There are some items of interest in this photo of things that didn't appear on my uniform. Fill out the form and sign up to help us protect: By signing up, you are not committing to anything, you are simply subscribing to be notified of upcoming volunteer dates. Extensive efforts to offset the negative economic effects on the community of Blytheville were undertaken by local and federal officials, who cleaned up the site and then distributed the land to various organizations, including the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Eaker AFB was selected for closure under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round of 1991. The communication building of the 97th Bombardment Wing is in terrible condition as well. In its prime, it housed over 3,000 service members, and a whole fleet of Strategic Air Command B52 BUFF Stratofortresses. BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. Eaker Air Force Base in its entirety is a mix of private and federal property. They also tended, in some cases, to be far more raunchy than even World War II or Korean nose art even dared--one popular one was to show a heavily pregnant Lucy Van Pelt from "Peanuts" screaming "Damn you, Charlie Brown!" Constructed on former agricultural land, the site was originally activated as the Blytheville Army Airfield in 1942. Though, the program and its members were not considered truly military nor pilots until the 1970s. And the United States was about to enter war with Saddam Hussein. Assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base until deactivated in 1992. Did you serve with BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE? In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Honorable Discharged at the rank of E5 Staff Sgt. Today it is 14,011. The US needed a long range aircraft able to refuel other long range aircraft. Currently, there is a restoration program working to rebuild and reuse buildings that arent disappearing. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. There is a SAC Lapel Pin and two United States Air Force Lapel Pins that I have included in my display. Ash worked from a photograph of the B-52 Blytheville plane. And the aeronautical weather for the pilots with current weather and short-term forecasts with METAR (METeorological Aerodrome Report, observation message of meteorological conditions for aviation) and TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast: short-term forecast message of meteorological conditions for aviation ). "Valkyrie" would fly a few more missions during the war, the only time she would drop bombs in anger. Only ten B-52Gs survive today as museum pieces. I really hope some other people can find this service and get in touch with people like I did. When Castle closed in 1995, 57-6486 was retired and sent to AMARG in Arizona; it was scrapped soon thereafter as part of the START arms reduction treaty. The base was deactivated in 1945 at the end of World War II. Airplane Photos & Aviation Photos - View, Search, or Upload Photos! [2] In July 1959, the 97th Bombardment Wing subsequently assumed control of the base and brought with it the long-range B-52G bomber and the KC-135A Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft to support bomber operations. Of reinforced concrete and concrete-block construction, moleholes were of two-story height, with one story below ground. After World War II the C-47s were used in the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. Ash. Nose art, while almost ubiquitous during World War II and Korea, largely disappeared in the 1950s. The Blytheville Air Force Base Alert Center and Alert Apron constructed as part of a national expansion of Strategic Air Command Facilities across the United States and its Territories, to help in creating a "program to safeguard nuclear deterrence" through the SAC Alert program. Gosnell appears right center of the photo.. Today it is the headquarters for the group that runs the old base for civilian use and the aircraft are: I was promoted to Staff Sergeant after 37 months of active duty plus 5 months delayed enlistment program. Leaving Little Rock as Arkansas only active base. On 16 January 1991, she was one of seven B-52s that would fly from Barksdale to fire cruise missiles at Saddam Hussein's Iraq on the first night of Operation Desert Storm. Located on the former Eaker Air Force Base (also known as Blytheville Air Force Base), a few blocks inside the west gate. Blytheville, Walnut Ridge, Grider, Newport, Stuttgart, and Adams Field. Psychiatry and Psychology 1 This does not include 149 civil aircraft impresses before delivery. All the glass is shattered. Buildings have collapsed in that time frame. Thanks VetFriends. The airbase was phased out years ago, but Blytheville has emerged