David
Wed January 8, 2003 12:02am
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Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
Ideal successor to the marvelous Skyraider, the Douglas A-4, a daytime fighter-bomber, was the favorite plane of land-based Marine units and was also widely used by US Navy squadrons, particularly after 1968. Some idea of the Skyhawk's capabilities can be judged by the fact that a single Marine squadron, the VMA-311, carried out a record number of 47,663 sorties between June 1965 and May 1971. The US Navy was so convinced of the aircraft's adaptability to this type of warfare that in 1966, after the initial experiences on the battlefield, it gave the order for production to be resumed so as to take delivery of a further 146 examples of the A-4F. Of all the planes used by the US Navy and US Marine Corps to carry out strike missions in Vietnam, the Skyhawks alone were responsible for over 50 percent; and they suffered the highest battle casualties, losing 196 machines, mainly because they were most often exposed to anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters.
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David
Wed January 8, 2003 12:02am
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Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
Ideal successor to the marvelous Skyraider, the Douglas A-4, a daytime fighter-bomber, was the favorite plane of land-based Marine units and was also widely used by US Navy squadrons, particularly after 1968. Some idea of the Skyhawk's capabilities can be judged by the fact that a single Marine squadron, the VMA-311, carried out a record number of 47,663 sorties between June 1965 and May 1971. The US Navy was so convinced of the aircraft's adaptability to this type of warfare that in 1966, after the initial experiences on the battlefield, it gave the order for production to be resumed so as to take delivery of a further 146 examples of the A-4F. Of all the planes used by the US Navy and US Marine Corps to carry out strike missions in Vietnam, the Skyhawks alone were responsible for over 50 percent; and they suffered the highest battle casualties, losing 196 machines, mainly because they were most often exposed to anti-aircraft fire and enemy fighters.
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David
Thu January 16, 2003 5:41pm
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B-2 Spirit
Function: The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program. The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses.
History: The first B-2 was publicly displayed on Nov. 22, 1988, when it was rolled out of its hangar at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, CA. Its first flight was July 17, 1989. The B-2 Combined Test Force, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, CA, is responsible for flight testing the engineering, manufacturing and development aircraft as they are produced.
Whiteman AFB, MO, is the B-2's only operational base. The first aircraft, Spirit of Missouri, was delivered Dec. 17, 1993. Depot maintenance responsibility for the B-2 is performed by Air Force contractor support and is managed at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Okla.
The prime contractor responsible for overall system design and integration,is Northrop Grumman's Military Aircraft Systems Division. Boeing Military Airplanes Co., Hughes Radar Systems Group and General Electric Aircraft Engine Group are key members of the aircraft contractor team. Another major contractor, responsible for aircrew training devices (weapon system trainer and mission trainer) is Hughes Training Inc. (HTI) - Link Division, formerly known as CAE - Link Flight Simulation Corp. Northrop Grumman and its major subcontractor HTI, are responsible for developing and integrating all aircrew and maintenance training programs.
Description: Along with the B-52 and B-1B, the B-2 provides the penetrating flexibility and effectiveness inherent in manned bombers. Its low-observable, or "stealth," characteristics give it the unique ability to penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most valued, and heavily defended, targets. Its capability to penetrate air defenses and threaten effective retaliation provide a strong, effective deterrent and combat force well into the 21st century.
The revolutionary blending of low-observable technologies with high aerodynamic efficiency and large payload gives the B-2 important advantages over existing bombers. Its low-observability provides it greater freedom of action at high altitudes, thus increasing its range and a better field of view for the aircraft's sensors. Its unrefueled range is approximately 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometers).
The B-2's low observability is derived from a combination of reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures. These signatures make it difficult for the sophisticated defensive systems to detect, track and engage the B-2. Many aspects of the low-observability process remain classified; however, the B-2's composite materials, special coatings and flying-wing design all contribute to its "stealthiness."
The B-2 has a crew of two pilots, a pilot in the left seat and mission commander in the right, compared to the B-1B's crew of four and the B-52's crew of five.
?General Characteristics, B-2 Spirit
Prime Contractor:
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Contractor Team:
Boeing Military Airplanes Co., General Electric Aircraft Engine Group and Hughes Training Inc., Link Division
Unit Cost:
Approximately $1.3 billion
Power Plant:
Four General Electric F-118-GE-100 engines
Thrust:
17,300 pounds each engine
Length:
69 feet (20.9 meters)
Height:
17 feet (5.1 meters)
Wingspan:
172 feet (52.12 meters)
Weight:
Empty, approximately 190,000 pounds (86,183 kilograms)
Typical Take-off Weight:
336,500 pounds (152,635 kilograms)
Speed:
High subsonic
Ceiling:
50,000 feet (15,152 meters)
Range:
Intercontinental, unrefueled
Crew:
Two pilots
Armament:
Conventional or nuclear weapons
Payload:
40,000 pounds (18,144 kilograms)
Inventory:
Active force: 21 (planned operational aircraft)
ANG: 0
Reserve: 0
Date Deployed:
December 1993
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David
Sat January 18, 2003 9:13am
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A Lockheed Martin-built T
A Lockheed Martin-built Titan IV B rocket successfully launched a classified payload for the U.S. Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on 17 August 2000. The NRO is the U.S. government agency responsible for reconnaissance satellites. The launch was from Space Launch Complex Four East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. This was the second Titan IV launched successfully this year and the 30th Titan IV launch overall. Ten Titan IVs have been launched from Vandenberg, 20 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. The Titan IV B is capable of boosting payloads weighing 38,800 pounds into low-Earth polar orbit, 47,800 pounds into low-Earth equatorial orbit, or more than 12,700 pounds into geosynchronous orbit.
