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  • Army Green to Air Force Blue

    After the U.S. Air Force became a separate service in 1947, it created new blue uniforms. Even so, Air Force personnel during the Korean War continued to wear U.S. Army uniforms from existing stocks, including the famed "pinks and greens" clothing and "crush cap" hats from World War II. In some

  • Dust, Mud and Snow: An Airman’s Life in Korea

    Life on the K-bases remained fairly basic throughout the Korean War. USAF personnel generally lived in tents with wooden or concrete floors and stored their meager possessions in furniture cobbled together from scrap wood or crates. These tents were blistering hot in the summer and freezing cold in

  • K-Bases in Korea

    The USAF had numerous air bases in Korea, and many of these were former Japanese airfields. The spelling of Korean locations on maps varied greatly, and villages had a Korean and a Japanese name. A "K" number identified individual airbases in both northern and southern Korea to prevent confusion

  • Korean War Introduction

    "The Air Force is on trial in Korea."- Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, USAF Chief of Staff, 1950 The U.S. Air Force was only three years old as a separate service when North Korea invaded South Korea in the summer of 1950. The next three years brought significant changes in technology, roles and tactics,

  • The Story of the MiG-15bis on Display

     In November 1950, the communists introduced the Soviet-built MiG-15 into battle. Its advanced design and exceptional performance startled United Nations forces. The U.S. hoped one of the planes could be acquired for technical analysis and flight evaluation. However, MiG-15 pilots were very careful

  • Capt. Harold "Hal" Fischer: Double MiG Ace and POW

    Harold Fischer had great success as a fighter pilot in Korea, and he also endured captivity in communist China long after the end of hostilities. On his first tour in Korea, Fischer flew ground attack missions in F-80s in the 8th Fighter Bomber Wing. He stayed in the Far East and transferred to the

  • Master Fighter Tactician: Frederick "Boots" Blesse

    Frederick C. Blesse was one of the greatest aces of the Korean War era. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1945, flew two combat tours during the Korean War, completing 67 missions in F-51s, 35 missions in F-80s and 121 missions in F-86s. During his second tour in F-86s, he was

  • From Ace to Space: Iven C. Kincheloe Jr.

    Iven C. Kincheloe Jr. was typical of those young Americans who fought the communist threat in the skies over Korea. Born on July 2, 1928, in Detroit, Mich., he entered the Air Force under the cadet program at Purdue University. While a member of the Air Force ROTC, he was sent to Wright-Patterson

  • USAF Aces of Two Wars

     Many American pilots with World War II experience fought in Korea. Francis Gabreski, Vermont Garrison and Harrison Thyng were three of the six USAF Korean War aces who were also WWII aces. (The others were Majs. George Davis Jr., James Hagerstrom and William Whisner.)Francis "Gabby" Gabreski was

  • Leading Jet Ace: Capt. Joseph McConnell Jr.

    The leading jet ace of the Korean War was Capt. Joseph McConnell Jr., who scored his first victory on Jan. 14, 1953. In a little more than a month, he gained his fifth MiG-15 victory, thereby becoming an ace.On the day McConnell shot down his eighth MiG, his F-86 was hit by enemy aircraft fire, and