BAFB Exhibition

Blytheville Army Airfield

On June 10, 1942, the U.S. Army opened an advanced pilot training school in Blytheville, Arkansas. This facility trained Army Air Cadets on Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita advanced trainer planes to learn to fly North American B-25 Mitchell bombers in all theaters of World War 2. Notable people who were stationed at the base durring this time include Carl Jr. and Frank Bailey, sons of Arkansas Governor Carl Bailey, WASP Mary Quist, and Al Feldstein, editor of Mad Magazine from 1956-1985. The airfield’s site was specifically chosen due to the high quality of soil (which was essential for a proper runway), and ease of construction thanks to its proximity to the Mississippi River (which allowed for easy shipping of construction supplies and equipment).

Blytheville Municipal Airport

On October 27, 1946, the former Blytheville Army Airfield was reopened at Blytheville Municipal Airport. Most of the base's larger buildings were repurposed to become an industrial park and the rows of barracks were renovated to house the families of returning GIs. By this point, the main goal of the city government was to make Blytheville a refueling stop for Chicago & Southern Airlines St. Louis to Memphis route. Despite multiple pleas from state and federal officials, this request was never formally acknowledged by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. The airport authority worked diligently for 7 years, drawing in new businesses and constructing an administrative building in 1948. However, by 1953, local initiatives to reactivate the former Army airfield as a permanent military instillation began to bare fruit.

Reopening the Airfield

Following a magnanimous amount of lobbying and other efforts from Blytheville and Arkansas leaders, a formal announcement was made in September for the opening of a permanent U.S. military facility at Blytheville.

To support this new facility, that December the Blytheville Chamber of Commerce completed a 10-day “Air Base Campaign,” which raised $105,260 ($1,176,400 in 2022) to pay for 191.6 acres of land on the north side of the airfield to expand the future airbase’s runway. This was the largest hurdle to getting the former Army Air Force base reopened and was lauded in the local and state papers as a major accomplishment of the citizens of Blytheville.

The majority of industrial tenants on the property vacated their buildings within the next year. The Gosnell School, started four years prior in the Officer's Club building to serve the families in the veterans housing, relocated to a property on the west side of the base with federal assistance.

Blytheville Air Force Base Opens

Following fifteen months of construction (overseen by the 4431st Air Base Squadron), on October 17, the 461st Bombardment Wing, Tactical assumed control of BAFB. They brought with them the Martin B-57B Canberra jet bomber and the Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star trainer jet. The B-57 was a light tactical bomber that primiarly served as an interdictor aircraft, but also had variants that served in reconnaissance roles. The 461st Wing did not see any combat during its four years at Blytheville. Instead, it participated in training exercises in Louisiana, South America, and Central Europe.

Operation Redwing

The 461st Wing was called up to participate in Operation Redwing, a series of nuclear weapons tests at the Bikini Atoll. As part of the test, three B-57s of Blytheville AFB's 461st Wing were tasked to act as an "early penetration unit" and fly through the mushroom clouds of the nuclear blasts anywhere between 22 and 78 minutes after detonation to test the effects of nuclear radiation on the aircraft and pilots within.

Operations Mobile Charlie and Counter Punch

In September, the 461st Wing began participation in Operation Mobile Charile, which saw its B-57s deployed to Europe as a test to see how long it took to move and prep the aircraft for any offensive operations. While in Europe, the 461st's B-47s again acted as mock Soviet attackers in NATO's Operation Counter Punch, which tested its ability to respond to any Soviet attacks.

Transfer from TAC to SAC

In response to the 1955 congressional Killian Report and changing priorities in the Air Force, Blytheville AFB was transferred (under the watch of the 4229th Air Base Squadron) from the Tactical Air Command to the Strategic Air Command. After the transfer, the 97th Bombardment Wing, Heavy assumed control of air base on July 1. This wing brought with them the 340th Bombmardment Squadron, Heavy, composed of fifteen Boeing B-52G Stratofortress long range bombers. The bombers were armed with the with GAM-77 “Hound Dog” and GAM-72 “Quail” missiles, overseen by the 97th Armament & Electronics Maintenance Squadron. Within the next few years, the 97th Wing was joined by the 914th Air Refueling Squadron, composed of twelve Boeing KC-135A Stratotankers.

The Alert Mission at BAFB

That January, the 97th Wing began its primary mission, to support Operation Chrome Dome. This "Air Alert" mission saw SAC bombers and tankers flying routes to points on the border of the USSR as a check against Soviet nuclear aggression. Additionally, Blytheville AFB began its "Ground Alert" mission, which involved having 5 B-52s and 4 KC-135s setting on an "Alert Pad" on the eastern end of the airbase, ready to go 24/7. With only 15 minutes notice, these planes were able to launch with their deadly payload. Each of the four B-52s on the alert pad were equiped with 4 GAM-77 missiles. Each GAM-77 was equipped with a nuclear warhead that could be set to over three times more powerful than the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

After the discovery of Russian Intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Cuba by an American spy plane, SAC ordered all of its Alert Facilities to DEFCON 2 on October 24. From October 8 to November 21 (45 days) Blytheville AFB’s 97th Wing was ordered to send two of its bombers to aerial alert. Every moring at 4:37am & 4:38am, the B-52s left Blytheville, flew across the Atlantic Ocean to Spain, and then further into Europe before returning home. The flight took 22 hours. The 97th Wing was also ordered to send some of it's KC-135s to other SAC bases all over the planet to help refule the extra aircraft SAC had in the air. This is the closest that America and the Soviet Union ever came to nuclear war. Following the crisis, the 97th Wing was presented with the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its performance for it's ground and air alert operations.

