written by Todd DePastino Former USAF pilot Dick Westerhoff recently mentioned that when he flew the F-104 in the late 1950s, the ejection seat fired downward out the bottom of the aircraft. If you think that sounds like a bad idea, you're right. It was. Dick's Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was the leading
Written by Todd DePastino The Berlin Air Lift of 1948-1949 owed its enormous success not only to the skill, determination, and courage of its air crews but also to good old American hoopla that publicized it. The Cold War, among other things, was a battle of messaging, as the United States and the Soviet
Written by Todd DePastino All he did was give candy to children. But in doing so, Lieutenant Gail Halvorsen inadvertently launched one of the greatest diplomatic missions of the Cold War. A Douglas C-54 Skymaster dropping candy over Berlin (Museum of USAF) In November 2020, we welcomed the 100-year-old Berlin Airlift hero
Written by Todd DePastino The Berlin Airlift, which began 75 years ago on June 25, was one of the United States Armed Forces’ finest hours. Children watching a U.S. cargo plane landing at Tempelhof Airfield in Berlin, 1948 (USAF Historical Research Agency) For almost one year, the US Air Force, with the
By Todd DePastino Kristian Clayton on VBC Happy Hour in August 2022 Quick action and old Air Force training made youth football coach Kristian Clayton a genuine hero last August, after he saved a baby choking on a plastic soda cap. Coach Clayton had just given his players a break from drills