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 12:53pm
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Delta II Medium Launch Ve
Function: The Delta II is an expendable launch, medium-lift vehicle used to launch Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites into orbit, providing navigational data to military users. Additionally, the Delta II launches civil and commercial payloads into low-earth, polar, geo-transfer and geosynchronous orbits.
Description: The Delta II stands a total height of 125.9 feet (37.8 meters). The payload fairing -- the shroud covering the third stage and the satellite -- is 9.5 ft wide to accommodate the GPS satellite. A 10-foot (3.3 meters) wide fairing also is available for larger payloads. Six of the nine solid-rocket motors that ring the first stage separate after one minute of flight, and the remaining three ignite, then separate, after burn-out one minute later.
The Delta II is launched primarily from Cape Canaveral AFS, FL, but is also launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. Members of Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, with headquarters at Patrick AFB, FL, and 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg are responsible for the Delta II's military launch missions.
History: The Delta launch vehicle family began in 1959 when NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center awarded a contract to Douglas Aircraft Company (now Boeing) to produce and integrate 12 space-launch vehicles. The Delta used components from the U.S. Air Force's Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile as its first stage and the U.S. Navy's Vanguard launch-vehicle program as its second. The first Delta was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 13, 1960 and had the ability to deliver a 100-pound spacecraft into geostationary transfer orbit.
In January 1987 the Air Force awarded a contract to McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing, for construction of 18 Delta IIs to launch Navstar GPS satellites, originally programmed for launch on the space shuttle. Since then, the order expanded to accommodate 28 GPS satellite-dedicated launch vehicles.
The first Delta II was successfully launched on Feb. 14, 1989, at Cape Canaveral. There are two primary versions of the Delta II (6925 and 7925). The Delta 6925, the first version, carried the initial nine GPS satellites into orbit.
The Delta program has more than 245 successful domestic and foreign military and commercial launches. The Delta accomplished many firsts over the years. These include the first international satellite, Telstar I, in 1962; the first geosynchronous-orbit satellite, Syncorn II, in 1963; and the first commercial communications satellite, COMSAT I, in 1965.
General Characteristics, Delta II
Builder:
Boeing Company, Expendable Launch Systems
Power Plant, First Stage:
One Rocketdyne RS-27 and two LR-101-NA-11 vernier engines; both use refined kerosene and liquid oxygen as its propellants; thrust (sea level), 200,000 pounds
Power Plant, Second Stage:
Restartable Aerojet AJ10-110K motor; uses nitrogen tetroxide and Aerozine 50 propellants; thrust, 9,750 pounds
Payload Assist Module:
If used, Star-48B Solid-fuel Rocket, 14,920 pounds
Nine Alliant Techsystems strap-on graphite-epoxy motors surround the first stage for augmented lift-off; thrust 100,270 pounds
Thrust at Liftoff:
699,250 pounds
Height:
125 feet, 9 inches (38.32 meters)
Diameter:
Fairing: 9.5 feet (2.87 meters)
Core: 8 feet (2.4 meters)
Weight:
511,190 pounds (231,870 kilograms)
Lift Capability:
Can carry payloads into near-earth orbits (approximately 100 nautical miles [160 kilometers] in space)
Can lift up to 11,100 pounds (4,995 kilograms) into a 28-degree circular near-earth orbit and up to 8,420 pounds (3,789 kilograms) into a 90-degree polar near-earth orbit
Can carry up to 4,010 pounds (1,804.5 kilograms) into geo-transfer orbit (approximately 12,000 miles [19,200 kilometers]) and up to 2,000 pounds (909 kilograms) into geosynchronous orbit (approximately 22,000 miles [35,200 kilometers])
Payloads:
Three-stage Delta 7925 has carried 29 GPS Block II satellites into orbit, with another 19 slated to launch as needed
National Reconnaissance Office's GeoLITE payload will also use a Delta 7925
Two-stage Delta 7920 launched the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite, an Air Force Space Test Program mission.
Guidance System:
Delta Redundant Inertial Flight Control Assembly manufactured by Allied Signal Aerospace
Date Deployed:
November 26, 1990 (7920/7925 series)
Launch Sites:
Space Launch Complex 17, Cape Canaveral AFS, FL
Space Launch Complex 2, Vandenberg AFB, CA
Inventory:
Active force, 2 (with more on order)
Unit Cost:
Unavailable
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 1:14pm
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Defense Satellite Communi
Function: The Defense Satellite Communications Systems (DSCS) is an important part of the comprehensive plan to support globally distributed military users.
