An F-106A Delta Dart of the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group, New Jersey Air National Guard, escorts a Soviet Tu-95RT (“Bear”) maritime surveillance aircraft off the U.S. East Coast, around 1980.

An F-106A Delta Dart of the 177th Fighter Interceptor Group, New Jersey Air National Guard, escorts a Soviet Tu-95RT (“Bear”) maritime surveillance aircraft off the U.S. East Coast, around 1980.

An F-106 Delta Dart of the 144th Fighter Interceptor Wing fires a Genie air-to-air missile at the William Tell aerial gunnery competition at Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1980.

An F-106 Delta Dart of the 144th Fighter Interceptor Wing fires a Genie air-to-air missile at the William Tell aerial gunnery competition at Tyndall AFB, Florida, 1980.

1966 - Gerald Patrick 'Jerry' Mathers is an actor who served in the California Air National Guard from 1966 to 1969.

Gerald Patrick 'Jerry' Mathers is an actor who served in the California Air National Guard from 1966 to 1969. Prior to that, he starred as the 'Beaver,' the younger son of a stereotypical middle-class 1950s suburban family, in the popular television situation comedy Leave It To Beaver from 1957 to 1963. Mathers was one of a number of celebrities and other public figures who fulfilled their military obligations by serving in the Guard or Reserves before the draft ended in the 1970s.

A crash crew trains at Volk Field, Wisconsin, 1959.

A crash crew trains at Volk Field, Wisconsin, 1959.

1957 - The last F-51 Mustang in squadron service with the Air Force is retired from the West Virginia Air National Guard to serve as a museum piece at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 27 January 1957.

1957 - The last F-51 Mustang in squadron service with the Air Force is retired from the West Virginia Air National Guard to serve as a museum piece at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 27 January 1957.

A Grumman SA-16 Albatross of the 135 Air Resupply Group, Maryland Air National Guard: most SA-16s in the U.S. Air served as search and rescue aircraft.

A Grumman SA-16 Albatross of the 135 Air Resupply Group, Maryland Air National Guard: most SA-16s in the U.S. Air served as search and rescue aircraft. Several ANG units, however, operated the flying boats in special missions, landing and recovering special operations forces by parachute or rubber boat.