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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  • Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard Explained

    The Air Force Reserve (AFRES) is a federal reserve component of the U.S. Air Force. The Air National Guard (ANG) is the air militia component of the National Guard of each state or territory (with each state's ANG under the jurisdiction of that state's governor). AFRES and ANG units can be mobilized

  • Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard in SEA

    During the Southeast Asia War, the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) and Air National Guard (ANG) primarily remained a Cold War strategic reserve in case a wider war broke out. As such, it operated mostly outside the combat theater, helping fill the gaps left when active duty units deployed for combat.In

  • Turning Night into Day: Candlesticks, Lamplighters and Blind Bats

    The enemy used the cover of darkness to move and attack. In Laos, Air Force flareships played an important role in lighting the night sky over friendly positions. Flareship crews also directed night air strikes, often against trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. They used night observation devices -- or

  • Gunship III: Shadows and Stingers

    With few C-130s available for gunship conversion, the Air Force turned to the Korean War-era C-119 transport. The Gunship III program had two versions, the AC-119G Shadow and the AC-119K Stinger.The AC-119G Shadow replaced the AC-47, and it entered combat in January 1969 with the 71st Special

  • Gunship II: Spectre

    The AC-130 Spectre gunship was far more capable than the AC-47. It first flew in combat in the fall of 1967. Spectre gunship crews primarily flew night missions to stop enemy transportation on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The AC-130 became the Air Force's most successful "truck-killer." Despite

  • Airman 1st Class John L. Levitow

    Medal of Honor Mission over South Vietnam On the night of Feb. 24, 1969, Airman 1st Class John Levitow was the loadmaster aboard AC-47 "Spooky 71." The gunship was circling over the U.S. Army post at Long Binh, firing at nearby enemy troops and illuminating their positions with flares. An enemy

  • Gunship I: Spooky

    Spooky -- the first operational Air Force gunship -- was based on the World War II-era Douglas C-47 cargo aircraft. Armed with three side-firing 7.62mm miniguns, Spooky gunships dropped flares and stopped enemy ground attacks against airfields, bases and villages. They also provided road convoy

  • USAF Gunships in Southeast Asia

    Spooky, Spectre, Shadow and Stinger Developed by the USAF, the side-firing gunship first saw combat during the Southeast Asia War. Able to remain airborne for hours, gunships provided devastating, accurate gunfire against many different types of ground targets. Always in high demand, these gunships

  • South Vietnam: Build-Up and Engagement

     THE WAR INTENSIFIESIn early 1965 the Viet Cong further intensified their guerilla war and began direct attacks on U.S. forces. The VC also scored some impressive victories over South Vietnamese troops. With the passage of the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, the U.S. increased its forces even more. Military

  • AN/MRC-108 Communications System

    The commitment of American forces to combat in South Vietnam created an urgent need for radio communications between air and ground forces, which used different radios. In response, the U.S. Air Force Electronic Systems Division developed the AN/MRC-108 in 1965 for use by USAF personnel operating on