Description: Air Force Space Command operates ten Phase III DSCS satellites that orbit the earth at an altitude of more than 22,000 miles. Each satellite uses six super high frequency transponder channels capable of providing secure voice and high rate data communications. DSCS III also carries a single-channel transponder for disseminating emergency action and force direction messages to nuclear-capable forces.
The system is used for high priority command and control communication such as the exchange of wartime information between defense officials and battlefield commanders. The military also uses DSCS to transmit space operations and early warning data to various systems and users.
Background: The Air Force began launching the DSCS IIIs in 1982. The system is built with single, multiple-beam antennas that provide more flexible coverage than its predecessor. The single steerable dish antenna provides an increased power spot beam which can be tailored to suit the needs of different size user terminals. DSCS III satellites can resist jamming and are expected to operate twice as long as the previous generation.
DSCS users operate on the ground, at sea or in the air. Members of the 50th Space Wing's 3rd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., provide satellite bus command and control for all DSCS satellites.
Air Force Materiel Command's Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., is responsible for development and acquisition of DSCS satellites and ground systems.
General Characteristics, Defense Satellite Communications System
Primary Contractor:
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space
Power Plant:
Solar arrays generating average of 1,500 watts
Dimensions:
Rectangular body is 6 feet long (1.8 meters), 6 feet high (1.8 meters), and 7 feet wide (2.1 meters); 38-foot span (11.5 meters) with solar arrays deployed)
Weight:
2,716 pounds (1,232 kilograms)
Orbit Altitude:
22,230 miles (35,887 kilometers)
Launch Vehicle:
Atlas II, later the evolved expendable launch vehicle
Inventory:
4
Unit Replacement Cost:
$200 million
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 1:14pm
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Milstar Satellite Communi
Function: Global surviving and enduring military communications system.
Description: Milstar is a joint service satellite communications system that provides worldwide secure, jam resistant and low probability of detection nuclear-event resistant communications for all forces across the spectrum of conflict.
The multi-satellite constellation will link command authorities with a wide variety of resources, including ships, submarines, aircraft, land vehicles and manned-portable systems.
Milstar is the most advanced military communications satellite system to date and represents the future of the U.S. communications capability. The operational Milstar satellite constellation will consist of four satellites positioned around the Earth in geosynchronous orbits. Each mid-latitude satellite weighs approximately 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) and have a design life of 10 years.
Each Milstar satellite serves as a smart switchboard in space by directing traffic from terminal to terminal anywhere on the Earth. Since the satellite actually processes the communications signal and can link with other Milstar satellites through crosslinks, the requirement for ground controlled switching is significantly reduced. The satellite establishes, maintains, reconfigures and disassembles required communications circuits as directed by the users. Milstar terminals provide encrypted voice, data, teletype or facsimile communications. A key goal of Milstar is to provide interoperable communications among the users of Army, Navy, and Air Force Milstar terminals.
Geographically dispersed mobile and fixed control stations provide survivable and enduring operational command and control for the Milstar constellation.
The Milstar system is composed of three segments: space (the satellites), terminal (the users), and mission control. Air Force Materiel Command's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) at Los Angeles AFB, CA, is responsible for development and acquisition of the Milstar space and mission control segments. The Electronics Systems Center (ESC) at Hanscom AFB, MA is responsible for the Air Force portion of the terminal segment development and acquisition. The 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, CO, is the front line organization providing real time satellite platform control and communications payload management.
History: The first Milstar satellite was launched Feb. 7, 1994 aboard a Titan IV expendable launch vehicle. The second was launched Nov. 5, 1995. Beginning with the fourth launch in 2000, the satellites will have greatly increased capacity because of an additional medium data rate payload. A total of three launches remain.
General Characteristics, Milistar Satellite Communications System
Primary Contractor:
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space
Power Plant:
Solar panels generating 5,000 watts
Payload:
All satellites: Low data rate communications (voice, data, teletype and facsimile) at 75 bps to 2,400 bps
Medium data rate communications (voice, data, teletype, facsimile) at 4.8 kbps to 1.544 bps (Satellites 4 through 6 only)
Weight:
About 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms)
Orbit Altitude:
22,300 nautical miles (inclined geostationary orbit)
Launch Vehicle:
Titan IVB/Centaur upper stage
Inventory:
2
Unit Replacement Cost:
$800 million
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 1:14pm
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Defense Support Program S
Function: Primary mission: Strategic and tactical missile launch detection.
Description: Air Force Space Command-operated Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites are a key part of North America's early warning systems. In their 22,000 miles-plus geosynchronous orbits, DSP satellites help protect the United States and its allies by detecting missile launches, space launches and nuclear detonations.
DSP satellites use an infrared sensor to detect heat from missile and booster plumes against the earth's background. In 1995, a new means of processing DSP data called Attack and Launch Early Reporting to Theater (ALERT) was brought on line. This capability provides improved warning of attack by short-range missiles against U.S. and allied forces overseas.
