In support of an official event 

The Museum will be closed Sunday, May 25
In addition, the Fourth Hangar will be closed Saturday, May 24

Access to the Presidential Gallery will be limited from May 15 to June 5
 

Fact Sheet Alphabetical List

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  • First 100 Missions over North Vietnam

    Capt. Eldon "Joe" Canady was an EWO (electronic warfare officer) in the first group of RB-66Cs to deploy to Southeast Asia in April 1965. These aircraft jammed enemy radar that directed anti-aircraft fire. Canady flew on the first RB-66C combat mission in Southeast Asia on May 4, 1965, and rapidly

  • Badge of Honor: 100 Missions Up North

    The "100 Mission Patch" became a symbolic mark of courage during OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER. The achievement of 100 missions in the deadly skies over North Vietnam grew into a rich tradition with its own proud customs. "Instinctively, my eyes found the patch we coveted the most...the bold,  

  • Legacy of the Southeast Asia Wild Weasels

    The Wild Weasels in Southeast Asia created an essential and lasting capability for the U.S. Air Force. Though some believed that SAMs would be "the death of the flying Air Force," the Wild Weasels provided an effective counter, paving the way and protecting strike forces over North Vietnam. The Wild

  • Wild Weasels and Linebacker Operations: The War Ends

    Operations Linebacker and Linebacker II initiated the end of the Southeast Asia War. During those offensives, U.S. airpower stopped the North Vietnamese ground offensive and B-52s vigorously bombed previously untouched targets in North Vietnam. The Wild Weasels challenged North Vietnamese defenses

  • Wild Weasel Flight Gear

    A Wild Weasel crewman wore a hard helmet and an oxygen mask with an integrated microphone. A survival vest held a first aid kit, escape map, survival kit and other items useful should he be shot down or forced to eject. Over the waist and legs is a g-suit, which fills with air during sharp turns to

  • "Something Better Than the Shrike": The First USAF AGM-78 Standard Mission

    After participating in the test program, Capts. George Acree and Frank O'Donnell flew on the first USAF AGM-78 missions over North Vietnam on March 10, 1968. Four Wild Weasel F-105s, each carrying two AGM-78s, covered a strike missions against a barracks near Hanoi. Acree and O'Donnell fired the

  • Trumping the SAMs: The F-105G and the Standard AGM-78 Missile

    In 1967 the USAF began developing the more capable F-105G with improved and standardized radar homing and warning equipment. Equally important was the introduction of the Standard AGM-78 anti-radar missile, which was a vast improvement over the Shrike missile. The AGM-78 was first employed by F-105

  • Spiritual Support: Chaplain Chris Martin

    Chaplains like Col. Chris Martin could regularly be seen on the flight line blessing the aircrews as they taxied out for takeoff. They also provided needed counseling between missions.Chaplain Martin originally served in the U.S. Air Force as a transport pilot in the 1950s. After attending divinity

  • Strike at the Doumer Bridge: Lt. Col. James McInerney and Capt. Fred Shannon

    On Aug. 11, 1967, Lt. Col. James McInerney (pilot) and Capt. Fred Shannon (EWO) led the Wild Weasel flight covering the first airstrike against the very heavily-defended Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi, North Vietnam. Hanoi was the central hub of North Vietnam's railway network, and the mile-long Paul