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  • Operation LUSTY

    (LUftwaffe Secret TechnologY)During World War II, the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) Intelligence Service sent teams to Europe to gain access to enemy aircraft, technical and scientific reports, research facilities, and weapons for study in the United States. The Air Technical Intelligence (ATI)

  • Operation OVERLORD: The D-Day Invasion

    On June 6, 1944, 9th Air Force units, along with aircraft from the USAAF 8th Air Force and the British Royal Air Force, hammered enemy positions. Thanks to the pre-invasion effort, there were virtually no Luftwaffe aircraft in action on D-Day. With most of the bridges leading into Normandy

  • Operation CARPETBAGGER

    Note:  This exhibit has temporarily been removed from display.  Night Flights Over Occupied EuropeIn 1943 the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) -- the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency -- called upon the U.S. Army Air Forces to conduct special operations from the United Kingdom.

  • Okinawa

    The B-29 fire bombing campaign against Japan was interrupted temporarily in April and May 1945 as AAF bombers attacked airfields and aircraft plants with high-explosive bombs and mined Japanese waters in support of the invasion of Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands. Five days after the Army

  • One Man Scourge: William E. Dyess

    Nicknamed the "One Man Scourge," Capt. William E. Dyess exhibited remarkable courage, sacrifice and leadership not only during combat in the Philippines, but also after he was captured.Commander of the 21st Pursuit Squadron, Capt. Dyess personally led his unit against the Japanese amphibious

  • Occupation of Germany

    World War I was known as "The War to End All Wars." Most Americans believed the slogan and from across the land came the call "Bring the Boys Home." U.S. troops were returned to the States as rapidly as possible, but a small number remained in Europe for occupation duty in Germany on the west bank

  • Original 1903 Wright Flyer Fabric

    The world's first successful, controlled, powered, manned heavier-than-air craft, the Wright 1903 Flyer, made only four flights, all on Dec. 17 of that year, before a gust of wind overturned it and damaged it extensively. Rather than repair it, the Wrights developed improved versions, but

  • Oberursel UR-2 Rotary

    The Oberursel UR-2 rotary engine, rated at 110 hp, was the type used to power the Fokker Dr.1 triplane. Built by the Oberursel Motoren Gesellschaft of Frankfurt, Germany, it was an exact copy of the famous French LeRhone 110-hp rotary engine.The UR-2 from Baron Manfred von Richthofen's airplane is

  • Overview

    The late 1940s and 1950s saw wide-ranging changed in the enlisted force. With the introduction of the rank of Airman, the newly independent U.S. Air Force created a new rank structure for the enlisted. It incorporated new policies to improve the lives of airmen, such as a 20-year retirement, pay

  • Operation Heat Rise

    The museum's B-58A set three speed records on March 5, 1962, and in the process won both the Mackay and Bendix Trophies for that year. The following is the story of Operation Heat Rise as told to the museum by the flight's Defensive Systems Operator, Capt. John T. Walton. Museum: Capt. Walton, let's