42nd Division Headquarters Moved to BAFB

That July, the 42^nd Air Division Headquarters was moved to Blytheville AFB from McConnell AFB, KS. Subsequently, the 97th Wing was reassigned from the 4th Division to the 42nd Division, and the 42nd Division was assigned to the 2nd Air Force under SAC. This was a major change for the base and helped with a lot of its growth over the next decade.

Operation Young Tiger

As part of the refueling operations in the Pacific to support the conflict in Vietnam, one of the 97th Wing's KC-135s was deployed to help with Operation Paper Tiger. This aircraft helped to refuel bombers and fighter jets off the coast of Vietnam.

Last Gooney Bird in SAC

In July of that year, VC-47D 44-76326, the last Douglas C-47 Skytrain in the Strategic Air Command, was retired and transferred from the care of the 97th Wing at Blytheville AFB to the USS Alabama Commission for static display at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.

Operation Linebacker II

In March, the majority of the 97th Wing’s bombers, tankers, and personnel were moved to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to support various operations in the Vietnam Conflict. The most notable operation was Linebacker II, a major bombing raid in December that targeted numerous sites in North Vietnam. On the first night of the bombing raid, Charcoal 01, a B-52G manned by a BAFB crew, was shot down. Three of the crew were killed in the crash and the other three became POWs. Following Linebacker II, the 97th Wing held the distinction of flying the final bombing operations of both Vietnam and Cambodia. The 97th Wing remained at Andersen AFB until September 1973, and upon their return, BAFB's mission was altered to include training bomber and tanker crews.

First Time on the BRAC List

That January, Blytheville's base leadership was plesantly surprised to discover that they were added to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) list to be transferred B-52s and personnel from the potential closing of Beale AFB in California. The following April, they were equally shocked when they were relisted by the BRAC commission along with Kinchelo AFB, MI as an alternative closing Loring AFB, ME. This devestating change in plans came after an audit from the Ford administration found the base at Limestone, Maine needed hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades, which they were not going to approve. SAC resisted any reduction at Loring, and offered Blytheville and Kinchelo to be fully closed instead. Following this initial exchange, congressional representatives from Arkansas fought Maine and Michigan delegates for three years to keep the base from closing. While the Arkansas delegates eventually succeeded, there were a number of improvement projects scheduled for Blytheville that were either postponed or canceled and the local economy had shrunk by an estimated 15% due to the uncertanty from the base's possible closure.

Winning the Fairchild Trophy

That November, the 97th Wing won the top prize at the annual SAC Bomb-Comp, held at Barksdale AFB, LA. This bomber part of the competition came in two phases, with the first phase consisting of a day and night mission at Barksdale and the second phase a mission through the Nellis AFB, NV Red Flag Range. Under the command of Col. Stece Croker, the wing trained for two years to attain this win.

Rail Garrison Proposal

Eaker AFB came under serious consideration for the Peacekeeper Missile Rail Garrison Project in 1986. This was part of a plan to place fifty MGM-118A Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles on the rail network of the United States. The railcars were intended, in case of increased threat of nuclear war, to be deployed onto the nation's rail network to avoid being destroyed by a first strike counterforce attack by the Soviet Union. The rail garrison at Eaker could deploy a missile trail to St. Louis, MO or Memphis, TN, depending on what the situation called for.

Winning the Omaha Trophy and Expanding the Alert Force

In April 1987, the 97th Wing was awarded the Omaha Trophy, denoting it as the best strategic bomber wing in the entire Strategic Air Command. This was a major but well deserved honor that highlighted the hard work of all people who worked tirelessly to make Blytheville AFB the best base in SAC. In 2022, the 97th Wing's patch joined other winners to adorn the Omaha Trophy Honor Wall at USSTRATCOM headquarters.

That August, a dedication ceremony was held at the Ready Alert Facility to celebrate the opening of a new $1.7 million, two-story addition to the base's Readiness Crew Building. This addition added a new gym, rec room, office space, and additional dorm rooms to allow the KC-135 crew to live in the alert facility. In attendance at this ceremony were Congressman Bill Alexander, Brig. Gen David Peterson, and Col. Bruce Smith. During the ceremony, it was stated that the alert crew at Blytheville AFB spent roughly one third of the year sequestered in the building (with few opportunities to leave), and the new facilities would help with easing the boredom that came with being "on alert."

Second BRAC Listing and a Name Change

In April 1988, the Blytheville AFB was placed on the BRAC list for the third time. This came as quite a shock to base leadership, as the 97th Wing had secured the Omaha Trophy and the Fairchild Trophy in the previous two years, denoting it as the best performing wing in the entire Strategic Air Command. That May, in response to the BRAC placement, the airbase was renamed to Eaker Air Force Base, in honor of the famed World War 2 Army Air Forces General Ira C. Eaker.

By the time the base was renamed Eaker Air Force Base, the Cold War was winding down. The mission of SAC was beginning to wane as tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union eased due to new communications and cooperation between the two countries.

Operation Desert Storm

The 97th Wing was called to participate in the Gulf War. On February 3rd, 1991, as part of the lead up to the initial invasion, B-52 #59-2593, call sign "Hulk 46" sufferred a complete eletronics failure and crashed into the Indian Ocean. Hulk 46 had finished its bombing run and was returning to the airbase on Deigo Garcia when the crash happened. This was the only B-52 lost during the Gulf War, and three of the crew personnel did not survive the crash, Eric Hedeen, Jeffry Olson, and Jorge Arteaga.

Base Closure

As Eaker AFB prepared for closure, units were either deactivated or moved to another base and services were slowly wound down. In March, the last B-52G left the base, and the following month, the 97th Wing was moved to Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Over 700 civilian jobs were lost after this move, and with the loss of the base personnel, the population of the county dropped by almost 3,500 people. On December 15, the last Air Force personnel were transferred out and Eaker Air Force Base was officially deactivated and closed.