Official Site of the U.S. Air Force

Heritage

The Heritage section is dedicated to the former Airmen who developed the independent Air Force and continue its evolution into cyberspace. The subsections provide an overview of important people and milestones. The data has biographical profiles and citations for Medal of Honor recipients along with spotlights featuring important dates in Air Force heritage. The people, events and equipment of the past are integral to understanding the future.

This Week in History

May 13, 1911
Lts. Henry H. Arnold and Thomas DeWitt Milling completed their training at Simms Station, to become the first Army pilots to graduate from the Wright School in Dayton, Ohio.

May 13, 1941
In a mass flight over the Pacific, 21 B-17s took off from Hamilton Field, Calif., and landed on May 14 at Hickam Field, Hawaii, 13 hours, 10 minutes later.

May 13, 1942
The first U.S. bombardment squadron, the 15th, sent to England without aircraft. It flew the first U.S. Army Air Forces operations over Western Europe on July 4 against enemy airfields in the Netherlands.

May 13, 1948
The first U.S. built two-staged rocket, the Bumper-WAC, launched from White Sands, N.M.

More Milestones

Medal of Honor Tribute

Medal of Honor Receipients

Heritage News

World War II veterans greeted, honored during visit to nation's capital

Air Force retiree recalls harsh life in Poland during WWII

Retired AF general named to Astronaut Hall of Fame

Deployed wing becomes part of Air Force, Tuskegee Airmen legacy

Fallen honored at EOD memorial ceremony  1

RAF exchange officer departs Air Force Academy

AF chief honored with Army's prestigious medical Order

Air Force strategy legend dies at age 96  9

Air Force guitar made to honor fallen Airmen  10  |  VIDEO

Doolittle raiders honored at ceremony marking 70th anniversary of historic mission  5  |  VIDEO

Spotlights

Berlin Airlift

Project Score

Navaho X-10

Inside AF.mil

GeneralImagesVideo

View All RSS