WWII

President Obama to sign bill honoring the Doolittle Raiders

By Oriana Pawlyk on May 23, 2014 Air Force, History, Uncategorized

A two-year effort to honor members of the famed Doolittle Raiders with the nation’s highest award for distinguished achievements will come full circle today, when President Obama signs the measure into law alongside retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, one of the four surviving members. The Congressional Gold Medal recognizes members of the Doolittle Raiders for their “outstanding heroism, valor, skill and service to the United States in conducting the bombings of Tokyo” during World War II. “I wish all of the Raiders were here to take part in the bill passing in the House and Senate,” Cole said in…

“Here’s why” of the week

By Oriana Pawlyk on February 11, 2014 Air Force, Here's Why, History, Royal Air Force, Uniforms

Taking our “Here’s Why” from the paper to the blog. An explanation for why something is the way it is in the Air Force/military. Whether you’re riding on a jet ski or are an Air Force aircrew flight equipment journeyman, life vests are part of protocol. During World War II, life vests were nicknamed “Mae Wests” after the popular 1930s and 40s actress Mae West. Could you guess why? Linguist and author Henry Alexander explains that members of the Royal Air Force and Army Air Forces who were issued flight gear began calling their life vests — manufactured by Peter…

American Veterans Center honors Doolittle Raiders with accompanying toast

By Oriana Pawlyk on November 12, 2013 Air Force, Award, History, Photos, Veterans, Video, Washington

By Oriana Pawlyk and wire reports As three of the four remaining Doolittle Raiders honored one another with a toast Saturday, Nov. 9, veterans, active-duty members, family and friends toasted to the Raiders’ last gathering at the American Veterans Center annual awards gala in Washington, D.C. The 80 men who risked their lives on a World War II bombing mission on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor were honored in Ohio with a wreath laying ceremony and a B-25 flyover that morning, followed by the toast at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Hennessy donated 48 bottles…

This week in history

By Oriana Pawlyk on October 22, 2013 History

Reviewing history in the military, the Air Force and triumphs and misadventures in airpower. One could say no man loved the seagull more than Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker … and for good reason. The American WWI fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient was a civilian supporting WWII aboard a B-17D Flying Fortress on Oct. 21, 1942. He was traveling to Hawaii for a base inspection tour when, en route to the refueling point on Canton Island, the aircraft’s faulty navigation forced Rickenbacker and the crew to ditch the aircraft due to fuel exhaustion. The crewmen ended up drifting in life…

“Here’s why” of the week

By Oriana Pawlyk on August 14, 2013 Air Force, Here's Why, History

Taking our “Here’s Why” from the paper to the blog. An explanation for why something is the way it is in the Air Force/military. When you hear “foo fighter,” most may think of the rock band. But a “foo fighter” has its origins way back during World War II. Why? The term was used by Allied aircraft pilots who had seen unidentified flying objects as they traveled through German airspace, with some occurrences in the Pacific theater. According to Jo Chamberlin, author of “The Foo Fighter Mystery” they were “described as ‘balls of fire’ which followed them, [and] occasionally came…

This week in history

By Kristin Davis on July 8, 2013 History, Uncategorized

Reviewing history in the military, the Air Force and triumphs and misadventures in airpower. On July 8, 1948, the Air Force accepted the first woman into its ranks. Staff Sgt. Ester McGowin Blake enlisted on the first day women were permitted to join the service — 65 years ago today, Smithsonian Magazine writes. In March 1944, Blake enlisted in the Army Air Forces, where she served one year. A widow with two sons fighting in World War II, Blake joined after her eldest, a B-17 pilot, was shot down over Belgium and reported missing. She reportedly wanted to free up…

Created for the military, the T-shirt celebrates 100 years

By Oriana Pawlyk on June 11, 2013 Air Force, Air Force swag, Charity, History, Uniforms

Something as simple as a T-shirt has a military connection. And this year, it celebrates its 100th birthday. In 1913, the U.S. Navy was the first military branch to issue the T-shirt to be worn under uniforms. By WWII, it became standard issue for both the Navy and the Army. Labeled as “underclothing,” it eventually became acceptable for soldiers to remove their dress shirt while working in hot climates, wearing nothing but their uniform pants and a T-shirt. While the public didn’t love that idea at first, more and more people embraced T-shirts when new designs and colors emerged in…

“Here’s Why” of the week

By Oriana Pawlyk on May 30, 2013 Here's Why, History

Taking our “Here’s Why” from the paper to the blog. An explanation for why something is the way it is in the Air Force/military. Use a parachute? There’s a club for that. Burned during battle? There’s a club for that. Walk back from behind enemy lines? No worries, there’s a club for that too. Wonder why? Like secret societies, troops from Allied armies formed several, somewhat exclusive clubs to show one another “they made it.” Author Cate Lineberry writes that although these clubs were unofficial, hundreds participated. And they had proof. According to Lineberry, there was the Caterpillar Club, the…

“Here’s Why” of the week

By Oriana Pawlyk on April 9, 2013 Here's Why, Uncategorized

Taking our “Here’s Why” from the paper to the blog. An explanation for why something is the way it is in the Air Force/military. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie… the way the phonetic alphabet – formally known as the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet – starts out as most know it today. This wasn’t the way the phonic code always began, but what prompted the final change? From the 1930s and into WWII, the Royal Air Force adopted the RAF phonetic alphabet, and the U.S. adopted the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet which went something like this: Able Baker Charlie Dog Easy Fox George…

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