Numerous improvement projects have enabled DSP to provide accurate, reliable data in the face of evolving missile threats. On-station sensor reliability has provided uninterrupted service well past their design lifetime. Recent technological improvements include enhanced sensor resolution, increased on-board signal-processing capability to improve clutter rejection, and enhanced reliability and survivability improvements. In the 21st century, the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) will replace DSP.
The 21st Space Wing, located at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., has units that operate DSP satellites and report warning information, via communications links, to the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command early warning centers within Cheyenne Mountain, located near Colorado Springs, Colo. These centers immediately forward data to various agencies and areas of operations around the world.
The 50th Space Wing at Schriever AFB, Colo., provides command and control support for the satellites.
The Defense Support Program is managed by Space and Missile Systems Center (Air Force Materiel Command), Space Based Infrared System Program office at Los Angeles AFB, Calif. The office is responsible for development and acquisition of the satellites.
Typically, DSP satellites are launched into geosynchronous orbit on a Titan IV booster and inertial upper stage combination. However, one DSP satellite was launched using the space shuttle on mission STS-44 (Nov. 24, 1991).
History: The program came to life with the first launch of a DSP satellite in the early 1970s. Since that time, DSP satellites have provided an uninterrupted early warning capability. The original DSP weighed 2,000 pounds and had 400 watts of power, 2,000 detectors and a design life of 1.25 years. In the 1970s, the satellite was upgraded to meet new mission requirements. As a result, the weight grew to 5,250 pounds, the power to 1,275 watts, the number of detectors increased by threefold to 6,000 and the design life was three years with a goal of five years.
DSP's effectiveness was proven during Desert Storm, when DSP detected the launch of Iraqi Scud missiles and provided warning to civilian populations and coalition forces in Israel and Saudi Arabia.
?General Characteristics, Defense Support Program Satellites
Contractor Team:
Thompson Ramo Woolridge (TRW) and Aerojet Electronics Systems
Power Plant:
Solar arrays generate 1,485 watts
Weight:
5,250 pounds (2,386 kilograms)
Height:
32.8 feet (10 meters) on orbit
28 feet (8.5 meters) at launch
Diameter:
22 feet (6.7 meters) on orbit
13.7 feet (4.2 meters) at launch
Design Life:
Block II/IIA: 7.5 years
Block IIR: 10 years
Orbit Altitude:
22,000 miles (35,200 kilometers)
Date Deployed:
1970
Latest Satellite Block:
Sat 23
Inventory:
Classified
Unit Replacement Cost:
$400 million
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David
Tue February 11, 2003 1:14pm
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NAVSTAR Global Positionin
Function: Precise navigation, timing and velocity information worldwide.
Description: The Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based constellation of orbiting satellites that provides navigation data to military and civilian users all over the world. The system is operated and controlled by the 50th Space Wing, located at Schriever Air Force Base, CO.
The GPS constellation is designed and operated as a 24-satellite system, consisting of six planes, with a minimum of four satellites per plane. GPS satellites orbit the earth every 12 hours, emitting continuous navigation signals. With the proper equipment, users can receive these signals to calculate time, location and velocity. The signals are so accurate, time can be figured to within a millionth of a second, velocity within a fraction of a mile per hour and location to within 100 feet. Receivers have been developed for use in aircraft, ships and land vehicles, as well as for hand carrying.
GPS provides 24-hour navigation services including:
- Extremely accurate, three-dimensional location information (latitude, longitude and altitude), velocity and precise time
- A worldwide common grid that is easily converted to any local grid
- Passive all-weather operations
- Continuous real-time information
- Support to an unlimited number of users and areas
- Support to civilian users at a slightly less accurate level
The Delta II expendable launch vehicle is used to launch GPS satellites from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., into nearly 11,000-mile circular orbits. While circling the earth, the systems transmit signals on two different L-band frequencies. Their design life is 7.5 years.
Background: The GPS master control station, operated by the 50th Space Wing's 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., is responsible for monitoring and controlling the GPS satellite constellation. The GPS-dedicated ground system consists of five monitor stations and four ground antennas located around the world. The monitor stations use GPS receivers to passively track the navigation signals on all satellites. Information from the monitor stations is then processed at the master control station and used to update the satellites' navigation messages.
The master control station crew sends updated navigation information to GPS satellites through ground antennas using an S-band signal. The ground antennas are also used to transmit commands to satellites and to receive state-of-health data (telemetry).
GPS capabilities were put to the test during the U.S. involvement in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Allied troops relied heavily on GPS to navigate the featureless Saudi Arabian desert. Forward air controllers, pilots, tank drivers and even cooks used the system successfully.
Air Force Materiel Command's Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., acts as the executive agent for the Department of Defense in acquiring GPS satellites and user equipment. Activities within the DOD are well under way to equip all U.S. military forces with GPS receivers by the year 2000.
