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Former name | History and Traditions Museum |
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Established | 1956[1] [2] |
Location | Lackland Air Force Base San Antonio, Texas |
Coordinates | 29°23′02″N98°37′18″W / 29.3840019°N 98.621705°W |
Type | Military aviation museum |
Collection size | 40+ aircraft [2] 35 exhibits [3] [4] 4,000+ artifacts [3] |
Visitors | 36,000 (2019) [2] |
Director | Bill Manchester [2] [3] |
Curator | Fernando Cortez [3] |
Historian | Stephanie Ritter [3] |
Nearest parking | On base (no charge) |
Website | myairmanmuseum |
The USAF Airman Heritage Museum is an aviation field museum and heritage collection of the United States Air Force located at Lackland AFB near San Antonio, Texas. [5] [6] The museum, along with the Security Forces Exhibit Annex, are part of the Airman Heritage Training Complex, run by the Air Education and Training Command. [7] Its mission is to preserve and honor the history and heritage of enlisted airmen. [4]
The museum opened as the History and Traditions Museum in 1956 as one of 12 satellite museums to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. [3] Museum construction began in 1956 inside a building that dates to 1942, [2] [8] and it opened to the public in February 1957. [1] With the stated purpose of giving basic trainees "pride in the past", museum staff arranged exhibits in coordination with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They refurbished aircraft on static display to pay tribute to the planes' respective squadrons, crew, and pilots, ensuring correct paint and insignias. [1]
On March 5, 1958 the Air Force announced the consolidation of museums at Randolph and Lackland Air Force Bases into the one at Lackland. [9]
The History and Traditions Museum annual attendance was over 100,000 in the 1970s. [1] The museum had over 50 aircraft and missiles, a reference library, and miniatures recreating WWII air battles. [10] The engine exhibit contained a Liberty L-6 and L-12 and an Allison V-12 among others. [1]
The SR-71A "Blackbird" was put on static display in 1990 at the Parade Ground Airpark. [11] [12]
In 2010 the museum reopened with a new name—the Airman Heritage Museum. [13] The same year, Building 6351, a 1940s era barracks was moved to the museum. [14]
On February 11, 2013 the Lackland Gateway Heritage Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with the USAF to build a new museum. Its goal was to raise money for the new building, targeting a fall 2017 opening. The new museum would be located on a 85,000 sq ft (7,900 m2) site [4] north of the parade grounds. [8] It would have 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) of exhibit space and be privately funded with $50 million by the Airman Heritage Foundation. [15] [13]
In 2014 the Airman Heritage Museum and Security Forces Exhibit Annex were brought together under a single entity, the Airman Heritage Training Complex, itself operated by the Air Education and Training Command. [7]
The museum recognized members of the Tuskegee Airmen and their families at opening of their exhibit on May 4, 2015. [16] The research for the exhibit had begun in 2014 at the Air Force Historical Research Agency. [17]
The Airman Heritage Foundation continued to raise funds in 2019 for new building set to open in 2022. It is planned to be more accessible, with the entrance outside the base. [3]
In 2019 the Airman Heritage Museum had 36,000 visitors and the Security Forces Exhibit Annex had 23,000 visitors. [2]
In 2020, nine static aircraft of the Southeast Asia Airpark were moved to make room for construction of new Airman Training Complexes. Aircraft moved to the Parade Ground Airpark included the B-52, F-4, F-5, F-100, B-57, B-66, and F-105. The T-37 and UH-1 were moved to the Inter-American Air Force Academy. The Airman Heritage Training Complex provided technical support for the move. [18]
The current indoor space is 6,778 sq ft (630 m2) [13] with 5,000 sq ft (460 m2) of exhibit space. [4] The museum has over 4,000 artifacts from 1907 to present, [3] which are on loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. [2] A total of 35 exhibits are on display, including scale models of planes, a B-24 bomber simulator, the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit, an original Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” bi-plane fuselage skeleton with OX-5 engine, [19] an exhibit on the precursor to the Air Force, the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, a display on the Women's Air Force, and more. [20] [3]
Outdoors, the Airman Heritage Museum has over 40 aircraft on static display. [21] [22] Most of the Static Display Aerospace Vehicles are located at the Parade Ground Airpark. [3] The aircraft represent Army Air Corps and Air Force history [23] spanning eight decades. [2] [19]
The Security Forces Annex contains 47 exhibits and an archival repository pertaining to the history of the Air Force Security Forces since 1947, [2] including the history of military, air, and security police. [36] Special exhibits are on display regarding women in the Security Forces and military working dogs. [20]
The Airman Heritage Foundation is the private non-profit organization that supports and raises funds for the museum. [3] [15] Its mission is to preserve and honor the history and heritage of enlisted airmen. [4]
The Tuskegee Airmen was a group of African American military pilots and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The name also applies to the navigators, bombardiers, mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, nurses, cooks, and other support personnel. The Tuskegee airmen received praise for their excellent combat record earned while protecting American bombers from enemy fighters. The group was awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations.
