I was an army brat and a military wife along with an army civilian off and on over the years. If was really not abandoned til 10 year ago becuae I went to preschool on the base then I got shut down because all of us got sick becuase the heat and air went out. Copyright 2009-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) - Abandoned Atlas Foundation - board@AbandonedAtlas.com | Designed By Prairie Nation Creative, LLC - Disclaimer, Eaker Air Force Base (Click the Thumbnails to See Full Album), Extras (sirens, wildlife, monument, signs). The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Washington -- Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in Blytheville, Arkansas, the "National Cold War Center." The Eaker base opened in 1942 as a World War II advanced pilot training school, and later became an alert center during the Cold War. The hospital is also a very large (plan wise) building, so it is very possible to get lost inside the building without a map. The project mainly serves to save the best buildings and bring buildings in the worst shape down for safety purposes. Washington, DCMay 26, 2020.Today, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) joined Congressman Rick Crawford (AR-1), Congressman French Hill (AR-2), and Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-4) in announcing the introduction of legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in Blytheville, Arkansas the "National Cold War Center." The air force base was established in 1942 as a . . An exploration of the base's history and its impact on the community. Fill out the form and sign up to help us protect: By signing up, you are not committing to anything, you are simply subscribing to be notified of upcoming volunteer dates. Armament: Four .50-cal. Hill Aerospace Museum officially received the aircraft for static display on July 11, 1991. All of these were under the Strategic Air Command. NUMBER BUILT: Douglas built a total of 10,047 C-47s and derivatives. At 14 I was hopping buses and trains and hanging out with friends in surrounding towns. On January 23rd, 2022, it was announced that the former dorms would be demolished. No photo description available. Photo Credit: The National Cold War Center. The original, one-of-a-kind model was created by P.J. Dave Howell, RN Bob Gilbert, Gunner Rick Watson, EW Chuck Kinkhead, N Can't remember, CP Kevin Rice. Notice my Mustang has what appears to be a trailer hitch. Communism had shriveled in the world. I saw this jet fly Oct 25 1972 at the Blytheville AFB air show. Eaker Air Force Base Historic District, Arkansas International Airport, and Blytheville Municipal Airport. Glad to see the alert pad will be saved. c/n 18002/T0417. The National Cold War Center is planned to be the largest collection of history and information on the decades that made up the war in the world. All photos (32) Top ways to experience nearby attractions. Eleven of these jets were flown from 1969 to Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the oil crisis. This B-52G-100-BW (S/N 58-0191), nicknamed "Bearin' Arms," was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, and delivered to the USAF on October 16, 1959. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Airport information, from map to hotels to aeronautical information. If the alert force had not received that second "stand down" code, they would have taken off; and (as we saw it, back then) if that happened, very soon, we would have been in the midst of a nuclear war. Blytheville was the only two engine training base in Arkansas. In the early 1950s, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) approved a plan to convert the former airfield into an airbase, which officially opened in 1955 as Blytheville Air Force Base. Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. We share a body likeness and dress and I had an orange helmet but most of the time I wore my Easy Rider Flag helmet. A bomber crew from Blytheville were among the first shot down during Operation Linebacker II, a December 1972 mission targeting complexes in North Vietnam. The exhibits are impactful and tell the story of Base history. The communication building of the 97th Bombardment Wing is in terrible condition as well. Loved it. Leaving Little Rock as Arkansas only active base. Mold and asbestos float through the air like dust that just got kicked up. After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. On January 11th, during Agile Combat Employment training exercises performed by the U.S. Air Force at Eaker Air Force Base, work had begun on the restoration process of Building 1225. Powerplant: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp, 14-cylinder radial air-cooled engines, 1,200 horsepower each. The US needed a long range aircraft able to refuel other long range aircraft. The group was awarded two Distinguish Unit Citations during WWII and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crises. On January 10th, 1964, a B52H loaned to Boeing by the USAF was testing the structural integrity of, and new technology for the aircraft. Far in the northeast corner of Arkansas, five miles west of the Mississippi River, the city of Blytheville remembers a prosperous past while hoping for a bright future. Looking for someone that served with you? [3] Unfortunately, Eaker Air Force Base topped the Strategic Air Command's list of base closures in 1991 and with the Cold War coming to an end, the installation was officially chosen; in March 1992, the last aircraft left the base. They also tended, in some cases, to be far more raunchy than even World War II or Korean nose art even dared--one popular one was to show a heavily pregnant Lucy Van Pelt from "Peanuts" screaming "Damn you, Charlie Brown!" The B-52 Stratofortress force had always been intended