General Characteristics, NAVSTAR Global Positioning System
Primary Contractor:
Block I and II/IIA, Rockwell International (Boeing North American); Block IIR, Lockheed Martin; Block IIF, Boeing North American
Power Plant:
Solar panels generating 800 watts
Weight:
Block IIA: 3,670 pounds (1,816 kilograms)
Block IIR: 4,480 pounds (2,217 kilograms
Height:
Block IIA: 136 inches (3.4 meters)
Block IIR: 70 inches (1.7 meters)
Width (Includes Wingspan):
Block IIA: 208.6 inches (5.3 meters)
Block IIR: 449 inches (11.4 meters)
Design Life:
Block II/IIA: 7.5 years
Block IIR: 10 years
Date of First Launch:
1978
Launch Vehicle:
Delta II
Date Constellation Operational:
July 1995 (at full operational capacity)
Inventory:
Block II/IIA: 27 fully operational satellites
Contract for 21 Block IIR and 6 Block IIF satellites
Unit Replacement Cost:
$800 million
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David
Tue March 25, 2003 7:48am
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A Fire Controlman (FC) re
A Fire Controlman (FC) replaces a vertical gyro in a Close in Weapon System (CWIS) aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). FCs maintain the control mechanism used in weapons systems on combat ships. They are responsible for the operation, routine care and repair of this equipment, which includes radars, computers, weapons direction equipment, target designation systems, gyroscopes and range finders.
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Marissa
Tue March 25, 2003 6:40pm
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F-16 Fighting Falcon Pilo
F-16 Fighting Falcon Pilot from the 410 Air Expeditionary Wing performs a munitions check, preparing it for an operation sortie in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom forward deployed in an undisclosed location, March 21, 2003. The 410 AEW is responsible for critical sorties flown in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the multinational coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and end the regime of Saddam Hussein.
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David
Wed December 31, 2003 1:28am
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Responsible adults
Responsible adults
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David
Thu January 8, 2004 3:03pm
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Air Force Air Transport C
The Air Force Air Transport Command (AFATC) shoulder patch was changed from the design previously used by its parent unit the Air Force Ferrying Command. This modified patch would be of the same general design but would be silver, instead of gold, and the morse code would read "AFATC" instead of the "AFFC". The design of the shoulder patch suggests a stylized aircraft being ferried from east to west over a portion of the globe. The design is based on a Presidential Directive from Franklin D. Roosevelt (as Commander in Chief) ordering that ircraft be ferried for delivery to the British "with the greatest possible speed." It should be noted that the short and long red and blue lines extending from the globe to the tip of the wing form the Morse code letters and were part of the originally approved design. Although the QMG made no mention of the new "cloth" insignia just the metal insignia, it is believed that these patches were worn by local approval only.
The AFATC was established on June 20th, 1942, as a successor Command to the SAir Forces Ferrying Command with Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Ferrying Division of AFATC took charge of all ferrying operations and continured this missiion of ferrying aircraft to foreign and domestic destinations and often delivered 8,000 aircraft monthly. AFATC was also made responsible for transporting all War Department personnel, material, and mail (escept for areas served by Troop Carrier Units). In addition, AFATC was given the control, operation, and maintenance for all air route facilities and establishments in effect, the AFATC became "an agency in which the War Department had centered a;ll responsibbility for the development of air transport." To accomplish its mission, AFATC established a network of over 200 bases along 100,000 miles of overseas routes and 35,000 miles of domestic routes. Aircraft from civilian carriers were contracted (Air Carrier Contracat Personnel)) and added to the Command, ad passenger service became a major function of AFATC. With the addition of overseas wings to the Command, the prompt delivery of cargo to combat areas in any theater of operations became "one of the most significant developments of the war." While statistics do not indicat4 how many battles were won by the prompt delivery of priority cargo to the battlefront by the Air Transport Command, history reveals that no battle was ever lost because of a lack of support from the men of this fine unit.
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David
Mon July 25, 2005 11:58am
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World War II Memorial
National WWII Memorial
Visiting the Memorial
The memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004 and was dedicated one month later on May 29. It is located on 17th Street, between Constitution and Independence Avenues, and is flanked by the Washington Monument to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west. The memorial is now operated by the National Park Service and is open to visitors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Authorization
President Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 on May 25, 1993, authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to establish a World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., or its environs. It will be the first national memorial dedicated to all who served during World War II and acknowledging the commitment and achievement of the entire nation.
The law also authorized the president to appoint a Memorial Advisory Board to offer advice to the ABMC on site selection and design of the memorial, as well as to perform its primary duty of promoting and encouraging private donations for the building of the memorial. The board was appointed in September 1994, and works under the chairmanship of Pete Wheeler, commissioner of veterans affairs of the state of Georgia.
Purpose
The memorial will honor the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial will be a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world. It will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in securing freedom and democracy. Above all, the memorial will stand as an important symbol of American national unity, a timeless reminder of the moral strength and awesome power that can flow when a free people are at once united and bonded together in a common and just cause.
Site
The first step in establishing the memorial was the selection of an appropriate site. Congress provided legislative authority for siting the memorial in the prime area of the national capital, known as Area I, which includes the National Mall. The National Park Service, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission approved selection of the Rainbow Pool site at the east end of the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. President Clinton dedicated the memorial site during a formal ceremony on Veterans Day 1995.
