On This Day in History

1954:    USAF creates a Western Development Division under Brig Gen Bernard A. Schriever to accelerate the Atlas ICBM program.

1941:    The United States Army Air Forces are formed. This leads to, as World War II progresses, a largely autonomous force.

1962:    FIRST GENERAL WHITE SPACE TROPHY. Secretary of the Air Force Eugene M. Zuckert presents the first Gen Thomas D. White Space Trophy to Astronaut Capt Virgil I. Grissom.

1965:    The 1st Air Commando Squadron, 34th Tactical Group, Bien Hoa AB receives the Presidential Unit Citation. This is the first USAF unit so honored since the Korean War.

1970:   A C-130 flies the final Blind Bat flare mission over the Barrel Roll area of Laos, then returns to Naha AB, Japan.

1975:   Congress rejects a 1974 DoD proposal to inactivate New York’s 102 Fighter Interceptor Squadron and several other Air Guard outfits. Instead, the ANG re-designates the squadron as the 102nd Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron

1968:   A Titan IIIC places 8 Initial Defense Communication Satellite Program (IDCSP) satellites into orbit to extend the system’s life span.

1970:   A USAF K-30 reconnaissance camera is retired to the Air Force Museum after 20+ years in service. The camera measured 3′ x 4 1/2′ x 5′, weighed 665 pounds and used a 100-inch focal

2007:   ROBERT J. COLLIER TROPHY. The National Aeronautic Association presents its annual trophy to the Lockheed Martin Corporation and the USAF for developing the F-22 Raptor. The award submission focused heavily on the F-22’s performance

1966: XB-70 collides with F-104N chase plane; F-104 pilot Joe Walker dies, along with the XB-70 copilot Maj Carl Cross.