Birthplace of General Pick

April 14, 2013, 4:05 pm

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Virginia, Campbell County, Brookneal
Lt. Gen. Lewis Andrew Pick was born here on November 18, 1890. Educated at Rustburg and at VPI, (where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets), General Pick served in two World Wars and in the Korean Conflict. Best known as the builder of the 1,030-mile long Ledo Road, used to supply American and Chinese troops in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II, Pick also served as Chief of the Army Corp of Engineers before his death in 1956.

(War, Korean • War, World I • War, World II) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Thunderbird Park

April 14, 2013, 5:00 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Montgomery


Dedicated by the people of Montgomery to the skilled pilots -- past, present and Future -- who risk and give their lives to demonstrate the capabilities of air power to the American people. The Thunderbirds: the Air Force's Ambassadors in Blue

February 1, 1982
Emory Folmar, Mayor

(Air & Space • Patriots & Patriotism) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Patrick Henry’s Grave

April 14, 2013, 5:38 pm

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Virginia, Campbell County, Brookneal
Five Miles East is Red Hill, last home and grave of Patrick Henry, orator of the Revolution. He moved there in 1796 and died there, June 6, 1799. Henry is especially famous for his “Liberty or Death” speech made in 1775 at the beginning of the Revolution.

(War, US Revolutionary) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

No Respect

April 14, 2013, 6:00 pm

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Maryland, Harford County, Havre de Grace

St. John's Episcopal Church survived the British attack on Havre de Grace May 3, 1813. The enemy spared the 1809 structure but damaged the interior. According to a newspaper account: "Finding nothing to steal (the raiders) 'magnanimously' attacked the windows(s) with brick bats and stones, and demolished them."

"One would suppose...they would have shown some respect to this building as...'The English Church'...But it seems all sense of shame was lost...Plunder and devastation was the order of the day..."
-Rev. James Jones Wilmer, 1813

Barbarians
First-person accounts of the devastation at Havre de Grace fueled newspaper reports of "wanton barbarity among civilized people." British Rear Admiral George Cockburn, portrayed as a villainous "violator of all laws, human (and) divine," struck terror as he made an example of Havre de Grace for other towns.

(War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Northrop T-38A "Talon"

April 14, 2013, 6:39 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base


In the mid-1950s, the USAF required a trainer with higher performance than the T-33 to better prepare student pilots for the latest tactical aircraft that were then coming into service. The aircraft chosen was the T-38A which offered high performance with low maintenance and operating costs. Destined to become the USAF's first supersonic trainer, the T-38A prototype first flew on April 10, 1959, and production continued until 1972. A total of 1,189 T-38As were built. Some were later modified into AT-38Bs with external armament for weapons training purposes.

Jacqueline Cochran set eight performance records in the fall of 1961 flying a production T-38A and, in February 1962, a T-38A set four international time-to-climb records. The USAF Thunderbirds used T-38As from 1974 to 1982 because of their economic operation and high performance. Other users of the T-38A included the U.S. Navy in their Top Gun combat simulation program and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The aircraft on exhibit (S/N 59-1601) served at the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It was sent to Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Marietta, Georgia, in May 1968 for testing. It was dropped from the USAF inventory in April 1971.

Specifications
Span: 25 ft. 3 in.
Length: 46 ft. 4½ in.
Height: 12 ft. 10½ in.
Weight: 11,761 lbs. loaded
Armament: None
Engines: Two General Electric J85-GE-5A turbojets of 3,850 lbs. thrust each with afterburner
Crew: Two
Cost: $756,000

Performance
Maximum speed: 812 mph
Cruising speed: 578 mph
Range: 1,093 miles
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force

(Air & Space • Education • Patriots & Patriotism • War, Cold) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Patrick Henry’s Grave

April 14, 2013, 6:50 pm

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Virginia, Campbell County, Brookneal
Five miles east is Red Hill, the last home and gravesite of Patrick Henry, the great orator of the Revolution. Henry is especially famous for his “Liberty or Death” speech made in 1775 in St. John’s Church in Richmond. Henry moved to Red Hill in 1796 and died there on 6 June 1799. To the southeast of the house is a walled enclosure containing the graves of Patrick Henry and his second wife. Dorothea Dandridge. Although the main house was destroyed by fire in 1919 and later reconstructed above the original foundation, the law office, Henry's last, survives and has been restored.

