounded up Jews and murdered them. More than one million Jews and millions of Soviet Union citizens were killed. In January 1942, Nazi leaders decided to kill all Jews living in the areas occupied by the German army. This project, which became a national priority for the Germans, was known as the "Final Solution to the Jewish Problem." Within a few months the Germans began to empty the ghettos and force the Jews into crowded boxcars. They were then transported without food or water to death camps. Many died during the trip. When the trains arrived, a selection occurred: camp guards killed women, children and the aged with poison gas. Only the able bodied young remained alive to work as slave laborers. The Germans forced them to carry their bodies and sort out their belongings. When they were no longer needed, these men and women were also killed.
In addition to Jews, Nazis sent other people to concentration and slave labor camps. Among these were political prisoners, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and ethic minorities like Gypsies and persons of color. Many people were killed because they did not work hard enough. Others were tortured and killed for no reason other than racial hatred.
Some Jews fought back. They joined partisan units that lived in the forests and attacked Germans. Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto rebelled and fought until the Germans finally burned down the ghetto. In the Treblinka death camp, the Jews rioted and several hundred escaped. At Auschwitz, a Jewish group attacked the guards and destroyed some crematory ovens.
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| Soldiers searching a Jewish man in the ghetto |
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| Jews being deported from burning ghetto |
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| Barbed wire fence from around a concentration camp |
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| Death camp shortly after liberation. |
By May 1945, Nazi German had collapsed. American and Soviet troops liberated the camps and were shocked at the conditions they found. They were sickened by the sight of thousands of dead bodies stacked on top of each other. Most of the survivors resembled living skeletons. Even after they were freed, the Jews had problems. Most survivors had no homes to return to and so they immigrated to places like the United States, where they could start a new life.
The word Holocaust means destruction by fire. It is a reminder that many books, synagogues, and people were consumed by fire as the Nazi leaders killed six million Jews and millions of others in their efforts to achieve racial purity.
Today the survivors, their children and their grandchildren, are scattered among many nations. They are your neighbors, and they stand witness to what happens when racial and religious prejudice is encouraged by people who offer simple answers based on lies and hate. It is our obligation to the millions of persons who died in this great human Holocaust to see that this does not happen again.
What is happening in our world today? It's May of 2023, and we are in the midst of one of the worst planned pandemics that the Deep State has organized to kill off part of the world's population. Don't believe me? Well, just read my Blog post "Are You Awake Yet" and find out for yourself what the Deep State is trying to do to us. It's good versus evil. Freedom or Tyranny -- what do you choose?
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| American soldiers loading sick camp survivors into an ambulance |
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| Bernice Muler and her son on a ship on the way to a new home in Dayton. Leon was born in a displaced person's camp in Germany after liberation |
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