Honoring the Service Branches: Air Force Preview

Tour Overview

This tour contains three types of stops: HONOR stops mark the gravesites of specific individuals. REMEMBER stops commemorate events, ideas, or groups of people. EXPLORE stops invite you to discover what this history means to you.

Introduction

​​“The future is always decided by those who put their imagination to work, who challenge the unknown, and who are not afraid to risk failure."- General Bernard A. Schriever

1

General Daniel "Chappie" James Jr.

Flew 101 combat missions during the Korean War and 78 combat missions during the Vietnam War. In August 1969, James commanded the 7272nd Fighter Training Wing at Wheelus Air Base in Librya and managed the American withdrawal from and closure of the base. First African American to obtain the rank of four-star general in any branch of the military.

2

General Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

First African American officer to fly solo in an Army Air Corps plane. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for successfully escorting U.S. bombers into German Airspace during World War II. Helped draft a plan to implement the 1948 executive order to desegregate the U.S. armed forces.

Explore: The Tuskegee Airmen

Prior to World War II, the U.S. military perpetuated a widespread belief that African Americans lacked the necessary skills to serve as military aviators. However, a severe shortage of trained pilots caused the U.S. military to form a “Negro pursuit squadron.” In June 1941, the U.S. Army Air Corps officially designated Tuskegee Institute, a historically Black college in Alabama, as the first site for training African American military aviators.On July 19, 1941, Captain Benjamin O. Davis Jr. and 12 other cadets reported for aviation training. The Tuskegee Airmen project was originally framed as an experiment, and most high-ranking officers and civilians expected it to fail. The “experiment” did not fail, and Davis and five of the original 12 cadets passed the course. These six men became the first Tuskegee Airmen.

3

General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle

Completed the first cross-country flight within a single day. Pioneered techniques of instrument flying that proved critical to the development of both military and civil aviation. Planned the retaliatory attack on Japan after Pearl Harbor, known as "The Doolittle Raid," after which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was the first Air Force reservist to wear four stars. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush awarded Doolittle the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

4

Technical Sergeant Rory Crissman

Served as an Air Force Honor Guard in Washington, D.C. Coordinated ceremonies, retirement and promotion events, and funerals at Arlington National Cemetery.

Explore: Air Force Honor Guard

There are three roles (also known as flights) within the Air Force Honor Guard: Colors, Body Bearers, and Firing Party. The Air Force Honor Guard participates in more than 2,500 ceremonies each year, including many at Arlington National Cemetery. During your time at the cemetery, you may see members of the Honor Guard performing their duties.

5

Challenger Memorial

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is not a military organization, but it has many ties to the military. When NASA began selecting candidates for astronaut training in 1959, it asked the service branches to provide lists of personnel who met certain strict criteria: candidates had to be qualified jet pilots and graduates of test pilot school, with a minimum of 1,500 hours of flying time. During NASA's first two decades, those selected to become astronauts tended to be current or former military pilots.

5

Columbia Memorial

Columbia was NASA’s first space shuttle, taking its first flight on April 12, 1981. On February 1, 2003, while returning from its 28th mission to space, Columbia broke apart as it reentered the atmosphere.All seven crew were killed: Richard "Rick" Husband, commander. William C. McCool, pilot. Michael P. Anderson, payload commander. David M. Brown, mission specialist. Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist. Laurel Blair Salton Clark, mission specialist. Ilan Ramon, mission specialist.Three astronauts whose remains could be identified individually are buried at Arlington, including one from the Air Force: Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson.

6

Air Force Memorial View

The spires of the United States Air Force Memorial rise high in the air, overlooking Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. The design of the memorial mixes stylistic and realistic sculpture, along with inscriptions carved in stone walls to honor all the men and women who have served in the United States Air Force and its predecessors.The iconic spires of the memorial were designed by architect James Ingo Freed. Curving upward to the heights of 270, 231 and 201 feet, they mimic the contrails of the Air Force Thunderbirds when performing the “high bomb burst” aerial maneuver.

7

General Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold

Arnold set multiple aviation records while testing new technology. He headed the U.S. Army Air Forces when it was created in 1941. He was the only officer to hold a five-star rank in two different military services (Army and Air Force).

8

General Bernard Adolph "Bennie" Schriever

Oversaw the development of the Thor, Atlas, Titan, and Minuteman missile systems. Directed the Air Force's support of the NASA Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. Streamlined Air Force research and development during the Cold War.

Explore: The United States Space Force

In a speech delivered February 19, 1957, at the Astronautics Symposium for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, General Schriever predicted that,“In the long haul our safety as a nation may depend upon our achieving ‘space superiority.’ Several decades from now the important battles may not be sea battles or air battles, but space battles, and we should be spending a certain fraction of our national resources to ensure that we do not lag in obtaining space supremacy.”Although at the time he was focused on the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, Schriever also spoke about the prospect of manned and unmanned missions to the Moon and Mars, and the use of satellites for weather reconnaissance, improved communication and navigation.

9

Sergeant John Lee Levitow

Received the Medal of Honor for his exceptional heroism during the Vietnam War. Spent more than 22 years working in veterans' affairs after leaving the Air Force.

10

Major General Jeanne Marjorie Holm

First woman to attend the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. In 1965, Holm was appointed director of the Women in the Air Force (WAF). First woman in the Air force promoted to the rank of brigadier general and later the first woman in the U.S. armed forces promoted to the rank of major general.

11

Lieutenant Colonel Hector James Santa Anna

Flew 35 bombing missions over Western Europe during World War II and later flew humanitarian aid missions after the war during the Berlin Airlift. Earned two Distinguished Service Medals, five Air Medals, and a Commendation Medal for his service in World War II. Held leadership positions at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as well as in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

12

Lieutenant Colonel Betty Jane "BJ" Williams

Produced and hosted a TV program called "Let's Go Flying," which promoted aviation to the general public. Served in the Air Force as part of its first video production squadron.

Conclusion

You've reached the end of the U.S. Air Force Walking Tour. We hope you enjoyed your time exploring the cemetery and learning about the lives of these groundbreaking service members!You can explore additional content and resources on the Arlington National Cemetery Education Program website, or find more tours through Arlington National Cemetery's STQRY.