to be supplemented by newer designs, allowing older types and eventually the B-52 itself to be retired. Merged with: Blytheville herald-news (non-extant), to form: Blytheville courier news. CENTCOM commander H. Norman Schwartzkopf demanded continual B-52 strikes-- eventually forty percent of all ordnance expended--and the results were devastating. Capt. Beechcraft AT-10, and Curtiss-Wright AT-9s. The Library. About Westminster Village . Our B-52s had the Vietnam War Camo paint while this appears to have the Pre-Vietnam War SAC paint which our bombers had before their Vietnam days. Note that the outrigger landing gear is off the ground: naturally, "Valkyrie" is empty of fuel, and so there is no wing droop. It was around 1960 and I still recall vividly sitting in the cockpit of a B-52. If you can make it, even for an hour, we will be glad to have you! Did you serve with BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE? Tiling soaked in stagnant water squishes under your feet, anything that could be rusted, is rusted. The Blytheville Air Force Base Alert Center and Alert Apron constructed as part of a national expansion of Strategic Air Command Facilities across the United States and its Territories, to help in creating a "program to safeguard nuclear deterrence" through the SAC Alert program. I was one of four Production Supervisors who coordinated the P-Check maintenance and retrofitting of existing 737-200's (42 aircraft) for MetroJet; this included all coach interiors and . In selected cases, due to ground water table conditions, the moleholes were built fully aboveground, with the lower story earthen bermed for semi-hardening. There are some items of interest in this photo of things that didn't appear on my uniform. The airbase was phased out years ago, but Blytheville has emerged as a steel production center and agri-business is strong. The hospital has been tightly sealed up. Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . After a brief hiatus of less than a decade, the facility reopened as the Blytheville Air Force Base. Finally, again to save weight, the tail gunner position was eliminated in favor of a remote-controlled barbette, with the gunner moved forward to the crew compartment. I saw this jet in the Thunderbird performance at Blytheville Air Force base Oct 25 1972.. My USAF service had no connection to the Thunderbirds other than I saw this Thunderbird perform at Blytheville Air Force Base Oct 25 1972. Art flourished in some units (namely F-105 wings) and was banned in others. It boasted a vibrant downtown and it had an eclectic population due to the wide variety of people the base brought to the city. My father was a pilot in SAC throughout his career (bombers and tankers); he and the other bomber and tanker crews spent a whole lot of time, away from their families, living in this bunker. Officers Club. I had a great time and intend to go again next year. Scanned from 35mm Negative. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. Usaf Academy, CO 80840-1307 Colorado Springs, CO 80919-3732 Warrensburg, MO 64093-9357 Reactivated as the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB. [1], During the Vietnam War the 97th Bomber Wing at Blytheville supported strike operations throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today the base is mostly in a decrepit state of disrepair. The base contributed greatly to the economic and . Electrical work and flood damage repair have begun. Holes in the roof create entryways for birds and rain. Though it is referred to these names, the airport officially goes by Arkansas Aeroplex. For more information, visit the website at www.nationalcoldwarcenter.com or call 870-532-2100. The B-52 is one of the few planes I remember Dad talking about during his career at Hill Air Force Base. And the aeronautical weather for the pilots with current weather and short-term forecasts with METAR (METeorological Aerodrome Report, observation message of meteorological conditions for aviation) and TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast: short-term forecast message of meteorological conditions for aviation ). The B-52 had 8 engines but the two AGM-28 engines could also be used for take off and getting up to altitude. My father manufactured this and built a front wheel carrier for my motorcycle so I could mount the front wheel and removed the chain and allow the rear wheel to freely roll as we towed it down the road. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. Building 1225 is currently registered on the National Register Of Historic Places and is quoted as being the crown jewel of the National Cold War Center campus. Though Phase Two of the project is underway (as of February 2022), there have been no announcements of when the museum will officially open. Roof repairs began on February 19, 2022. Renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 honoring Gen. Ira Eaker, the entire facility closed in 1992. