Maj. George "Bud" Day

Maj. George E. "Bud" Day, a downed F-100 Super Sabre pilot, became the only known American to escape into South Vietnam after being captured in the north. Within two miles of freedom, he was re-captured by the Viet Cong. He wouldn't know freedom again for 5 1/2 years. For his bravery, he received the Medal of Honor. (U.S. Air Force illustration)

C-14B

The three occupants of the C-14B and their plane, which made history's first automatic landing, were Capt. Carl J. Crane, who invented the system, Capt. George V. Holloman, who flight tested it, and Raymond Stout, a Wright Field civilian electronic engineer who assisted in developing the system. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Maj. Richard Bong

Maj. Richard Bong, the top scoring ace in World War II, survived more than 200 combat missions. He died in an aircraft crash testing the P-80 Shooting Star in 1945. (U.S. Air Force illustration)

Maj. Richard Bong

Maj. Richard Bong, Medal of Honor recipient, was the "Ace of Aces" during World War II. (U.S. Air Force illustration)

Ploesti Raid 1943

A B-24 Liberator flies over the smokestakes at the oil refinery in Ploesti, Rumania. The Allies tried to stem Nazi oil production from this plant in a series of attacks. The most famous mission was Operation Tidal Wave which began Aug. 1, 1943. (Courtesy photo)

AT-6 Texan

The AT-6 Texan was used as a trainer during and after World War II. In 1943 to counteract joking by Allied pilots at an instrument flying school that the trainer was "frail," Col. Joseph Duckworth flew into a Category I/II hurricane to prove its worth. The information obtained by the weather officer proved invaluable and the Air Force has been tracking tropical storms and hurricanes since that time. (Courtesy photo)