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Mask Policy:
In accordance with the updated guidance released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Defense (DoD) and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will require all visitors to wear face masks indoors effective July 30, 2021 until further notice.

Visitors ages three and up will be required to wear masks while indoors at the museum. This policy applies to all visitors, staff and volunteers regardless of vaccination status. Visitors may wear their own masks or a free paper mask will be provided. Cloth masks will also be available for purchase in the Museum Store.
Additional information available here.

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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 Doumer Bridge was a key link that carried one rail
Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest of MiGs: Maj. Leo Thorsness and Capt. Harold Johnson
On April 19, 1967, Maj. Leo Thorsness (pilot) and Capt. Harold Johnson (EWO) led a Wild Weasel formation on a mission against the Xuan Mai army barracks about 30 miles southwest of Hanoi. After they silenced one SAM site and destroyed another, enemy anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) shot down the accompanying F-105F carrying Majs. Tom Madison and Tom
Selfless Determination at Thai Nguyen: Capts. Merlyn Dethlefsen and Mike Gilroy
On March 10, 1967, Capts. Merlyn Dethlefsen (pilot) Kevin "Mike" Gilroy (EWO) were No. 3 in a four-plane Iron Hand formation on the first mission against the very heavily defended Thai Nguyen steel mill, about 50 miles north of Hanoi. During the first attack run, an anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) shot down the flight leader and heavily damaged his
Sawadee! The Party Suit Tradition in Southeast Asia
Party suits were a local and unofficial creation that arose in 1967 from the 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, stationed at Tahkli Royal Thai Air Base. They created "special flight suits" in response to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wings' usage of black dyed cotton flight suits for social occasions. The use of these
Sanctuaries and Bombing Halts
To avoid the possible entrance of Chinese or Soviet forces into the conflict, Washington tightly controlled these bombing operations. Limitations imposed included no bombing in the "sanctuaries" around Hanoi (the capital of North Vietnam), Haiphong (North Vietnam's main port), and a buffer zone along the Chinese border. Moreover, many types of
South Vietnam: The Easter Offensive
COMMUNIST GAMBLE With the majority of U.S. troops out of South Vietnam, the North Vietnamese sensed an opportunity to end the war with a conventional invasion. On March 30, 1972, North Vietnam launched the Easter Offensive -- a large, three-pronged drive into South Vietnam using heavy tanks and mobile units. U.S. airpower played an essential role
Secret War: Green Hornets, Dust Devils and Blackbirds
To supply their forces in South Vietnam, the North Vietnamese built a secret road system through neutral Laos and Cambodia. This supply line, named the Truong Son Road but called the "Ho Chi Minh Trail" by Americans, consisted of a network of roads and hiding places concealed by jungle. In an effort to stop the communists' flow of supplies while
Southeast Asia Airlift
Reservists and Guardsmen regularly carried personnel and cargo to and from Southeast Asia on Air Force Reserve (AFRES) and Air National Guard (ANG) propeller-driven transports. In 1968, Reservists began providing flight crews for modern active duty USAF airlifters like the jet-powered C-141. AFRES and ANG crews also conducted routine airlift and
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 and civilian officials in Washington, D.C., no
South Vietnam: The Advisory Years, 1961-1965
INTO THE FRAYPreventing South Vietnam from falling to communism was the United States' key goal in the Southeast Asia War. The 1954 Geneva Peace Accords called for a temporary division of North and South Vietnam at the 17th Parallel, with a unification election to be held in 1956. At the time, Vietnamese communists in the south fled north to the