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov) Arkansas Delegation Introduces Legislation to Designate Blytheville Air Force Base as National Cold War Center 2/7/2023 Washington - Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in . I had only three duty assignments, I began my service at Blytheville right out of Tech School as the Supply Representative to Base Procurement, then most of my time I was a "NORS Controller" responsible for keeping the Alert Aircraft and Nuclear Missiles supplied with parts. During Eaker's height, Blytheville was roughly the same size as Jonesboro, Smith said. I was stationed at Eaker from 89-91 in the comm building pictured. by Ryan Nix, Photos by Jamison Mosley. My 1972 Suzuki looked exactly like the one in the brochure. This article was made possible by the help of Barrett Harrison, President of the Arkansas Aeroplex, Technical Sergeant Robert Charles, curator of the BAFB Exhibit, many Air Force veterans and the National Cold War Center. Available for both RF and RM licensing. Louisiana was the aircraft's next stop when in May 1974 it was transferred to the 2nd Bombardment Group (H) at Barksdale AFB. Photo Gallery. In the Monett City Park is displayed the USAF Thunderbird F4 Phantom #3 Jet. The Southeast Asia War Tour Boeing B-52D Stratofortress BUFF LF USAF Museum (9202) Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 3-10-2019. Psychiatry and Psychology 1 Thule is the only air force base with no aircraft and a tugboat. Pinterest. As a result, the B-52Gs took heavy casualties in the first days of Operation Linebacker II in December 1972, losing 15 aircraft; it was decided to pull the Gs out of operations after the first week. Dental Clinic. The aircraft remained there until November when it was reassigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing (H) at Mather AFB, California. for another radio code that would tell him to turn around. Deactivated at the close of the conflict, the base was reactivated in the 1950s as Blytheville Air Force Base and was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 . Abandoned Arkansas had noticed while touring the base, the former base bank had been torn down the week prior to January 1st, 2022. Since its organization on 21 March 1946, SAC had continuously used C-47s or Gooney Birds as they were usually called, for support and administrative purposes. The facility now operates as the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas International Airport. Nowadays, the base goes by a few names. of conventional or nuclear bombs, Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE EXHIBITION. It has the exact same problems as the hospital, though both buildings trade off on extremities. The Air Force packed up and left. Marker is at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Chestnut Drive, on the right when traveling east on Memorial Drive. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "blythevilleairforcebase" Flickr tag. The B-52G was to return to the nuclear delivery role through the 1970s and 1980s, with the SRAM itself replaced by the AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile, a truly precise cruise missile. It was always fascinating to hear stories about how papers were left on desks and furniture left abandoned. If you served in Blytheville Air Force Base, Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. This would determine if the base could go on operating in the future, or if it was deemed unnecessary to continue service. In June 1975 the aircraft was sent to the 97th Bombardment Wing (H) residing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas. Businesses have come and go, but the wear and tear of Mother Nature and Father time have taken their toll on many buildings on base. Formerly the site of family housing for Eaker Air Force Base, Westminster Village is a non-profit community. The B-52H, however, continues to serve without a replacement on the horizon; the USAF intends to keep it in service until at least 2025, by which time the newest Stratofortress would have been in service sixty years. 35 57.54 N, 89 57.74 W. Marker is in Gosnell, Arkansas, in Mississippi County. Gosnell appears right center of the photo.. Today it is the headquarters for the group that runs the old base for civilian use and the aircraft are: I was promoted to Staff Sergeant after 37 months of active duty plus 5 months delayed enlistment program. In the years leading up to the reunification of Germany, the U.S. government sought out to begin a process that would eventually end in many bases like Eaker, to be closed. When Castle closed in 1995, 57-6486 was retired and sent to AMARG in Arizona; it was scrapped soon thereafter as part of the START arms reduction treaty. Almost immediately, this was proven to be a vain hope: the only aircraft able to replace the B-52 was, it seemed, another B-52. if I remember correctly it was one of the rooms pictured (162). Eaker Air Force Base is located approximately 3 miles northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas, on Interstate 55 between St Louis and Memphis. (photo courtesy of Delta) On Tuesday, June 2, 2020, Delta Air Lines . The KC135 fuels other aircraft through an extendable boom on the aft of the aircraft. VetFriends.com helps reunite veterans from the Air Force daily. In 1942, at the graduation ceremony it was believed that women could not fly as well as men. [1], The Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. Airwomen were tasked with testing electronics of aircraft, testing aircraft by means of flights, and ferrying aircraft. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Eaker_Air_Force_Base, https://www.boeing.com/history/products/b-52-stratofortress.page, https://www.boeing.com/history/products/kc-135-stratotanker.page, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1771/text?r=1&s=1, https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2020/12/bill-designating-national-cold-war-center-in-blytheville-introduced-in-senate, https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/107172/general-ira-c-eaker/, https://www.afcec.af.mil/Home/BRAC/Eaker.aspx, https://www.npr.org/2010/03/09/123773525/female-wwii-pilots-the-original-fly-girls. Arkansas had six Army airfields. During its test flight, Boeing was performing tests to show the aircrafts resilience against low-altitude turbulence. The War Assets Administration officially closed down the installation in 1946, at which point control and responsibility for the land was transferred to the city of Blytheville. 1942-1946, 1953-1992. 