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Show Hill Top Times-Speci- Souvenir Edition - USAF 25th Anniversary al i B Page Sepl pvjILVER ANNIVERSARY! V3 Vx L U Mr Force nn f Inn Carl A. Spaatz a" the first Chief of States Air Force, on UNITED STATES AIR FORCE . SCin United &fended an association with endured for US. Army that had I years. And thus began a new era I which airpower became firmly Btablishedasthenation'sfirsthne for defense and its chief hope ideterring war. Air Force of 1947 was of approximately comprised ... - uroo v,M-r onninnpn .itc l- peopic, woj World War II 300 001) predominantly with n propeller-drive- aircraft, and L.occon"- a severely limited uvasercombat capability in the aftermath demobilization that of the rapid uay. V-- J followed the outlines of the cold had become discernible to By 1947 war leaders, and they to tne wmmunibi American responded with a dvnamic Dolicv- of j and military aid to other oiionop UIUMVIIQW economic nations. The of aid to threatened by aggression Truman Doctrine countries the Marshall economic miintriAc aid to the and Plan for war-ravag- ed tran- nf F!nrnrw wer slated into action during 1947 and helped greatly to turn back the tide of Communist expansion. these measures could be applied successfully against the bitter opposition of the Communist bloc only because of the implicit But that American taming power The military stood behind them. Truman Doctrine initiated a PRIDE IN THE PAST - FAITH IN THE FUTURE the arctic Because to offer region control. They overlooked two vital factors -Allied airpower and determination. Anglo-America- n airlift delivered some 2.3 million tons of food, fuel, and to the beleaguered program supplies Berliners. On a single day, in April military foreign air tich eventually included a large number of countries throughout the world and deal required a 1949, 1,398 Allied flights delivered more than 12,940 tons of supplies. great of defeated, the manpower and resources from Their purpose their blockade Communists lifted fee U.S. military Services. The 1949. on 12, May continuing Russian threat to The next crisis to test the Air Force and the Nation was Korea. For the Air Force, Korea was a turning point. It found the Air Force, like the and other Services, as a result of five successive limited budgets. Much experience and talent came back via the Air National Guard and estern Europe, driven home by Reserves during the Korean w blockade of Berlin, The Air Force budget for spelled the members of the buildup. rose to $15.9 fiscal year 1951 Jkntic Community to form the billion and the next year to $22.3 Atlantic year-lon- g Treaty billion. uipmzation (NATO) in April 1949. leading member of NATO, wlmted States undertook to do in J share a large one lending western This Europe. wpnred the dispatch of additional encan forces, including strong tactical air units, to Europe, were in - - st'oned ! H0theNATO entries t,Jr. and Germany. - hST aggression in 'bL required lhe Korea and America cc Japan. flcdefense fUmed of vila North im- - to Caiild lheirand abiIity "ydrogen 10 long-rang- e bombers. 1 V it V modernization of SAC continued at a steady pace to a peak strength of about 1,900 bombers, reducing in number during the 1960s as the 1CBM force built up to its present strength of 1,054 missiles. Concurrently, strategic defenses received a badly needed transfusion as the Soviet bomber force grew in size, range, and nuclear ordnance. New interceptors were brought into the inventory - the 2 in 1956, and the and between 1958 and 1960. ItlOuWOOriHfiDPM WiMt JT 11 mflm, ttte vut row mm a ! nil ss : '. 4, Korea confirmed the tactical air warfare lessons of World War II and demonstrated that strategic Radar coverage was vastly expanded with the Pinetree and Lines, and the DEW (distant early warning) Line, completed in 1957, the same year Mid-Cana- that North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), the joint defense command, was established. The years after Korea did not see an abatement of crises. There were lhe Suez and Hungarian affairs in 1956, and Lebanon and Taiwan in 1958. These latter two tested the U.S.