as a steel production center and agri-business is strong. I was stationed at Eaker from 89-91 in the comm building pictured. Of the 3,778 acres the base is comprised of, two thirds of the land is abandoned. The National Cold War Center at the former Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville announced Monday that it had received a $400,000 grant from the Division of Arkansas Heritage Cultural Institutions Trust Fund.A spokesperson said the money would be used to . thrust each. The airplane dismantler used most of the tarmac we were using and we havent been back since before covid. Altus AFB ACTIVE Need photos: Location: Altus, Oklahoma. Armament: Four .50-cal. Two B-52G bombers were readied to strike the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons if necessaryfor which the wing received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its performance during the crisis. The small gold Hap Arnold Wings that appear just below my name tag was a gift from the widow of a deceased WWII USAAF pilot. He served active duty March 21 1972 to March 20 1976. The local economy tankedand unemployment skyrocketed. The facility now operates as the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas International Airport. All photos (32) Top ways to experience nearby attractions. Another part was that the men who had flown in Vietnam and chafed under the official frowning upon of nose art were now the ones in charge. This has led to the current dilapidated state of some buildings. On a Bravo alert, while taxiing the aircraft, the pilot was waiting (and hoping!) As a kid in nearby Jonesboro, our cub scout pack got to visit what was then Blytheville AFB. He arranged the trade of my old piece of crap Harley, arranged the financing so I could just get on my new motorcycle and drive away. Washington -- Today, Representatives Crawford, Hill, Westerman, and Womack, along with Senators Boozman and Cotton, introduced legislation to name the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base located in Blytheville, Arkansas, the "National Cold War Center." The Eaker base opened in 1942 as a World War II advanced pilot training school, and later became an alert center during the Cold War. Unit of Service: 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron; Air National Guard. The base contributed greatly to the economic and . "Valkyrie" was known to the USAF as 58-0183, a B-52G Stratofortress. The hospital is also a very large (plan wise) building, so it is very possible to get lost inside the building without a map. The pictures and history lesson accompanying are amazing. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe . I only ask that you send older photos (probably sometime before 1970).and they can be of People, Places in Blytheville, and Things. Evans was from Osceola AR. (USAF Museum Official Website), Objects and images related to Blytheville Air Force Base, aka Eaker Air Force Base, The patch for the 340th Bomb Squadron assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base aka Eakers Air Force Base. After any major war, surplus equipment and property is sold to the general public and agencies. On the opening night of the war, a group of B-52s took off from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana and struck targets in Iraq with ALCMs, in a 34-hour nonstop round trip mission, a record that stood until 1996. The United States no longer needed bombers and fuel-tankers to be on 24/7 alert. Eleven of these jets were flown from 1969 to Feb 1974 when they were retired due to the oil crisis. The project mainly serves to save the best buildings and bring buildings in the worst shape down for safety purposes. The model is on a 1/72 scale with a 26" wingspan. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. Fifteen B-52s were lost during the 1972 Linebacker II Christmas bombings and three of those B-52s originated from the 97th Bombardment Wing assigned to Blytheville Air Force Base; B 52G 58-0201 "Charcoal 1" went down on the 18th, B 52G 58-0198 "Olive 1" and B 52G 58-0169 "Tan 3" were shot down on the 21st. As the 97th Bomb Group it's B-17 were the first to drop bombs on the Germans in France in 1942. 