(Colonial Era • War, US Revolutionary) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Major General James Harrison Wilson, USV

April 14, 2013, 8:13 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base


(Side A)
Major General James Harrison Wilson, USV
1837-1925

Exceptional American soldier, born Illinois, West Point Class of 1860, MG at 27. Civil War service: Port Royal 1861-62, Aide to McClellan '62; Vicksburg and Chattanooga Campaigns, Grant's staff '63-64, Chief of Cavalry Bureau '64; Wilderness and Valley Campaigns, Commander Cavalry Division, Sherman's Corps'64; Franklin, Nashville, AL & GA '64-65. Retired from Army 1870; pursued railroading career in U.S., Latin America, Japan & China. MG USV, 1898; War With Spain, Division Commander in Puerto Rico; Boxer Rebellion, Commander U.S. & British troops in China. U.S. representative at coronation of King Edward VII

(Side B)
Wilson's Raiders
April 1865
MG J.H. Wilson's Cavalry Corps raised U.S. flag over Alabama's and the Confederacy's first capital on 4/12/65, 3 days after Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Wilson had defeated LTG N.B. Forrest's depleted and outnumbered troops at the Confederate arsenal city of Selma. Before fleeing Montgomery, BG D.W. Adams, CSA ordered 85,000 bales of cotton and 40,000 bushels of corn set afire to deny them to the Federals. But for the wind's change and heroic volunteer firefighters, the city would have burned. Wilson left Montgomery for Columbus, GA on Friday, 4/14/65, the day Lincoln was shot by Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington.

(Patriots & Patriotism • War, Spanish-American • War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Air University / Maxwell Air Force Base

April 14, 2013, 9:03 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base


(Side A)
Air University
The Air Corps Tactical School moved to Maxwell in 1931. Brilliant young officers like Chennault, Eaker, Fairchild, Hansell, Kuter, LeMay, Quesada, and Vandenberg formulated the aerial strategies and tactics employed in World War II. In 1940, Maxwell became the home of HQ Southeast Air Corps Training Center responsible for pilot, Navigator and bombardier training, producing over 100,000 aviation cadets. Air University was established in 1946 as the USAF professional military education center. Its programs annually affect over half the Air Force. Gunter Annex, east of Montgomery, is an important, integral element of Maxwell.

(Side B)
Maxwell Air Force Base
Military forces arrived in 1540 with Desoto at Indian village of Towassa. Here in 1910, the Wright brothers established the nation's first civilian flying school and made first recorded night flights. A repair and engine depot was established in 1918 for airplanes used for training in World War I. After the war, the 22nd Observation Squadron and 4th Photo Section assigned to the post made aerial photos of the Tennessee Valley, delivered first airmail to Montgomery, and in 1929 airdropped supplies for flood relief. The Base was named for Lt. William C. Maxwell of Atmore, AL, killed in a plane crash in the Philippines in 1920.

(Air & Space • Education • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World I) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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Former POWs And Those MIA

April 14, 2013, 9:20 pm

≫ Next: Montgomery Chapter of the American Ex-Prisoners of War

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base


In honor of former
Prisoners of War
and those
Missing in Action
for serving
their country

2 October 1987

(Patriots & Patriotism • War, Korean • War, Vietnam • War, World II) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Montgomery Chapter of the American Ex-Prisoners of War

April 14, 2013, 9:27 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base


September 17, 1999
Non Solum Armis

(Patriots & Patriotism • War, Korean • War, Vietnam • War, World II) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

Lt. Col John Harris Cruger

April 14, 2013, 10:19 pm

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Georgia, Chatham County, Savannah

Born to wealth and power, he was
forced to hide in the swamps of Long
Island until British forces landed.
He led the 1st Battalion of Delancey's
Loyalists and fought in both battles
of Savannah and many other engage-
ments. At war's end his property
seized, he emigrated to England where
he spent the rest of his days.

(War, US Revolutionary) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Toccoa Falls College World War II Memorial

April 14, 2013, 10:22 pm

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Georgia, Stephens County, Toccoa
In Memory
Of The Boys
Who Died
In Service
1941 - 1945

(War, World II) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Ralls Dormitory & Broom Factory

April 14, 2013, 10:43 pm

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Georgia, Stephens County, Toccoa

A building to be used as a print shop was constructed by the Kiwanis Club and the citizens of Toccoa on the site later occupied by Ralls Dormitory. The plan for a print shop never developed, so the building was turned into a broom factory. But the broom factory proved unsuccessful. In 1923, the building was made into a men's dormitory. fire destroyed the building in 1931.

