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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  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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,