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas, United States. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of San Antonio. It is the only site for USAF and United States Space Force enlisted Basic Military Training (BMT).
The Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) (16 AF) is a United States Air Force (USAF) organization responsible for information warfare, which encompasses intelligence gathering and analysis, surveillance, reconnaissance, cyber warfare and electronic warfare operations. Its headquarters is at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.
The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University.
The Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as Air Education and Training Command (AETC) following a merger with Air University (AU) on 1 July 1993.
The Airman's coin is a challenge coin that is awarded to United States Air Force enlisted Airmen upon completion of Basic Military Training at Lackland AFB, Texas. After the award of the coin the individual is no longer referred to as "trainee," but as "Airman," marking the successful completion of the first phase of training in becoming an Airman in the United States Air Force.
The 37th Training Wing is a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the 2nd Air Force and the Air Education and Training Command. As the host unit to Lackland Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, the 37th TRW is the predominant unit on the installation and is the largest training wing in the USAF. Known as the "Gateway to the Air Force", the 37th Training Wing's replaced the Lackland Training Center as the single basic military training for the USAF.
Lawrence Edward Roberts Sr. was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen and a colonel in the United States Air Force, with 32 years of total military service. He is the father of newscaster Robin René Roberts and Sally-Ann Roberts.
Brigadier General Charles Edward McGee was an American fighter pilot who was one of the first African American aviators in the United States military and one of the last living members of the Tuskegee Airmen. McGee first began his career in World War II flying with the Tuskegee Airmen, an all African American military pilot group at a time of segregation in the armed forces. His military aviation career lasted 30 years in which McGee flew 409 combat missions in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War.
The U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument is a monument to military working dogs located at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas. The monument represents handlers, dogs, and veterinary support, from all military service branches that have made up the Military Working Dog program since World War II. The monument grounds include a 3,000 square feet granite plaza, granite pedestals, granite history wall, granite benches and water fountain. The granite pedestals have large bronze statues of dogs and handlers. The monument was dedicated on October 28, 2013.
Theodore P. Johnson, Jr. was an American military serviceman who served during World War II and was a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman.
James Johnson Kelly was a United States Army Air Force/United States Air Force officer who served with the 99th Fighter Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group. He served in the Korean War at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, and he retired in 1971 as a Major in the Air Force and a Squadron Commander.
James Henry Harvey III is a retired United States Army Air Corps/United States Air Force (USAF) officer and former African American fighter pilot who served with 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails", or among enemy German pilots, Schwartze Vogelmenschen. He is one of the 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen pilots.
Granville C. Coggs was an American medical doctor, radiologist, U.S. Army Air Force/U.S. Air Force/U.S. Air Force Reserves officer, and trained bombardier pilot with the 477th Bombardment Group attached to the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He was one of the 1007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.
Clarence Clifford “Jamie” Jamison was a U.S. Army Air Force officer and combat fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the all-African American Tuskegee Airmen, "Red Tails," or “Schwarze Vogelmenschen” among enemy German pilots.
George Richard Bolling I was a U.S. Army Air Force/U.S. Air Force officer and combat fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He was one of 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.
Charles Blakesly "Buster" Hall was an American combat fighter pilot and U.S. Army Air Force/U.S. Air Force officer with the 332nd Fighter Group's 99th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen or "Red Tails".
Yancey Williams was a U.S. Army Air Force/U.S. Air Force officer and pilot with the 85th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen or "Red Tails".
Walter Lee McCreary (POW) was an U.S. Army Air Forces/U.S. Air Force officer, former prisoner of war (POW), and one of the original combat fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group's 100th Fighter Squadron, best known as the Tuskegee Airmen. He was one of the first hundred African American fighter pilots in history, as well as one of 1,007 documented Tuskegee Airmen Pilots.