In a sense, the depression affected Toccoa Falls Institute for good. Because of it, a C.C.C. (Civilian Conservation Corps) Camp was started in north Georgia in 1933; it was located on property leased from the school across from the Toccoa Falls Elementary School. The C.C.C. boys assisted in reforestation and built roads, paths, and firebreaks throughout the nearby woods. They laid a walk of native stone from Gate Cottage to Falls Park. In this way, they improved the appearance of the campus. The school also benefited insofar as food was concerned, for when too much was prepared for the C.C.C. boys, the cooks sent the balance to the Falls kitchen.

When this camp was disbanded, the Government turned over to the Institute lumber representing more than $4,000 in value, including their barracks. In 1934, this building was moved on campus to the location of the former broom factory and renovated into a boy's dorm. New flooring was added, the building was divided into rooms with permanent partitions erected, and the outside was weather-boarded. This structure was named Ralls Dormitory, in memory of Bill Ralls, who often traveled with Dr. Forrest as a vocal soloist. He also was Susie Ralls Mathes's brother - one of the first students enrolled at TFI. Ralls dormitory was destroyed during the floor in 1977.

This historical marker is placed in honor of the Centennial Celebration 1907-2007. Donated by the Toccoa Falls Academy Classes of 1972-1974.

(Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

55th Fighter Group

April 15, 2013, 3:36 am

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Georgia, Chatham County, Pooler

To Honor Those Who Served With
55th Fighter Group
Nuthampstead   Wormingford
1943-1945
First Long Range Fighters in Europe
First Fighter Group over Berlin
Two Distinguished Unit Citations
Outstanding Combat Record

(War, World II) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

The Egyptian Governor's Residence

April 15, 2013, 1:44 pm

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Israel, Central District, near Rosh Ha'ayin
This is the most complete of the six Late Bronze Age (Canaanite), 1550-1200 B.C.E. palaces excavated at Afeq. The ground floor is preserved in its entirety, while the stairway testifies to the existence of the now-destroyed upper storeys.
Inscriptions in Sumerian, Akkadian and Canaanite languages found in the palace be a witness to the importance of Afeq in the Egyptian government network in Canaan. A letter from Ugarit (in northern Syria) is evidence of the trade between the Egyptian and Hittite empires that passed through this region.
Canaanite Afeq and the Egyptian governor's residence were destroyed in a fierce battle ca. 1230 B.C.E. Archaeological excavations uncovered layers of burnt bricks and ash from the collapsed upper floors, as well as arrow-heads still embedded in the walls of the palace.

(Anthropology • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 6 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

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North American B-25 Mitchell

April 15, 2013, 4:36 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base


The North American B-25 Mitchell, named after America's greatest military martyr (Gen Billy Mitchell), made its maiden flight on 19 August 1940 and was ordered in large numbers straight off the drawing board by the Army Air Corps. Internal improvements, armament innovations, and engine changes resulted in several variants, including the B-25G which was armed with a 75mm cannon in the nose - the largest gun ever carried in an aircraft up to that time. The most lethal of all versions was the B-25H which carried 3,000 pounds of bombs, 14 machine guns, eight 5-inch rockets, and a 75mm cannon. Other variants of the B-25 included the F-100 photo-recon version, the AT-24 (TB-25) advanced trainer, and the Navy/Marines PBJ-1 patrol bomber. B-25 production totaled 11,655 variants before the last B-25 was eliminated from the Air Force's inventory on 21 May 1960, after 18 years and 7 months of honorable service.

Mitchells were hailed as one of the best medium bombers of World War II and served with distinction on virtually every front. B-25's (led by Gen Jimmy Doolittle) achieved eminence during the "Tokyo Raid" and later participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea where they sank or damaged eleven Japanese ships without the loss of a single B-25. Mitchells were also used during raids on landing strips at Dagua, Wewak, and Boram at the outset of the Allied offensive in New Guinea and in central Italy during "Operation Strangle" which culminated in the liberation of Rome on 4 July 1944. The B-25 was also widely used by the Allies during the war, particularly by Great Britain and the Soviet Union.

The aircraft on display is a B-25J. It is restored in the colors of the 57th Bomb Wing and is dedicated to all the men who flew it - especially Brigadier General Robert D. Knapp, winner of the Distinguished Service Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. General Knapp commanded the 57th during the closing years of World War II.