2, no. The alert force aircraft remained parked just outside this facility (on a ramp, over to the left); there were armed airmen patrolling the ramp at all times. The heavier steel fuel tanks of the tall-tail series were replaced by integral fuel tanks, in which the entire wing served as a tank. Only ten B-52Gs survive today as museum pieces. And in 1991, Eaker Air Force Base was on the top of the list. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. The plane . These three 97th BW aircraft were stationed and flown out of Anderson AFB, Guam, as part of the 72nd Strategic Wing (Provisional). Hear those stories come to life from the soldiers who served at the BAFB Exhibition. My last 8 months of service I was the NCOIC of the Repair Cycle Unit "DIFM Control", KC-135A - 61-0267 - 97th BW, Blytheville Air Force Base, N503DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport. After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Blytheville air force base photos. In the post-Cold War era, the U.S. Air Force decided to shut down the Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, AR. Links: Thule AFB . Nearly 750 were built before production ended in the fall of 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. Certain buildings are worth saving. In 2020, both Arkansas senators proposed a bill to designate the museum in Blytheville. The 97th comm mustve been a very short lived entity as it was the 2101 CS / AFCC when I was there. There were trainer versions designated TC-47 and reconnaissance versions designated RC-47. BLYTHEVILLE ARMY AIRFIELD 1942. The base's primary mission shifted to bomber training. During the Korean War, when many USAF units were based in Japan and crews lived with their families, wives got to see up close the often risque nose art their husbands painted on their aircraft--and were not pleased with what they saw. Ruth Eaker, General Eakers widow, signing autographs during the name change of the base in 1988. The nose art trend continued through Operation Desert Storm--though some of the ladies were censored or temporarily taped over to avoid offending Saudi religious officials--but then began to disappear again during the 1990s. Hopefully the site will become available again for us. Contributions to PAs Most Endangered List, National Register of Historic Places (Jan, 26th 2018). As a CAP cadet 1966-1969 the lore of this base was discussed often. On a Bravo alert, while taxiing the aircraft, the pilot was waiting (and hoping!) Airmen from the 97th Bombardment Wing lost their lives and their photos appear on the lonely memorial at their abandoned base in Blytheville; Lt Col Keith R Heggen was in "Olive1", (now buried at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery) Lt Col Donald L Rissi, 1st LT Robert J Thomas and Msgt Walter L Ferguson were in "Charcoal 1" Major Bobby A Kirby, Capt Randall J Craddock, Capt George B Lockhart, Capt Ronald D Perry and 1st Lt Charles E Darr were in "Tan 3". The population suffered as well. The KC135 replaced the KC97, as the latter could not keep up with newer, larger and faster aircraft. [1] Then the airfield briefly became a processing center for the rapid demobilization of military personnel being discharged. Below is my Blytheville Air Force Base token collection. It was located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. Jul 1999. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. No photo description available. Club was demolished. The G models most noticeable feature was its 8-foot shorter tail, done to ease maintenance and to save weight. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. In the bomb bay were ADM-20 Quail decoys. The G models were not equipped with the same robust electronic countermeasures suite as the Ds, nor did their crews have the same training. I took this from the back seat of the P-51 Mustang Gunfighter. View of the southern end of the former Blytheville AFB (Eaker AFB). I'm fairly certain I saw this aircraft at an airshow at Malmstrom AFB in the 1980s, as the nose art is familiar, but it may be wishful thinking on my part. Memphis Discovery Tour . Evans at Blytheville air show in 1980. It is a peculiarly shaped building, like the rest of the buildings on the base. This had the added benefit of giving the gunner an ejection seat, eliminating the need for a manual bailout system. All the glass is shattered. Improve this listing. PIGGOTT, Ark., July 30 (UPI) An Air Force C130 transport plane crashed, and burned at dusk today in a pasture in this town in northeastern Arkansas, killing all six persons aboard. Granted today, the area has stayed well populated due to industrial jobs, but Blythevilles unemployment rate is four percent higher than the national average (pre-covid). Find Blytheville Air Force Base stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. I have been to the former base and tarmac many times in the 2010s for Sports Car Club of America events. Retired from service in December 2019, MD-88 N907DL is stored at the former Blytheville (Eaker) Air Force Base, now Arkansas International Airport, in Blytheville, Arkansas. While with the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, it received the name "Valkyrie" with appropriate nose art of a mail-clad female warrior on horseback; nose art made a renaissance in the USAF in the late 1980s, though not quite as risqu as that seen during World War II. The B-52 has set numerous records in its many years of service. Scrapped at Birmingham AL in 1997. Blytheville AFB was created in 1942 as a location for pilot training, originally named Blytheville Army Airfield. Unbeknownst to the crew, over seventy percent of the vertical stabilizer and rudder assembly had been sheared off. The Ritz Theater from the outside circa. On January 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings.
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