Eaker meaning and origin of the name eaker nameaning. Recovery in blytheville after air force base closing st. Blytheville, arkansas, groups hope to create national cold war. The eaker site is considered the largest and most intact late mississippian nodena site in the central mississippi valley. Kennedy in 1963, contributed greatly to the advancement of the united states space program. The base was renamed eaker on may 26, 1988, in honor of general ira c. It is the harrowing story of the first b17 bombers in england in world war ii and the terrible losses they took before longrange fighters were available to escort them on combat missions over europe.
Eaker, we are part of the air university and located at maxwell air force base in montgomery, alabama. Blytheville air force base aka eaker air force base. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. The blytheville, arkansas base formerly supported aircraft and tanker operations. Air force, arkansas, canvas, color, cotton, district made, eaker air f. Eaker air force base, now the site of the arkansas aeroplex and arkansas international airport, has had a long and important history. Eaker, as secondincommand of the prospective eighth air force, was sent to england to form and organize its bomber command. Eaker air force base project gutenberg selfpublishing. The eaker site is a large, prehistoric archaeological site located near blytheville mississippi county on land that was formerly eaker air force base.
Eaker air force base was a frontline united states air force base for over 40 years. Edward salo and several students worked with mississippi county officials in applying for the historical designation to preserve the former eaker air force base s alert shack, an area. Over a span of 52 years, more than 26,500 men and women earned their wings at williams. From 1942 to 1947, the base was the home to the at9, at70, and bt fighter training. The castle coombe mess punch bowl, or eaker bowl, became a heraldic symbol for the eighth air force, linking the mighty eighth to its historical past. The air force historical research agency, maxwell afb, alabama, is the. Karens tour in the air force took her to eaker air force base, ark. Blytheville ar map wrap 2017 by town square publications. Eaker air force base was located on 3,778 acres of land between the.
The aircraft stationed at eaker afb included the b57 bomber, kc97 refueler, b52g bomber, kc5a tanker, t33 jet fighter, and the t37 jet fighter. Eaker air force base 19421992 was a frontline united states air force base for over 40 years. Also after the war, parton becomes the west coast editorial director for time, life, and fortune magazines. In 1988, the facility was renamed eaker air force base in honor of world war ii general of the eighth air force, ira c. The castle coombe mess punch bowl, or eaker bowl, became a heraldic symbol for the eighth air force, linking the mighty eighth. The name was changed in 1988 to eaker air force base, and the base closed in 1992. Dec 27, 2010 the best movie ever made about the air force may be twelve oclock high, released in 1949. Blytheville air force base photos on flickr flickr. Blytheville, arkansas, groups hope to create national cold.
The air force school of aerospace medicine, dedicated by president john f. The sixth castle coombe mess cup made its way back home to the eighth air force headquarters on barksdale air force base sept. Strategic and tactical operations, eighth air force summary strike and aerial reconnaissance photographs of bombing of uboats and axis submarine bases, airfields, rocket sites, and the rubber, aircraft, ballbearing, and oil industries, mainly in germany. Arkansas officials seek cold war museum for former air base. Blytheville company storing planes during covid19 pandemic.
Eaker retired from active duty as a lieutenant general. Located in mesa, arizona about 30 miles southeast of phoenix, williams opened in december1941 and was initially named the mesa military airport. I think it is lost on most americans that the first time a b52 was used in actually live combat was in vietnam and. An uphill battle for blytheville the arkansas democratgazette.
Instead of b52s flying into the old eaker air force base in blytheville, commercial and cargo planes are landing on the tarmac. Organizers said the museums mission would be to paint the history of the cold war and daily life at eaker air force base. As cold war history earns its way into the history books, bafb gains. That bookstore in blytheville, blytheville, ar blytheville arkansas, book cafe. However while he struggled to build up airpower in england. It was located 3 miles northwest of central blytheville, arkansas. Eaker air force base, which officially closed in 1992 and was formerly known as. Popular air force history books goodreads share book. Arkansas aeroplex bringing new businesses to blytheville. Karen kimble obituary nampa, id idaho press tribune. Eaker center for leadership development air university. Blytheville ar eaker air force base town square publications. General ira eaker and the command of the air, by james parton, appeared earlier this year.
List of former united states air force installations wikipedia. General eakers command lost 8 percent of its bombers over bremen, 8 percent over. In this book, which includes a foreword by gen john p. Mark smith and rich aldridge, ceo and program executive officer for business and enterprise systems, at maxwell air force base gunter annex.
The name of the installation was changed to eaker air force base in 1988 to. A concise history of the us air force department of defense. This comprehensive list of every air force base in the u. Eaker air force base, arkansas the military standard. Media in category eaker air force base the following 5 files are in this category, out of 5 total. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. Building a large post frame garage full timelapse construction. As children, my brother and i would spend summers with my aunt, uncle and cousins, who lived in base housing just a block away from the main gate. The alert center at this former air force base in blytheville was home to a nuclear bomber squadron and an accompanying tanker squadron. For nearly 50 years, residents of blytheville, ark. The air force installations, which defense secretary dick cheney had originally listed for possible closure, are eaker air force base in blytheville, ark grisson air force base in peru, ind. Air forces in europe in wwii, helped establish usaf as separate service he died at malcolm grow medical center, andrews air force base, camp springs, maryland. General ira clarence eaker april, 1896 august 6, 1987 was a general of the united states army air forces during world war ii.
