AFHF PRESIDENT’S MEDAL FOR Exceptionally Meritorious Service Rick Herter, Excellence in Artistic Documentation of Aviation History After graduating from Spring Arbor University with a B.A. in art in 1984, he cultivated his artistic skills and began working in the commercial art

Operation POWER FLIGHT 1957: Maj Gen Archie J. Old, Jr., led three B-52s from the 93rd Bombardment Wing at Castle AFB, Calif., on a 24,325-mile, around-the-world nonstop flight. When the bombers landed on 18 January at March AFB, Calif., 45 hours 19 minutes later, they became

USAF LEGENDS: General of the Air Force Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold Pictured Lt Col Arnold in the cockpit of his Martin B-10 bomber during the Alaska Flight, 1934 (US Army Image) The first real indication of such advancement was the 1934 flight of ten Martin B-10 bombers to the

USAF LEGENDS: General of the Air Force Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold Col. Arnold pictured with the Liberty-12 engine used during WW I. (US Army Image). During America’s involvement in WW I, Arnold served on the Army General Staff in Washington, DC, as assistant chief of the

USAF LEGENDS: General of the Air Force Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold This date General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold died of a heart ailment at Sonoma, California. He was 63 years old (US Army Image). America’s least known five-star general, Henry Harley “Hap” Arnold commanded

Casablanca Conference, January 14-24, 1943. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill and their combined Chiefs of Staff at the Casablanca Conference. Standing, (left to right): General Brehon B. Somervell; General H.H. Arnold; Admiral Ernest J. King;

1993 FIRST US MILITARY WOMAN IN SPACE Maj Susan Helms, USAF, became the first US military woman in space during a flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-54) and the first woman to inhabit the International Space Station in 2001. Helms is a retired United States Air Force

(Louis Paulhan at takeoff in a Farman III biplane at the 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field, L/C Public Domain.) 1910: Using a Henri Farman airplane, Louis Paulhan set a Federation Aeronautique Internationale (F.A.I.) world solo altitude record of 4,165

1999: The Miniature Air-Launched Decoy made its first successful flight above Edwards AFB, Calif. The tiny vehicle separated cleanly from an F-16 at 460 knots and flew autonomously at Mach 0.75 at 20,000 feet before it suffered an engine shutdown. It was recovered safely. The

2025 AFHF General John W. “Jay” Raymond Award The General John W. “Jay” Raymond Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in their lifetime to the making of US Space Force history that continues to shape the future development of the service. US

FANTASTIC FLIGHTS: The Question Mark “?” 1929: During 1-7 January, to test inflight refueling and crew and aircraft endurance, Maj Carl A. Spaatz flew the Question Mark, a modified Fokker C2-3 with a Wright 220 HP engine, to a world duration record of 150 hours and 40 minutes.

In Case you Were Wondering… The Air Force Historical Foundation’s 2026 theme is “Unmanned Air and Space Flight from 1915-2025.” As we have highlighted Vietnam specific events and the development of USAF technology in the past and we will mark entries that relate specifically

Note to our subscribers: This year, AFHF will highlight the Air National Guard in a variety of ways. Special morning releases featuring some aspect of the ANG will occur from time to time and include an ANG logo. Enjoy! In 1954, Willard Wesley Millikan established a new

SPACE HISTORY BOOK PRIZE David C. Arnold, editor Space Force Pioneers: Trailblazers of the Sixth Branch (NIP 2025) David Arnold is a prominent figure in the field of space leadership and strategy. This book delves into the biographies of key space leaders who have made

AIRPOWER HISTORY BOOK PRIZE John Andreas Olsen, editor Airpower Pioneers: From Billy Mitchell to Dave Deptula (NIP, 2023) Col. John Andreas Olsen is recently retired from the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Professor Olsen has published a series of books on airpower strategy and

AFHF Literary Awards Best Article 2025 Korey F. “Bounce” Lantes REFORPAC’s Pacific Playbook: Survive, Surge, Sustain and Synchronize to Win— JAFHF Fall 2025 Maj. Korey F. Lantes is an experienced Air Force officer with 12 years of service as an Air Battle Manager. He is a

2025 AFHF General Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz Award The General Carl “Tooey” Spaatz Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in their lifetime to the making of Air Force history that continues to shape the future development of the service. Colonel

2025 AFHF Air National Guard Award for Superior Unit Performance 131st Bomb Wing The ANG Award recognizes an ANG unit for gallantry, determination, esprit de corps, and superior management of joint operations in accomplishing its mission under difficult and hazardous

2025 AFHF James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle Award 509 Bomb Wing The James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle Award recognizes an active Air Force or Space Force unit for gallantry, determination, esprit de corps, and superior management of joint operations in accomplishing its mission under

1962: The first six Lockheed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft are ordered for production. The SR-71 is the follow-on to the A-12 already under production. (USAF Art Program)