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

September 30, 1906
Lt. Frank P. Lahm and Maj. Henry B. Hersey won the first James Gordon Bennett balloon race, flying 402 miles from Paris to Scarborough, England.

September 30, 1911
After an Aero Club of America air meet at Nassau Boulevard, N.Y., Lt. Henry H. Arnold became the "stunt man" for the movie, "The Military Air Scout.

September 30, 1949
The Berlin airlift, gradually reduced since May 12, officially ends. Allied aircraft carried 2,343,301.5 tons of supplies on 277,264 flights. U.S. planes carried 1,783,826 tons.

September 30, 1952
The Rascal GAM-63 air-to-surface strategic missile completed its first powered flight at Holloman AFB, N.M.

More Milestones

Medal of Honor Tribute

Medal of Honor Receipients

Heritage News

Elmendorf P38 Lightning  5

13th Air Force inactivates, merges with PACAF  |  VIDEO

Special Tactics Airmen earn Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart  3

First shuttle trainer introduced by NASA astronauts  |  VIDEO

Airman missing from WWII identified  2

Former SAC commander dies  5

Space shuttle arrives home for one last 'endeavor'

Never forget: World War II Airman, POW shares story of resiliency  12

Slideshow: Phantom in the water

Academy holds panel honoring women's suffrage  3

Spotlights

Berlin Airlift

Project Score

Navaho X-10

Inside AF.mil

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