Eaker air force base was home to a group of strategic air command b52 bombers and more than 3,000 military personnel before closing in 1992. Sheppard air force base where my oldest brother, gary was stationed when we went to see him in 1956 slj spent four months here while my husband went thru tech school. Blytheville afb driving through main gate old abandoned. Following that, eaker was given command of all allied air forces in the mto, and in april 1945 became deputy cg of the usaaf. Blythevilles eaker air base, 9 other sites on historic list. Sep 16, 2014 the sixth castle coombe mess cup made its way back home to the eighth air force headquarters on barksdale air force base sept. Blytheville air force base, arkansas no longer exists, but it was my first duty station. Blytheville was hardhit by the governments decision in 1992 to close eaker air force base, the single most important contributor to.
Blytheville air force base was a united states air force base from 1942, until it closed in 1992. Ira clarence eaker general, united states air force. Commanding general of 8th af 1 december 1942 to 5 january 1944. Activated as an army airfield on june 10, 1942, the. Longneck a history of the 274th armored field artillery battalion. History eaker afb was first activated in 1942 as a pilot training field. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. New businesses are thriving, and there is optimism in blytheville, ark. Jeffry smith updates the earlier release of col timothy t. Originally blytheville air force base, the bases official name was changed in 1988 to honor air pioneer and commander of the mighty eighth air force during world war ii, lieutenant general ira c. 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. For the families, gis, and community that was blytheville afb. Eaker, an air pioneer and first commander of the mighty eighth air force during world war ii.
Eaker air force base was located on 3,778 acres of land between the communities of gosnell and blytheville in mississippi county. The site was used for strategic air command during the cold war era. Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the wikipedia article. Eaker air force base, with a long and rich history, is the current site of the arkansas international airport and the arkansas aeroplex, which is the second largest industrial complex 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. The eaker center supports the air force mission by providing functionallyaligned technical.
The base was originally established on june 10, 1945 as an army airfield, and was later used as an advanced school of flying until the end of world war ii. Sheppard air force base, wichita falls, texas postcard entrance marker to sheppard air force base. Eaker air force base topped the strategic air command s list of base closures in 1991. Later renamed brooks city base in 2002, the base was recommended for closure by the defense base realignment and closure commission in 2005. Air arm, 19211927 ma thesis, ohio state university, 1981 does a workmanlike job of presenting a bureaucratic history of the air service as seen through patricks eyes. Official closure of eaker air force base was announced in 1991, and on march 6, 1992, the last aircraft, the city of blytheville, left the base.
Barksdale has cultivated some of americas best air force leaders and national heroes and is the proud home of the legendary b52 bomber. Courtesy of library of congress prints and photographs division. Organizers said the museums mission would be to paint the history of the cold. I will always remember it as blytheville air force base but eaker was a worthy name for an air force bomber base as general ira c eaker became the commander december 1942 of what was to become the famed 8th air force. The cold war was slowly coming to an end, and the military had decided to start retiring the large b52g, the housing and launching of which was the single mission of the base. A fairly sympathetic account, it portrays the air chief as an airpower advocate as determined as billy mitchell but possessing far more tact and airmen and air theory. Jul 19, 2007 parton becomes general eakers confidant and authorized biographer and writes the book entitled. It was closed as a military base in 1992 at the end of the cold war pursuant to brac action and. The air force reactivated eaker afb in 1955 for use as a bomber training base.
Jumper and an introduction by colonel timmons, usaf, retired, colonel smith relies on the vast insights, experiences, and recommendations of former and current commanders to identify the attributes of a successful commander. The story of the schweinfurt raid by martin caidin, warthog. Named in honor of aviation pioneer and former 8th air force commander, general ira c. Feb 26, 2020 the newly created entity hopes to build what it is calling the national cold war museum at the former eaker air force base also once known as the blytheville air force base. Eaker air force base, which is the current site of the arkansas aeroplex and the arkansas international airport, has a long and rich military history. The destruction of the iraqi air force was probably one of the most complete such actions in the history of military aviation. Eaker air force base was a united states air force base from 1942 until it closed in 1992. More than 50 years after its founding, the united states air force is celebrated in a stunning, lavishly illustrated volume published in conjunction with the air force historical foundation.
It was located 3 miles 5 km northwest of central blytheville, arkansas. From 1937 to 1994, lowry air force base, located on the eastern edge of the city of denver, served the nation and the. Eaker right, after whom eaker air force base in blytheville mississippi county was named, with major general carl spaatz. Greetings from blytheville air force base, blytheville. Air force base locations and facts about every air force base. For me the renaming to eaker air force base will never stick. As a general, he was the eighth air forces first commander. The former williams air force base played a strategic role in americas aviation history. Strategic and tactical operations, eighth air force library. Sixth castle coombe mess cup comes home 8th air forcej.
Eaker air force base blytheville, arkansas airport. Blythevilles economy did not collapse when eaker air force base closed in 1992. Sixth castle coombe mess cup comes home barksdale air force. Air force spoken here, general ira eaker and the command of the air. Barksdale air force base covers the history of the base from 1924 to the present with over 200 moving blackandwhite photographs, many that have never been published before. Ira clarence eaker, general, united states air force.