10 free downloads. Military Photos; Military Reunion Stories; Military Service Map; Military Cadences; Military Jokes; Military Lingo; Great Military Web Pages; Recommended Military Books; Today in Military . Opened in late 2020, the BAFB Exhibition features memorabilia, video and personal stories of the base from its 1942 beginnings until closure in 1992. Art flourished in some units (namely F-105 wings) and was banned in others. Rick O'Kelley was drafted in Oct 1971 and enlisted in the USAF November 10 1971 on delayed enlistment. Nearly 750 were built before production ended in Oct. 26, 1962; 170 of these were B-52Ds. of conventional or nuclear bombs, Engines: Eight Pratt & Whitney J57s of 12,100 lbs. The Strategic Air Command had reached the end of the road. Have history here? ADM-20 Quail Decoy used to produce a fake B-52 signature on radar making a single B-52 appear to be as many as eight B-52s causing the Soviets to waste their SAMs chasing the Quails. The hospital has been tightly sealed up. If the alert force had not received that second "stand down" code, they would have taken off; and (as we saw it, back then) if that happened, very soon, we would have been in the midst of a nuclear war. Airwomen were tasked with testing electronics of aircraft, testing aircraft by means of flights, and ferrying aircraft. By October of the same year the aircraft was moved to Robins AFB, Georgia. Hear those stories come to life from the soldiers who served at the BAFB Exhibition. My other picture of "Valkyrie" was taken from the right side, but the other day I realized I had never posted the picture of the aircraft's nose art. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. On January 23rd, 2022, it was announced that the former dorms would be demolished. Full view. The Hound Dog was withdrawn in the 1970s and replaced with the AGM-69 SRAM, which could be carried in groups of 20 rather than just two of the huge Hound Dogs. The aircraft remained there until November when it was reassigned to the 320th Bombardment Wing (H) at Mather AFB, California. (KAIT) - Members of the United States Air Force in Little Rock and Louisiana landed aircraft on the Arkansas Aeroplex on the morning of . Memphis Discovery Tour . In 1972, all of the bombers were temporarily moved to Guam before being returned to Blytheville AFB, at which time the installation resumed normal functions. The G models were not equipped with the same robust electronic countermeasures suite as the Ds, nor did their crews have the same training. When the klaxon sounded, the aircrews scrambled to their aircraft, and got a radio code to start their engines; after the engines were running, they got another code that instructed them either to shut down, and go back to the alert facility (in which case it would be called a Coco alert), or to taxi (that would be a Bravo alert). Capt R.D. In the late 1980s, the government, under congress had begun inspections on Air Force Bases. This is like the B-52Gs with the North American AGM-28 Nuclear Hound Dog Missiles assigned to my base. We share a body likeness and dress and I had an orange helmet but most of the time I wore my Easy Rider Flag helmet. In 1988, the facility was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in honor of World War II General of the Eighth Air Force, Ira C. Eaker. Though, due to high traffic in that area, the aircraft had to change its course and headed for Blytheville Air Force Base instead. Photographs are from numerous people and I encourage you to send me your photos if you want to add to the Blytheville collection. Below is my Blytheville Air Force Base token collection. Beechcraft AT-10, and Curtiss-Wright AT-9s. The Future of Eaker Air Force Base and the National Cold War Center/BAFB Exhibition, https://abandonedar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/YouCut_20220127_115729032.mp4. action, the base has sat mostly dormant. Published: Jan. 11, 2022 at 6:25 PM PST. The Air Force packed up and left. Nowadays, the base goes by a few names. Yes we grew up overseas and only went to Department of Defense Schools but it was amazing. It was also a B-52 that made the first airborne hydrogen bomb drop over Bikini Atoll on May 21, 1956. MEMORIES. This one is at the old (now closed) SAC base near Blytheville, Arkansas. My family and I were stationed here from about 1964 until 1970. It is very possible the paint that is peeling on the walls is lead-based. The Blytheville Air Force Base Capehart Housing Historic District encompasses a large residential area built between 1957 and 1962 as part of a military housing program for service members stationed at the now-closed Blytheville Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas. Find Blytheville Air Force Base unit information, patches, operation history, veteran photos and more on TogetherWeServed.com. The nine surviving jets are scattered from coast to coast most of them restored and on display. Watch. [3] Unfortunately, Eaker Air Force Base topped the Strategic Air Command's list of base closures in 1991 and with the Cold War coming to an end, the installation was officially chosen; in March 1992, the last aircraft left the base. This area was developed pursuant to guidelines established by the Federal Housing Administration , and is laid out with . Links: Thule AFB . TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. Like