Design
ABMC engaged the General Services Administration?s (GSA) Public Buildings Service to act as its agent to manage the memorial project. The design submitted by Friedrich St. Florian, an architect based in Providence, R.I., was selected as one of six semi-finalists in an open, national competition. Leo A Daly, an international architecture firm, assembled the winning team with St. Florian as the design architect. The team also includes George E. Hartman of Hartman-Cox Architects, Oehme van Sweden & Associates, sculptor Ray Kaskey, and stone carver and letterer Nick Benson. St. Florian?s memorial design concept was approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission in the summer of 1998. The commissions approved the preliminary design in 1999, the final architectural design and several ancillary elements in 2000, granite selections in 2001, and sculpture and inscriptions in 2002 and 2003.
Fundraising Campaign
The memorial is funded primarily by private contributions. The fund-raising campaign was led by National Chairman Senator Bob Dole and National Co-Chairman Frederick W. Smith.
Senator Dole, a World War II veteran seriously wounded on the battlefield and twice decorated with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, was the Republican nominee for president in 1996 and the longest-serving Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate.
Frederick W. Smith is chairman, president and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation, a $17 billion global transportation and logistics holding company. He is a graduate of Yale and a former U.S. Marine Corps officer, and serves on the boards of various transport, industry and civic organizations.
The memorial received more than $195 million in cash and pledges. This total includes $16 million provided by the federal government.
Timeline
Construction began in September 2001, and the memorial opened to the public on April 29, 2004. The memorial will be dedicated on Saturday, May 29, 2004.
ABMC
The American Battle Monuments Commission is an independent, executive branch agency with 11 commissioners and a secretary appointed by the president. The ABMC administers, operates and maintains 24 permanent U.S. military cemeteries and 25 memorial structures in 15 countries around the world, including three memorials in the United States. The commission is also responsible for the establishment of other memorials in the U.S. as directed by Congress.
Chronology
In 1993, the Congress passed legislation authorizing the building of a National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., or its immediate environs. The authorizing legislation was signed into law by the President on May 25, 1993. The responsibility for designing and constructing the memorial was given to the American Battle Monuments Commission, an independent federal agency created by law in 1923. The memorial will honor all who served in the American armed services during World War II and the entire nation's contribution to the war effort. The following summary highlights key events in the history of the project.
1987 - 1993
Dec 10, '87 - Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) introduces legislation to authorize establishing a memorial on federal land in the District of Columbia or its environs. Similar legislation was introduced in 1989, 1991 and 1993.
May 25, '93 - President Clinton signs Public Law 103-32 authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II Memorial in the District or its environs.
1994
Sep 30 - The President appoints a 12-member Memorial Advisory Board (MAB), as authorized in Public Law 103-32, to advise the ABMC in site selection and design, and to promote donations to support memorial construction.
Oct 6-7 - The House and Senate pass Joint Resolution 227 approving location of the World War II Memorial in the Capital?s monumental core area because of its lasting historic significance to the nation. The President signed the resolution into law on October 25th.
1995
Jan 20 - ABMC and MAB hold their first joint site selection session attended by representatives of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the National Capital Memorial Commission (NCMC), the National Park Service (NPS), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seven potential sites are visited:
Capitol Reflecting Pool area (between 3rd Street and the Reflecting Pool)
Tidal Basin (northeast side, east of the Tidal Basin parking lot and west of the 14th Street Bridge access road)
West Potomac Park (between Ohio Drive and the northern shore of the Potomac River, northwest of the FDR Memorial site)
Constitution Gardens (east end, between Constitution Avenue and the Rainbow Pool)
Washington Monument grounds (at Constitution Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets, west of the Museum of American History)
Freedom Plaza (on Pennsylvania Avenue between 14th and 15th Streets)
Henderson Hall, adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery (Henderson Hall was dropped from consideration because of its unavailability).
Mar 2 - The ABMC and MAB unanimously select the Constitution Gardens site as the most appropriate one out of the six alternatives.
May 9 & Jun 20 - The NCMC holds public hearings on the site for the World War II Memorial with consideration given to both the Constitution Gardens site and the Capitol Reflecting Pool site on Third Street.
Jul 27 - The CFA concludes after a public hearing that the Constitution Gardens site would not be commensurate with the historical significance of World War II, and requests that further consideration be given to the Capitol Reflecting Pool and Freedom Plaza along with a new alternative, the traffic circle on Columbia Island on the Lincoln Memorial-Arlington Cemetery axis. The Rainbow Pool is discussed as a possible alternative site.
Aug 6 - The ABMC proposes to the chairmen of the CFA, NCPC and NPS that the Rainbow Pool site with space on both sides of the pool be studied as a replacement for the Constitution Gardens site.
Sep 19 - In a public meeting, the CFA unanimously approves the Rainbow Pool site with the understanding that design guidelines be developed in consultation with them.
Oct 5 - During a public meeting, the NCPC approves the Rainbow Pool site on the condition that the Mall?s east-west vista formed by the elm trees bordering the Reflecting Pool would be preserved.
Nov 11 - The President dedicates the memorial site in a formal ceremony that concludes the 50th Anniversary of World War II commemorations. A plaque marks the site as the future location of the World War II Memorial.
1996
Apr 19 - The ABMC and General Services Administration (GSA), acting as agent for the ABMC, announce a two-stage open design competition for the memorial that closed on Aug 12th.
