Sporting the insignia of the 325th Fighter Wing (Air Defense), 464 was photographed at McChord AFB on 19 Oct 1963. F-100’s of the USAF Thunderbirds lurk in the background. 56-0464 crashed 6 Aug ’64, the pilot ejected safely. The wreckage is still scattered in the woods today.

57-2510 is pictured here early in its life wearing the markings of the Air Research and Development Command. It had a long career before going to the boneyard in 1984.

Men of the 40th Bomb Wing race to their aircraft. Someone else gets to move the station wagon.

Captain Vivian M. Gersema at Offutt AFB with her flying hospital, a C-54. 44-9077 was dubbed an “MC-54M” due to its medical role. Gersema started her military service as a flight nurse in WWII. She eventually attained the rank of colonel.

Having flown a medevac missions myself, there is always room for flight nurses in the cockpit.

Civilian nurses are briefed on the finer points of aeromedical care.

 

On November 26 1962, Kennedy visited Homestead for an inspection and to award citations to the units that had participated during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chief among these was the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing whose RF-101’s can be seen in the distant right background. Closer to view, F-102’s of the 325th and 326th Fighter Interceptor Squadron get the once over by Kennedy. Note the pilot wearing his full pressure suit.

This aircraft (44-92015) was the first B-36 delivered to an operational unit, in this case the 7th Bomb Wing of Carswell AFB. Given that the Convair factory was right across the runway, the aircraft was taxied to its new home where it was soon christened “The City of Fort Worth.”

So, it’s June of ’48, and the USAF is about nine months old. This explains the army uniforms. It would be another year or so before the Air Force unveiled its own uniform design.