-Canadi- Air Force's limited-wa- r capabilities and found deficiencies in mobility, airlift, and bare-bas- e operating ability. A reorientation of priorities from strategic forces to general-purpos- e and airlift forces began in 1961. New missiles in the Sixties The Communists ushered in the 1960s by unveiling their new missiles and pressing hard with their new strategic prowess. The full extent and seriousness of the psychological warfare they were pursuing reached its climax in the of 1962 during the Cuban fall crisis. In the ensuing crisis, the Air Force flew some 85,000 hours in supporting U.S. demands that resulted in a U.S.S.R. declaration that all Soviet offensive missiles had been removed from the island. Since 1961 the story of the Air Force revolves principally around Vietnam. As part of the free world military team in Vietnam, our goals are twofold: (1) To support the Republic of Vietnam in its fight against Communist aggression, and (2) To assist in the development of a country which is dedicated to the concept of freedom and independence. Seldom has the U.S. Air Force or tactical airpower ever been confronted with a greater challenge. Although engaged in a type of war in which its has never previously participated, the Air Force was able to meet the challenge because of the flexibility of airpower. Through innovation, the Air Force had adapted weapon systems to meet the demands of counterinsurgency, close air support of mobile ground forces, tactical all other and even has requirements. Airpower denied the enemy the shelter of darkness and bad weather. The Air Force is a fighting organization. It has placed its military heritage on the walls of time. But all of its achievements have not been in fighting this country's enemies. The Air Force has served equally well during peacetime. Its numerous resources have always been available in man's natural enemies. fight against Humanitarian and civic action ZFTiRm HWORBD f. A. con- - fl ff H x' F-!i- responds months, the 1 The 1950's placed heavy reliance on airpower as the principal deterrent in a strategy of massive retaliation. The expansion and 6 15 fi Expansion; modernization F-10- 1, One of the first international crises that the young Air Force responded to was the Berlin Airlift. On June 22, 1948, Berlin became an islolated city. The Russians had cut off all surface transportation in the hope of forcing the American, British, and French occupation garrisons to abandon the city to In I ap- the most likely Firsf crisis: Berlin Airlift; Communist i' 10-to- -l peared routes for attack against the United States, the Air Force advanced its defense outposts as far to the north as possible. The Strategic Air Command also reached out to overseas areas for advanced airfields from which its bombers could strike more quickly against any aggressor. Huge new bases in the United Kingdom, North Africa, and Spain greatly .idded to SAC's bombardment capability. USAF u Li Li U U airpower could confine hostilities to Korea at a time when NATO defenses were too weak to have withstood a Soviet attack. For the first time in aerial warfare, jet fighters locked in combat. MIG Alley became a household word, and the USAF's margin of victory over enemy fighters a legend. 1947 1947, Chief Justice T?rLnn administered the Sfnf office to the first Secretary Force, W. Stuart ,h i4J U i efforts have become regular duty for its flying forces. The Air Force has become a benefactor known around the world for its peacetime role of aiding victims of fire, flood, Tannine, and other disasters. Disaster relief, mercy missions, Air Force role Air Force flood and disaster relief missions and contributions to the welfare of people ir many lands have multiplied with time. The Air Force was in Spain during he floods of 1962; in the Congo with ,aradrops which saved many threatened lives ; brought aid to earthquake-stricke- n Chile and more recently, Peru; and was in Mississippi after Hurricane (!amille left her path of death in 1969. The Air Force has been involved civic and domestic actions whenever the need has arisen. In the past quarter century the U.S. Air Force has evolved into a in modern and powerful aerospace force. It is today one of the primary elements in protecting America's security. In operations around the world and around the clock, more than a million airmen and civilians are on duty flying, maintaining, and supporting jet aircraft and missile combat forces as well as the complex communications, electronic, and technical facilities operated by the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force also provides the major space research and development support for the Department of Defense and assists the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in conducting our Nation's space program. The history and achievements of the past have led to ongoing efforts to preserve the peace and security of the United States and to support national policies and |