Aug 15-16 - Four hundred and four entries are reviewed by a distinguished Evaluation Board that selects six competition finalists. The second stage competition closes on Oct 25th.
Oct 29 - A Design Jury composed of distinguished architects, landscape architects, architectural critics and WWII veterans review the designs of the six finalists.
Oct 30-31 - The Evaluation Board evaluates finalist design submissions and interviews the six design teams. Both the Design Jury and the Evaluation Board, independently of each other, recommend unanimously that the Leo A. Daly team with Friedrich St. Florian as design architect be selected. ABMC approves the recommendation on Nov 20th.
1997
Jan 17 - The President announces St. Florian?s winning memorial design during a White House ceremony.
Mar 19 - Senator Bob Dole is named National Chairman of the memorial campaign.
Jul 24 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves many elements of the design concept, but voices strong concern over the mass and scale and the interior space of the concept as presented. The CFA requests that the design be given further study and resubmitted at a later date, but unanimously reaffirms the Rainbow Pool site.
Jul 31 - In a public hearing, the NCPC reaffirms its approval of the Rainbow Pool site, but requests design modifications and an analysis of various environmental considerations prior to the commission's further action on a revised design concept.
Aug 19 - ABMC announces that Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Federal Express Corporation, will team with Senator Dole as National Co-Chairman of the World War II Memorial Campaign.
1998
Apr 7 - ABMC approves the recommendation of its Site and Design Committee that St. Florian?s revised design concept be forwarded to the CFA, the NCPC and the District of Columbia?s Historic Preservation Office for their action.
May 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the revised design concept.
Jul 9 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the revised design concept.
1999
Apr 21 - ABMC approves the recommendation of its Site and Design Committee that St. Florian?s preliminary design be forwarded to the CFA and NCPC for their action.
May 20 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the memorial?s preliminary design.
Jun 3 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the memorial's preliminary design.
2000
Jul 20 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the memorial?s final architectural design.
Sep 21 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the memorial?s final architectural design.
Nov 11 - A groundbreaking ceremony attended by 15,000 people is held at the memorial?s Rainbow Pool site.
Nov 16 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves several ancillary elements of the memorial: an information pavilion, a comfort station, an access road and a contemplative area.
Dec 14 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves several ancillary elements of the memorial: an information pavilion, a comfort station, an access road and a contemplative area.
2001
Jan 23 - Construction permit issued by the National Park Service.
Mar 9 - Construction, which was to begin in March, is delayed indefinitely pending resolution of a lawsuit filed by a small opposition group in Washington, D.C., and a procedural issue involving the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), one of the agencies required by law to approve the memorial.
May 21-22 - The House and Senate pass legislation directing that the memorial be constructed expeditiously at the dedicated Rainbow Pool site on the National Mall in a manner consistent with previous approvals and permits. President Bush signed the legislation into law (Public Law 107-11) on Memorial Day, May 28th.
Jun 7 - The General Services Administration, acting as agent for the American Battle Monuments Commission, awards a $56 million construction contract to the joint venture of Tompkins Builders and Grunley-Walsh Construction.
Jun 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves the granite selections for the memorial.
Jul 3 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves the granite selections for the memorial.
Aug 27 - Tompkins/Grunley-Walsh begin site preparation work at the memorial's Rainbow Pool site on the National Mall. Construction begins one week later.
2002
Mar 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves designs for flagpoles and announcement piers at the ceremonial entrance, and artistic enhancements to the field of gold stars. A proposed announcement stone design was not approved.
Apr 4 - In a public hearing, the NCPC approves designs for flagpoles and announcement piers at the ceremonial entrance and an announcement stone at the east memorial plaza, and artistic enhancements to the field of gold stars.
Jul 18 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves concepts for 24 bas-relief sculpture panels, and requests that the announcement stone be designed for the ceremonial entrance of the memorial rather than the proposed location on the plaza.
Oct 17 ? In a public hearing, the CFA approves the redesigned announcement stone at the ceremonial entrance, and endorses the thematic content of proposed inscriptions but recommends minor adjustments in their presentation.
Nov 21 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves inscriptions for the memorial.
2003
Apr 22 - In a public hearing, the CFA approves inscriptions for the memorial.
2004
Apr 29 - The National World War II Memorial opens to the public.
May 29 - The National World War II Memorial is formally dedicated in a ceremony that draws 150,000 people.
Nov 1 - The memorial becomes part of the National Park System when it is transferred from the American Battle Monuments Commission to the National Park Service, which assumes responsibility for its operations and maintenance.
National World War II Memorial Inscriptions
The following inscriptions are inscribed in the National World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The inscriptions are presented by location.