Assignments
Feb 45 to 3014th Base Unit, Douglas Field AZ
Nov 45 to 3502nd Base Unit, Chanute Field IL
Aug 48 to 3345th Technical Training Wing (ATC) Chanute AFB IL
Apr 58 to Davis-Monthan AFB AZ for storage
Dec 59 dropped from the USAF inventory

Performance
Max Speed: 275 mph at 1,500 ft
Range: 1,275 miles
Ceiling: 25,000 ft

Specifications
Span: 67 ft 7 in
Length: 51 ft 11 in
Height: 15 ft 9 in
Weight (empty): 21,100 lbs
Armament: Thirteen .50 machine guns; up to 4,000 lbs of bombs
Engine: Two 1,850 h.p. Wright R-2600-29 Cyclone Radials
Crew: Six

The aircraft on display is actually a B-25J, serial no. 44-30649, but painted and marked to depict a B-25J, serial no. 42-53373 assigned to the 57th Bomb Wing in the European Theater of Operation during World War II

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force

(Air & Space • Man-Made Features • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

William R. Lawley, Jr.

April 15, 2013, 5:34 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base

Recipient of the
Medal of Honor
for
Conspicuous Gallantry
and
Intrepidity in Action
20 February 1944

Mission on 20 February 1944
Target: Leipzig, Germany
1st. Lt. William R. Lawley, Jr. & Crew
305th Bomb Group 8th Air Force
United States Army Air Corps
European Theater of Operations

[Dedicated 3 November 2000]

(Air & Space • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Sikorsky MH-53M 'Pave Low IV' Helicopter

April 15, 2013, 6:47 pm

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Alabama, Montgomery County, Maxwell Air Force Base


The Sikorsky MH-53 is a variant of the USAF's HH-53 'Super Jolly Green Giant' air rescue helicopter, which was developed in turn from the US Navy's CH-53 'Sea Stallion' heavy lift helicopter. The MH-53 has been optimized for long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces in darkness or marginal weather flying conditions. The USAF began using early models of this helicopter for special operations missions in the late 1960s, and later versions continued to receive multiple improvements and upgrades thereafter.

In 1979-80, the Air Force modified nine MH-53Hs and 32 HH-53s to provide special operations units with the latest in avionics and sensor technologies under a program called Pave Low III. Those modifications included forward-looking infrared sensors, an inertial global positioning system, Doppler radar-navigation systems, terrain-following and terrain-avoidance radar, and integrated avionics to enable precise navigation to and from target areas. The USAF designated these modified helicopters as MH-53Js. In the late 1900s, 25 MH-53Js were fitted with new defensive avionics and other upgrades; these Pave Low IV aircraft became MH-53Ms.

The MH-53M on display (S/N 69-5785) is painted and marked as it appeared in 2008 when it was assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Delivered to the USAF in 1970, #785 served with several combat air rescue units in Southeast Asia, where it successfully recovered at least three aircrew in 1971-1972. In April 1975, it evacuated U.S. personnel from Phnom Penh, Cambodia; one month later #785 was hit, but not repulsed by enemy ground fire while inserting US forces during the Mayaguez Rescue Incident. The aircraft participated in the restoration of Panamanian democracy (Operation Just Cause, 1989), and it flew special operations missions during the Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm, 1991). More recently, #785 took US special forces personnel into harm's way in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, and in the Iraq War from 2003 until its retirement from active service in late 2008-where this aircraft, flying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, led the final MH-53 combat mission before being flown here. Over the course of its venerable combat history these "steel horses" have proudly witnessed their crew members being awarded 13 Air Force Crosses and no less than 140 Silver Stars for heroic actions under fire during operations that stretch from Vietnam to Iraq.

Specifications
Rotor Diameter: 72 ft.
Length: 88 ft.
Height: 25 ft.
Armament: 3x7.62mm mini-guns or 3x.50 cal. machine guns
Engine: 2xT64-GE-100 gas turbines, each producing 4,330 shaft hp
Crew: 2 pilots, 2 flt engineers & 2 aerial gunners
Cost: $40 million (FY01-constant dollars)

Performance
Maximum Speed: 165 mph @ sea-level
Crusing [sic] Speed: 120 mph @ sea-level
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 46,000 lbs.
Range: 600 nautical miles (w/o aerial refueling)
Ceiling: 16,000 ft.

This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force

(Air & Space • Patriots & Patriotism • War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm • War, Vietnam) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Home of Babe Adams

April 15, 2013, 10:09 pm

≫ Next: 904th Signal Co. Depot AVN

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Missouri, Harrison County, Bethany


World Series 1909

(Sports) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

904th Signal Co. Depot AVN

April 15, 2013, 10:51 pm

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Georgia, Chatham County, Pooler

In Memory Of Those Who Served
904th Signal Co. Depot AVN
Meritorious Service Unit Plaque
40th Signal Co. Service Group
Little Staughton   Abbots Ripton
World War II   1942-1945
Soldiers Together -- Brothers Forever

(War, World II) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.