On This Day in History

  1919:    The Director of the Air Service orders the use of the national star insignia on all service planes; This order is implemented in August, and continued until World War II.

  1947:    Over New York, 101 B-29s “theoretically” drop bombs in SAC’s first Maximum Effort mission.

1975:    MAYAGUEZ INCIDENT. US military forces initiate combat actions to recover the SS Mayaguez and crew who had been seized by Khmer communist forces. This incident ends official American combat action in Southeast Asia.  

  1979:    The last ANG C-121 type aircraft, an EC-121 “Coronet Solo” operated by the 193d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (Pennsylvania), retires from service and is flown to the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center

1952: 5AF F-86s destroy 5 MiG-15s in aerial combat. In the morning 12 F-86s attack targets Sinuiju Airfield and Uiju Airfield in NW Korea. In early afternoon, Sabres hit the marshaling yards at Kunu-ri, and,

  1972:    LINEBACKER I: 8th Tactical Fighter Wing F-4s drop precision-guided munitions on the Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi, finally closing it to traffic.

  1961:    The 379th Bomb Wing at Wurtsmith AFB, MI receives SAC’s first B-52H (number 60-0001, shown here later at Barksdale AFB). It was known as Memphis Belle IV.

  1970:    MACKAY TROPHY. An AC-119K gunship attacks a heavily defended road section in SEA. Despite losing 15 feet of the aircraft’s right wing and an aileron, the crew destroys three enemy supply trucks and

  1945:    The German High Command surrenders unconditionally at Reims, effective 9 May. Air Transport Command begins Projects Green and White, for personnel and aircraft, respectively, to move c. 250,000 people and 5,900 aircraft from

2006:   The last operational C-141 Starlifter (Tail No. 66-0177) lands at Wright Field for donation to the National Museum of the USAF. The landing ends 42 years of C-141 ops in the active-duty USAF, ANG,