Announcement Stone
HERE IN THE PRESENCE OF WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN,
ONE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY FATHER AND THE OTHER THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY PRESERVER OF OUR NATION, WE HONOR
THOSE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICANS WHO TOOK UP THE STRUGGLE
DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND MADE THE SACRIFICES TO
PERPETUATE THE GIFT OUR FOREFATHERS ENTRUSTED TO US:
A NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
Flagpoles
AMERICANS CAME TO LIBERATE, NOT TO CONQUER,
TO RESTORE FREEDOM AND TO END TYRANNY
Eastern Corners
PEARL HARBOR
DECEMBER 7, 1941, A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY?NO
MATTER HOW LONG IT MAY TAKE US TO OVERCOME THIS
PREMEDITATED INVASION, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, IN THEIR
RIGHTEOUS MIGHT, WILL WIN THROUGH TO ABSOLUTE VICTORY.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
THEY HAVE GIVEN THEIR SONS TO THE MILITARY SERVICES. THEY
HAVE STOKED THE FURNACES AND HURRIED THE FACTORY WHEELS.
THEY HAVE MADE THE PLANES AND WELDED THE TANKS,
RIVETED THE SHIPS AND ROLLED THE SHELLS.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
WOMEN WHO STEPPED UP WERE MEASURED AS CITIZENS OF THE NATION,
NOT AS WOMEN?THIS WAS A PEOPLE?S WAR, AND EVERYONE WAS IN IT.
Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby
THEY FOUGHT TOGETHER AS BROTHERS-IN-ARMS.
THEY DIED TOGETHER AND NOW THEY SLEEP SIDE BY SIDE.
TO THEM WE HAVE A SOLEMN OBLIGATION.
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Southern Walls
BATTLE OF MIDWAY JUNE 4-7, 1942
THEY HAD NO RIGHT TO WIN. YET THEY DID, AND IN DOING SO THEY CHANGED
THE COURSE OF A WAR?EVEN AGAINST THE GREATEST OF ODDS, THERE IS
SOMETHING IN THE HUMAN SPIRIT ? A MAGIC BLEND OF SKILL, FAITH AND
VALOR ? THAT CAN LIFT MEN FROM CERTAIN DEFEAT TO INCREDIBLE VICTORY.
Walter Lord, Author
THE WAR?S END
TODAY THE GUNS ARE SILENT. A GREAT TRAGEDY HAS ENDED. A GREAT
VICTORY HAS BEEN WON. THE SKIES NO LONGER RAIN DEATH ? THE SEAS
BEAR ONLY COMMERCE ? MEN EVERYWHERE WALK UPRIGHT IN THE
SUNLIGHT. THE ENTIRE WORLD IS QUIETLY AT PEACE.
General Douglas MacArthur
Northern Walls
WE ARE DETERMINED THAT BEFORE THE SUN SETS ON THIS TERRIBLE STRUGGLE
OUR FLAG WILL BE RECOGNIZED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS A SYMBOL OF
FREEDOM ON THE ONE HAND AND OF OVERWHELMING FORCE ON THE OTHER.
General George C. Marshall
D-DAY JUNE 6, 1944
YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON THE GREAT CRUSADE TOWARD
WHICH WE HAVE STRIVEN THESE MANY MONTHS. THE EYES OF
THE WORLD ARE UPON YOU?I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR
COURAGE, DEVOTION TO DUTY AND SKILL IN BATTLE.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Western Corners
OUR DEBT TO THE HEROIC MEN AND VALIANT WOMEN IN THE SERVICE
OF OUR COUNTRY CAN NEVER BE REPAID. THEY HAVE EARNED OUR
UNDYING GRATITUDE. AMERICA WILL NEVER FORGET THEIR SACRIFICES.
President Harry S Truman
THE HEROISM OF OUR OWN TROOPS?WAS MATCHED BY THAT
OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE NATIONS THAT FOUGHT BY OUR
SIDE?THEY ABSORBED THE BLOWS?AND THEY SHARED TO THE
FULL IN THE ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY.
President Harry S Truman
Southern Fountain Copings
CHINA * BURMA * INDIA SOUTHWEST PACIFIC CENTRAL PACIFIC NORTH PACIFIC
PEARL HARBOR * WAKE ISLAND * BATAAN CORREGIDOR * CORAL SEA *
MIDWAY * GUADALCANAL * NEW GUINEA * BUNA * TARAWA *
KWAJALEIN * ATTU * SAIPAN TINIAN GUAM * PHILIPPINE SEA * PELELIU *
LEYTE GULF * LUZON * MANILA * IWO JIMA * OKINAWA * JAPAN
Northern Fountain Copings
NORTH AFRICA SOUTHERN EUROPE WESTERN EUROPE CENTRAL EUROPE
BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC * MURMANSK RUN * TUNISIA *
SICILY SALERNO ANZIO ROME PO VALLEY * NORMANDY *
ST.LO * AIR WAR IN EUROPE * ALSACE * RHINELAND *
HUERTGEN FOREST * BATTLE OF THE BULGE *
REMAGEN BRIDGE * GERMANY
Southern and Northern Arches
1941 ? 1945 VICTORY ON LAND VICTORY AT SEA VICTORY IN THE AIR
Freedom Wall ? Field of Gold Stars
HERE WE MARK THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
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frisco-kid
Tue December 20, 2005 11:54pm
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09
A memorial in Vinh Long to the VC dead. Gimpy, Brice, and those other 9th ID boys are probably responsible for a big share of them.
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