On This Day in History

1968: Gen Carl Spaatz (USAF retired) receives the Thomas D. White National Defense Award for 1968. The above book is published by the Air Force Historical Foundation. #Literature History

1973: The National Aeronautic Association presents the 1972 Mackay Trophy to three Vietnam aces: Captains Richard S. “Steve” Ritchie, Charles B. DeBellevue, and Jeffery S. Feinstein. #Awards

1957: The USAF accepted its first F-101A Voodoo. #New Aircraft

1975: Operation FREQUENT WIND. Through 30 April, USAF, Marine, and Navy helicopters airlift 6,000-plus people in the final evacuation of Saigon. This was the first major operation involving flights of USAF helicopters from an aircraft

1986: Through 7 May, Air Weather Service WC-130s fly air-sampling missions to track radioactive contamination from the Chernobyl reactor accident in the Soviet Union. #Reconnaissance

1995: AFSPACE declares its GPS satellites fully operational. This system provided accurate geo­graphical coordinates. #Communication #Spaceman #Guardian

1966: Using Sidewinder missiles, an F-4C crew shoots down a MiG-21 over North Vietnam, the first to be destroyed in combat. Major Paul J. Gilmore and 1Lt William T. Smith were escorting F-105 Thunderchiefs near

1967: Maj Gen Benjamin D. Foulois died at Andrews AFB at the age of 87. He was the first person to fly an Army dirigible; first military observer on a cross-country flight with Orville Wright;

1980:       33rd Air Rescue and Recovery Service Detachments at Clark AB and Kadena AB assist in the rescue of 900 passengers from the MV Don Juan that sank about 150 miles south of Manila. #Rescue

  1953: Operation LITTLE SWITCH. Through 15 May, USAF airlifts more than 150 sick and wounded former prisoners of war from Korea to Japan and from Japan to the US.  #Rescue