many B-52s, 58-0183 was shuttled around through several units--in this case, no less than eleven bomb wings. Sign up and get notified about upcoming volunteer events! I'm fairly certain I saw this aircraft at an airshow at Malmstrom AFB in the 1980s, as the nose art is familiar, but it may be wishful thinking on my part. machine guns in tail plus up to 43,000 lbs. As part of Operation Secret Squirrel, "Valkyrie" would be part of a record setting 34-hour bomb mission from Barksdale to Iraq and back again. It was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988, in honor of General Ira Eaker, an aviation pioneer and second . And in 1991, Eaker Air Force Base was on the top of the list. Due to the high amount of asbestos flying around in the air, and the safety concerns. Alas LRAFB was where we flew C119s to summer camp, but always hoped foe a fly in there. Known as Operation Secret Squirrel, this 34-hour mission was at the time the longest aerial mission ever flown, and was not surpassed until the strikes on Afghanistan in 2001. My job was to keep the alert aircraft supplied with the parts they needed to be mission ready. In the Monett City Park is displayed the USAF Thunderbird F-4E Phantom II #3 Jet. Marker is at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Chestnut Drive, on the right when traveling east on Memorial Drive. The Blytheville Air Force Base SAC alert area is located east of the southern end of the runway, situated at the center of the fenced area long the alert parking area. Suggest edits to improve what we show. . Here's a little blurb about the alert facilities themselves (aka "mole holes"): "The SAC alert crew quarters, like the SAC command post, were partially below ground structures. The alert force aircraft remained parked just outside this facility (on a ramp, over to the left); there were armed airmen patrolling the ramp at all times. [1], The Blytheville Air Force Base Strategic Air Command (SAC) Alert and Weapons Storage Areas Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville . This increased the B-52Gs range over earlier B-52s, though it also added considerable weightone reason why the tail was shortened; to help the heavy bomber get off the ground, the water-injection system already present was increased. NUMBER BUILT: Douglas built a total of 10,047 C-47s and derivatives. Compared to hose style fueling systems, flying booms of KC135s are very unforgiving to errors. The Library. This B-52G-100-BW (S/N 58-0191), nicknamed "Bearin' Arms," was manufactured by Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, and delivered to the USAF on October 16, 1959. 27 items. Tin Roof. Blytheville Eaker Air Force Base - KBYH, USA - Arkansas; By: Brady Brooks Photos | Profile | Contact; The effect on the neighboring towns of Gosnell and Blytheville the closure had on were tremendous. Collect, curate and comment on your files. The last model 61-0040, was produced in 1962. The aircraft on display saw extensive service in Southeast Asia and was severely damaged by an enemy surface-to-air missile on April 9, 1972. Thule is the only air force base with no aircraft and a tugboat. N503DN Delta Air Lines | Airbus A350-941 | Arkansas International Airport by M.J. Scanlon 17 . On Jan. 18, 1957, three B-52Bs completed the first non-stop round-the-world flight by jet aircraft, lasting 45 hours and 19 minutes and requiring only three aerial refuelings. Some of the land has since been declared a National Historic Landmark. Certain buildings are worth saving. When 58-0183 got its nose art, it was assigned to the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, but it would carry its nose art into combat during the First Gulf War as part of the 2nd BW at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. Since 1955, the B52 Stratofortress has been Americas go-to long-distance strategic bomber. To differentiate ALCM-equpped B-52Gs from unmodified aircraft, a wing fairing was added solely for the benefit of Soviet reconnaissance satellites, in accordance with arms control treaties. I think it is lost on most Americans that the first time a B-52 was used in actually live combat was in Vietnam and it was the only time a B-52 was lost to enemy fire. Housing for members of the military and their families was developed between 1957 and 1962 north and south . On January 10th, 1964, a B52H loaned to Boeing by the USAF was testing the structural integrity of, and new technology for the aircraft. The KC135, along with the B52 is one of the only fixed wing aircraft with over fifty years of service. of conventional or nuclear bombs. In December 1972, after being repaired, it flew four additional missions over North Vietnam. My 1966 Ford Mustang was setting in the parking lot the day we watched this jet fly. - A