In support of an official event 

The Museum will be closed Sunday, May 25
In addition, the Presidential Gallery will be closed Saturday, May 24

Normal hours will resume on Monday, May 26
 

Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association

Aircrews from all services of the United States military flying over the Red River Valley in North Vietnam encountered the most heavily defended airspace in the history of aerial combat.

The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (or River Rats as the members call themselves) was born in 1967 when aircrews of different organizations gathered to devise better tactics for use during airstrikes over North Vietnam. The organization was formally incorporated in 1969 to promote and preserve the unique bond of friendship between combat airmen from different organizations and services fostered in the air war over North Vietnam. After the Vietnamese War the efforts of the organization were directed toward generating awareness of the prisoner-of-war, missing-in-action, and killed in action (POW, MIA, and KIA) airmen and their families, providing scholarship support for the children of the men who failed to return and promoting the importance of American airpower. The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association has awarded numerous scholarships to the children of airmen who did not return from Vietnam. The River Rats have become surrogate fathers to these children helping with educational expenses when a missing father could not.

U.S. Air Force Squadrons
Tactical Fighter

4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 25, 34, 36, 43, 44, 45, 47, 58, 67, 68, 80, 307, 308, 333, 334, 335, 336, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 389, 390, 391, 416, 417, 421, 429, 430, 431, 433, 434, 435, 436, 469, 476, 480, 497, 523, 555, 557, 558, 559, 561, 562, 563
Tactical Reconnaissance
11, 14, 15, 20, 41, 45, 60, 6460, 6461
Bombardment
60, 63 (Prov.), 64 (Prov.), 65 (Prov.), 329 (Prov.), 364 (Prov.), 365 (Prov.), 486 (Prov.)
Tactical Electronics
41, 42, 63 (Prov.)
Strategic Reconnaissance
1, 99, 349
Fighter Interceptor
64, 509
Wild Weasel
17, 6010
Special Operations
1, 15, 602
Strategic Reconnaissance Weather
4028
Rescue and Recovery
37, 40

U.S. Army
On November 23, 1970 a composite force of U.S. Army Special Forces units made a daring raid on North Vietnam. Their goal was to rescue U.S. airmen being held as prisoners of war in Son Tay, North Vietnam. The raid was a brilliant military success transporting, landing and recovering an assault force of 56 men deep inside heavily defended enemy territory without the loss oa single man. Unfortunately, the prisoners had been moved to another location before this mission, and no POW’s were rescued. Men of the following units risked their lives in an attempt to bring freedom to others.
XVIII Airborne Corps
U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance
U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance
U.S. Army Infantry School
Office of Surgeon General, Dept. of the Army
82nd Airborne Division
6th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces
7th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces

They were supported on this mission by members of the following U.S. Air Force Units.
Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Training Center
1st Special Operations Wing
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron
1st Special Operations Squadron
7th Special Operations Squadron
602nd Special Operations Squadron
4407th Combat Crew Training Squadron
13th Tactical Fighter Squadron
555th Tactical Fighter Squadron
6010 Wild Weasel Squadron

U.S. Marine Corps Squadrons
All Weather Attack

VMA(AW) - 224, 242, 533
Fighter and Attack
VMFA - 115, 122, 212, 232, 333, 542
Photo Reconnaissance
VMCJ - 1, 2

U.S Navy Squadrons
Attack

VA - 12, 15, 22, 23, 25, 27, 34, 35, 36, 37, 46, 52, 55, 56, 65, 72, 75, 76, 82, 85, 86, 93, 94, 95, 97, 105, 106, 112, 113, 115, 144, 145, 146, 147, 152, 153, 155, 163, 164, 165, 172, 176, 192, 195, 196, 212, 215, 216
VAH - 2, 4, 8, 10
VAW - 11, 12, 13, 33, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 121, 123, 124
Fighter
VF - 11, 14, 21, 24, 31, 32, 41, 51, 53, 74, 84, 92, 96, 103, 111, 114, 142, 143, 151, 154, 161, 162, 191, 194, 211, 213
VSF - 3
Reconnaissance
RVAH - 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13
VAP - 61
VFP - 62, 63
Helicopter
HC - 1, 2, 7
HS - 2, 4, 6, 7, 8
HU - 1, 2
Electronic Reconnaissance
VQ -1
Electronic Warfare
VAQ - 33, 130, 131, 132, 134, 135