BLYTHEVILLE ARMY AIRFIELD 1942. 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. Thanks to Dave Howell for posting this photo of Miss Piggy and her crew. Property is disposed of, and the government cleans up after itself. Vietnam War, 1961-1975. Currently, the main tarmac is used as Blythevilles airport. Eaker Air Force Base was originally named Blytheville Army Airfield when it was built in 1942. Would love hear your stories or your thoughts. In July 1991, she was retired, and as one of the Secret Squirrel aircraft, was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum immediately. Over 1,000,000 pictures 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. Gosnell appears right center of the photo.. Today it is the headquarters for the group that runs the old base for civilian use and the aircraft are: I was promoted to Staff Sergeant after 37 months of active duty plus 5 months delayed enlistment program. In order to understand why Eaker Air Force Base closed, one has to dive into foreign, political, and socioeconomic issues of the late 1980s and early 1990s. 1942-1946, 1953-1992. 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. [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. Enter your email address to subscribe to Abandoned Arkansas and receive notifications of new posts by email. Was stationed there from 1967 to 1970 with 97th AMS, the old A&E Squadron. From an extreme case of having to be boarded up like a top secret quarantine, to simply being an old tool shed that never got used. Did you serve with BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE? - A Blytheville museum shining a light on Cold War history received funding supporting a planned primary exhibit. Like the Arc Light strikes of Vietnam, Iraqi forces on the ground could not hear or see B-52s before they struck. 2023 Getty Images. Use code: FLICKR10, International Air Tattoo 1987 - RAF Fairford. Reactivated as the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB. Granted today, the area has stayed well populated due to industrial jobs, but Blythevilles unemployment rate is four percent higher than the national average (pre-covid). On January 23rd, 2022, it was announced that the former dorms would be demolished. There were trainer versions designated TC-47 and reconnaissance versions designated RC-47. Ash. Full view. Housing for members of the military and their families was developed between 1957 and 1962 north and south . On the evening in question, Bruce was working for a local radio station, performing tests on their transmitters. Blytheville AFB became fully operational when it was equipped with a wing of three squadrons of B-57 bomber on 19 July 1955. Currently, there is a restoration program working to rebuild and reuse buildings that arent disappearing. But, right before the first man could bail, the pilot had realized they had marginal control over the aircraft. This Abandoned Air Force base is located three miles Northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. Some were torn down. Evans was from Osceola AR. Blytheville Air Force Base aka Eaker Air Force Base. My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. The Air Force packed up and left. When 58-0183 got its nose art, it was assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, but it would carry its nose art into combat during the First Gulf War as part of the 2nd BW at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. After any major war, surplus equipment and property is sold to the general public and agencies. I have been to the former base and tarmac many times in the 2010s for Sports Car Club of America events. Best years of my life. Photo Gallery. 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. For the families, GI's, and community that was Blytheville AFB I took this from the back seat of the P-51 Mustang Gunfighter. When the klaxon sounded, the aircrews scrambled to their aircraft, and got a radio code to start their engines; after the engines were running, they got another code that instructed them either to shut down, and go back to the alert facility (in which case it would be called a Coco alert), or to taxi (that would be a Bravo alert). Base Fire Station. By that time, the B-52G had already been tested in combat, with mixed results. It was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988, in honor of General Ira Eaker, an aviation pioneer and second . 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. About ten years ago a group of old 97 OMS troops made a trip to see the old place. Evans at Blytheville air show in 1980. From its days as an Army Airfield until closing in 1992 as a major Strategic Air Command facility, the Blytheville Air Force Base told many stories. Donate to our causeCheck out our books! Another part was that the men who had flown in Vietnam and chafed under the official frowning upon of nose art were now the ones in charge. The airfield was used as the Southeastern Training Command's flight training school, which closed in October 1945 after the Second World War ended. Description based on: Vol. [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. 