On This Day in History

1951: The USAF announces the production of the first all-jet heavy bomber, the Boeing XB-52.  

1968: MEDAL OF HONOR. While flying a UH-1F helicopter, 1Lt James P. Fleming twice exposes his aircraft to intense hostile fire while rescuing a special forces reconnaissance patrol near Due Co, Vietnam, receiving the Medal

  1940: First flight of the Martin B-26 Marauder.

1974: President Gerald R. Ford and General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev sign the Strategic Arms Limitation accord. This agreement limits the deployment of strategic delivery vehicles and Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs).

  1983: The West German Parliament approves Pershing II and GLCM missile deployments in West Germany.

1952:  While leading a flight of four F-80s against enemy gun positions in Korea, Maj Charles J. Loring Jr deliberately crashes his damaged aircraft into enemy gun emplacements. For that sacrifice, he receives the Medal

1932: The national monument to Wilbur and Orville Wright is dedicated near Kitty Hawk.

1952: In MiG Alley, a 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron pilot, Capt Leonard W. Lilley, scores his fifth MiG kill to become an ace.

1964: MACKAY TROPHY/DRAGON ROUGE RESCUE MISSION. C-130s from the 464th Troop Carrier Wing on rotation to France fly the famous DRAGON ROUGE rescue mission to free hostages in the Congo. The Pope crews receive the

  2006: The Air Force Special Operations Command receives its first CV-22 Osprey at Hurlburt Field. United States Special Operations Command commander, Gen Doug Brown, flies the Osprey to the arrival ceremony at Hurlburt.