Blytheville museum shining a light on Cold War history received funding supporting a planned primary exhibit. Was stationed there from 1967 to 1970 with 97th AMS, the old A&E Squadron. Thank you! Scrapped at Birmingham AL in 1997. The first of 12 model aircrafts that were once housed at the Blytheville Air Force Base (later Eaker Air Force Base) was delivered on Wednesday to the exhibition building. Reactivated as the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB. Find Blytheville Air Force Base stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Vietnam War, 1961-1975. In July 1991, she was retired, and as one of the Secret Squirrel aircraft, was donated to the Pima Air and Space Museum immediately. [1] It was located 3 miles (4.8km) northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas. The aircraft was set on course to Boeings headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . BLYTHEVILLE ARMY AIRFIELD 1942. It was closed as a military base in 1992 at the end of the Cold War pursuant to BRAC action and now operates as Arkansas International Airport . Granted today, the area has stayed well populated due to industrial jobs, but Blythevilles unemployment rate is four percent higher than the national average (pre-covid). Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Posted June 9th, 2014 by NFFF & filed under Uncategorized. Blytheville AFB: See Eaker AFB: Bolling AFB ACTIVE: Location: Washington, DC . 1942-1946, 1953-1992. Scanned from 35mm Negative. Blytheville Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. PIGGOTT, Ark., July 30 (UPI) An Air Force C130 transport plane crashed, and burned at dusk today in a pasture in this town in northeastern Arkansas, killing all six persons aboard. The aircraft was flown from Castle AFB to Hill AFB, Utah, in its final flight. Our B-52s had the Vietnam War Camo paint while this appears to have the Pre-Vietnam War SAC paint which our bombers had before their Vietnam days. A strong gust of wind has pushed the rear of the aircraft left then right. When I arrived in July 1972, Blytheville Air Force Base's B-52s, KC-135s, pilots, navigators, electronic warfare officers, tail gunners and many . Louisiana was the aircraft's next stop when in May 1974 it was transferred to the 2nd Bombardment Group (H) at Barksdale AFB. Branch of Service: Air Force. Air Base Group Headquarters. Camo with white under belly North American AGM-28 Hound Dog Missile on display at the Global Power Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base. The Ritz Theater from the outside circa. Was the first KC-135E conversion in 1982. And this is a photo of the HULK 46 design that the . I thanked my dad for my upbringing. By that time, the B-52G had already been tested in combat, with mixed results. Transferred from the 97th Bomb Wing, Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark., this aircraft was flown to the museum in November 1978. The B52 Stratofortress had solved every issue the Air Force ran into with earlier bombers. The newer B-52Hs had turbofan powerplant, which was more fuel efficient, and START arms control treaties required the dismantling of the B-52G force after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The B-52H, however, continues to serve without a replacement on the horizon; the USAF intends to keep it in service until at least 2025, by which time the newest Stratofortress would have been in service sixty years. Its' soft start" with hours on Friday's and Saturday from about 12:00pm to 4:00pm, will take some trip planning. New in 1960. Eaker Air Force Base (1942-1992) was a front-line United States Air Force base for over 40 years. Airmen from the 97th Bombardment Wing lost their lives and their photos appear on the lonely memorial at their abandoned base in Blytheville; Lt Col Keith R Heggen was in "Olive1", (now buried at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery) Lt Col Donald L Rissi, 1st LT Robert J Thomas and Msgt Walter L Ferguson were in "Charcoal 1" Major Bobby A Kirby, Capt Randall J Craddock, Capt George B Lockhart, Capt Ronald D Perry and 1st Lt Charles E Darr were in "Tan 3". by Ryan Nix, Photos by Jamison Mosley. . It is the USAFs main aerial fueling aircraft. The worst building on base is the hospital. While with the 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB, Arkansas, it received the name "Valkyrie" with appropriate nose art of a mail-clad female warrior on horseback; nose art made a renaissance in the USAF in the late 1980s, though not quite as risqu as that seen during World War II. 97th Bomb Wing has a long and honorable history. I was one of four Production Supervisors who coordinated the P-Check maintenance and retrofitting of existing 737-200's (42 aircraft) for MetroJet; this included all coach