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. Engines: Eight P&W J57-P-43WB turbojets, 13,750 lbs thrust each w/ water injection, Weight: 168,445 lbs empty; 488,000 lbs max, Speed: 636 mph max at 20,800 ft; 523 mph cruise, Range: 4,100 miles w/10,000 lb bomb load; 7,976 miles ferry, Armament: Four .5 in machine guns; payload 50,000 lbs bombs & missiles. Find Blytheville Air Force Base unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. However, some F-15E Strike Eagle units have begun painting nose art again, so reports of its demise is probably premature. On 7 July 1971 SACs last C-47 was transferred to the USS Alabama Monument Commission. My USAF service had no connection to the Thunderbirds other than Juliet and I saw this Thunderbird perform at Blytheville Air Force Base Oct 25 1972. 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). View of the southern end of the former Blytheville AFB (Eaker AFB). The top attractions to visit in Blytheville are: Historic Greyhound Bus Depot Visitor Center; The Ritz Theatre; Delta Gateway Museum; Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition; That Bookstore in Blytheville; See all attractions in Blytheville on Tripadvisor Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa: majesticholidays.com, +12423231410, +13088411818, +14132671187, +13856680111, +12815278722 Bahamas hotels, vacation tour packages by majestic holidays Though it is currently in a rough shape as an Air Force Base it doesnt have to be that way. There are some items of interest in this photo of things that didn't appear on my uniform. Dental Clinic. My Heritage. In the post-Cold War era, the U.S. Air Force decided to shut down the Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, AR. Blytheville, established as lumber mill town in the 1880s, has also served as a center for the cotton-growing industry, a Strategic Air Command (SAC) airbase and a gateway city for the Natural State. New in 1960. 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. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. The B52 Stratofortress had solved every issue the Air Force ran into with earlier bombers. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. 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 . Airwomen were tasked with testing electronics of aircraft, testing aircraft by means of flights, and ferrying aircraft. Air Base Group Headquarters. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark., this aircraft was flown to the museum in November 1978. . An exploration of the base's history and its impact on the community. 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. The first of 12 model aircrafts that were once housed at the Blytheville Air Force Base (later Eaker Air Force Base) was delivered on Wednesday to the exhibition building. This has been an ongoing project for over a year. The Cold War had come to and end. 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. No photo description available. Setting near the base is a memorial bench for Army Spc Christopher Stark killed in Afghanistan Feb 28 2011. 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. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. They also tended, in some cases, to be far more raunchy than even World War II or Korean nose art even dared--one popular one was to show a heavily pregnant Lucy Van Pelt from "Peanuts" screaming "Damn you, Charlie Brown!" Building 1225 is currently registered on the National Register Of Historic Places and is quoted as being the crown jewel of the National Cold War Center campus. Though Phase Two of the project is underway (as of February 2022), there have been no announcements of when the museum will officially open. Had many good times there. Buildings, schools, hospitals, hotels, restaurants, car . Posted to Facebook by William Travis. It is the USAFs main aerial fueling aircraft. 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". Eaker Air Force Base was located on 3,778 acres of land between the communities of Gosnell and Blytheville in Mississippi County. It was located 3 miles (5 km) northwest of central Blytheville, Arkansas. The boom is controlled by an operator lying prone under the cargo deck of the aircraft. The program was comprised of just over 1100 women. My other picture of "Valkyrie" was taken from the right side, but the other day I realized I had never posted the picture of the aircraft's nose art. At Mildenhall. 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. 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. The Blytheville Air Force Base Capehart Housing Historic District encompasses a large residential area built between 1957 and 1962 as part of a military housing program for service members stationed at the now-closed Blytheville Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas. Desert Storm was the swan song for the B-52G. Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . The hospital is also a very large (plan wise) building, so it is very possible to get lost inside the building without a map. The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. This VC-47D had been assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Glad to see the alert pad will be saved. It was retired in July 1991 and donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Arizona. ", From: www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/bomber_alert.htm. During the Korean War, when many USAF units were based in Japan and crews lived with their families, wives got to see up close the often risque nose art their husbands painted on their aircraft--and were not pleased with what they saw. Mr. Gorbachev tore down that wall. pine cone buyers in oregon, beneteau first 27 phrf rating,