Browsing: Army Air Forces

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…

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…

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…

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