interiors and . The group was awarded two Distinguish Unit Citations during WWII and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crises. Some commanders, such as General Charles Donnelly in USAFE (no relation to the author) reportedly considered making names and/or nose art on USAFE aircraft a requirement. Blytheville was the only Advanced training base in Arkansas. Deactivated at the close of the conflict, the base was reactivated in the 1950s as Blytheville Air Force Base and was renamed Eaker Air Force Base in 1988 . After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. There was some concern that female aircrew--which were becoming far more common in the 1980s than in years previously--would object to the nose art, but no such objections materialized. After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the US Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. Vietnam saw a return of nose art (or, in the case of the F-105, "armpit art" as it was carried beneath the high wing), but while pilots and crews didn't have to worry about irate wives, they did have to worry about irate commanding officers, some of whom saw nose art as unprofessional and childish. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. After it became operational in 1955, the B-52 remained the main long-range heavy bomber of the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War, and it continues to be an important part of the USAF bomber force today. I saw this jet fly Oct 25 1972 at the Blytheville AFB air show. No photo description available. In the bomb bay were ADM-20 Quail decoys. Arkansas had six Army airfields. Building 1225 is currently registered on the National Register Of Historic Places and is quoted as being the crown jewel of the National Cold War Center campus. Though Phase Two of the project is underway (as of February 2022), there have been no announcements of when the museum will officially open. This view also shows how well 58-0183 is preserved, and the EVS bulges beneath the B-52's nose. Dave Howell, RN Bob Gilbert, Gunner Rick Watson, EW Chuck Kinkhead, N Can't remember, CP Kevin Rice. Everything from a static display of a B52 Stratofortress (which the Arkansas Aeroplex hopes to someday acquire), to letters from soldiers to their families overseas. Currently, the wet carpet has molded over and over again. At the height of the Cold War, Eaker Air Force Base was home to the 97th Bombardment Wing, the 42nd Air Division, the 97th Air Refueling Squadron, the 97th Supply Squadron, the 97th Organizational Maintenance Squadron, the 820th Medical Group, and many more. Photo by Democrat-Gazette file photo . Best years of my life. The B-47 Stratojet was slated to be replaced by a mix of both the heavy Stratofortress and the Convair B-58 Hustler high-speed medium bomber. As the National Cold War Center develops, the first on-site exhibit depicts the history of the Blytheville/Eaker Air Force Base. The Southeast Asia War section of the Modern Flight Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/). Of the 3,778 acres the base is comprised of, two thirds of the land is abandoned. Upon his return to the United States in November 1970, General Brown was assigned as vice commander of the 97th Bombardment Wing at Blytheville Air Force Base, Ark., and took command of the wing in July 1971. Albums. Touch . Photographer unknown. The majority of buildings have suffered the same fate. Available for both RF and RM licensing. With the end of the war the base was closed, only to be reopened 15 July 1955 as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base which was home to B-57 and B-52 . In August 1991 this Stratofortress was dropped from the Air Force inventory and made available to the USAF Museum Program. or the notorious F-105 "Cherry Girl," which positioned a full-frontal nude girl strategically over the refueling port on the nose. action specifically caters to closures and revitalization of U.S. military bases. B52 for his quick thinking, response to a crisis, and heroic duties. Desert Storm was the swan song for the B-52G. No photo description available. Lots of good memories. Fighter units also rarely carried nose art or even a name, though they made up for it with very gaudy colors and flamboyant unit crests. Eaker Air Force Base Historic District, Arkansas International Airport, and Blytheville Municipal Airport. Enter your email address to subscribe to Abandoned Arkansas and receive notifications of new posts by email. In December of 1992, the base officially closed. The process is called B.R.A.C.. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 4 million screened photos online! Almost immediately, this was proven to be a vain hope: the only aircraft able to replace the B-52 was, it seemed, another B-52.