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USAF Airman Heritage Museum

{{short description|Military and aviation museum in Texas, US}}

{{Infobox museum

| image = 201103-F-GY993-100.jpg

| former_name = History and Traditions Museum

| established = {{Start date|1956}}

| location = Lackland Air Force Base
San Antonio, Texas

| coordinates = {{Coord|29.3840019|-98.621705|display=inline,title}}

| type = Military aviation museum

| collection_size = 40+ aircraft
35 exhibits
4,000+ artifacts

| visitors = 36,000 (2019)

| director = Bill Manchester

| curator = Fernando Cortez

| historian = Stephanie Ritter

| parking = On base (no charge)

| website = {{url|https://myairmanmuseum.org}}

}}

The USAF Airman Heritage Museum is an aviation field museum and heritage collection of the United States Air Force located at Lackland AFB near San Antonio, Texas.{{Cite web |title=Aviation Museums |url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Questions/Aviation-Museums/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=National Museum of the United States Air Force}}{{Cite web |date=September 16, 2021 |title=Details - USAF Airman Heritage Museum - Atlas Number 4200001460 |url=https://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/Details/4200001460 |access-date= |website=Texas Historical Commission}} The museum, along with the Security Forces Exhibit Annex, are part of the Airman Heritage Training Complex, run by the Air Education and Training Command.{{Cite web |last=Strang |first=Joshua |date=October 25, 2018 |title=Enlisted Heritage and Training Complex uses the past to teach the present |url=https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/1671700/enlisted-heritage-and-training-complex-uses-the-past-to-teach-the-present/ |access-date= |website=Joint Base San Antonio |language=en-US}} Its mission is to preserve and honor the history and heritage of enlisted airmen.{{Cite web |date=August 2019 |title=Fact Sheet |url=https://myairmanmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/AHF-FactSheet-AUG2019.pdf |publisher=Airman Heritage Foundation}}

History

The museum opened as the History and Traditions Museum in 1956 as one of 12 satellite museums to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Nicholas |date=July 7, 2019 |others=Photos by Bonnie Arbittier |title=Bexar's Eye: A Small Corner of Lackland AFB Holds a Wealth of Military Aviation History |url=http://sanantonioreport.org/bexars-eye-a-small-corner-of-lackland-afb-holds-a-wealth-of-military-aviation-history/ |access-date= |website=San Antonio Report |language=en-US}} Museum construction began in 1956 inside a building that dates to 1942,{{Cite web |last=DeKunder |first=David |date=November 9, 2020 |title=Airman Heritage Museum honors legacy of Airmen |url=https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/2409438/airman-heritage-museum-honors-legacy-of-airmen/ |access-date= |website=Joint Base San Antonio |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Joseph |first=Mike |date=March 26, 2013 |title=Foundation, Air Force sign agreement for new museum |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/foundation-air-force-sign-agreement-for-new-4386178.php |access-date= |website=San Antonio Express-News |language=en-US}} and it opened to the public in February 1957.{{Cite news |date=September 17, 1972 |title=Lackland Home of Air Force Traditions, History Museum |page=10-K |work=San Antonio Express |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-antonio-express-lackland-home-of-air/124818180/}} With the stated purpose of giving basic trainees "pride in the past", museum staff arranged exhibits in coordination with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. They refurbished aircraft on static display to pay tribute to the planes' respective squadrons, crew, and pilots, ensuring correct paint and insignias.

On March 5, 1958 the Air Force announced the consolidation of museums at Randolph and Lackland Air Force Bases into the one at Lackland.{{Cite news |date=March 6, 1958 |title=Economy move won't catch oldest man on AF roster |volume=75 |page=17 |work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times |issue=341 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/corpus-christi-caller-times-economy-move/124858871/ |via=Newspapers.com}}

The History and Traditions Museum annual attendance was over 100,000 in the 1970s. The museum had over 50 aircraft and missiles, a reference library, and miniatures recreating WWII air battles.{{Cite news |date=May 13, 1976 |title=Thousands visit Lackland museum annually |page=5-C |work=San Antonio Express |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-antonio-express-thousands-visit-lack/124857077/ |via=Newspapers.com}} The engine exhibit contained a Liberty L-6 and L-12 and an Allison V-12 among others.

File:Welcome to Lackland SR-71 July 1990.jpg towed from Kelly AFB to Lackland AFB summer 1990|left]]

The SR-71A "Blackbird" was put on static display in 1990 at the Parade Ground Airpark.{{Cite news |last=Allen |first=Paula |date=November 14, 2020 |title=Air shows keep San Antonio looking up to local military |url=https://www.expressnews.com/life/life_columnists/paula_allen/article/Air-shows-keep-San-Antonio-looking-up-to-local-15726984.php |access-date= |website=San Antonio Express-News |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=July 6, 1990 |title=Welcome to Lackland |volume=38 |page=7 |work=Panama City Gulf Defender |issue=25 |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/military-clipping-jul-06-1990-4014513/ |via=Newspaper Archive}}

In 2010 the museum reopened with a new name—the Airman Heritage Museum.{{Cite magazine |last=Bates |first=Matthew |date=October 2012 |others=Photos by Bennie J. Davis III |title=Keeping Time |url=http://airman.dodlive.mil/2012/10/keeping-time/ |magazine=Airman |pages=1–3 |issn=0002-2756 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012225127/http://airman.dodlive.mil/2012/10/keeping-time/ |archive-date=2012-10-12}} The same year, Building 6351, a 1940s era barracks was moved to the museum.{{cite news |last1=Joseph |first1=Mike |title=Remnant of Lackland's past gets new home |url=http://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/463138/remnant-of-lacklands-past-gets-new-home |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=Joint Base San Antonio |date=4 March 2010}}

On February 11, 2013 the Lackland Gateway Heritage Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with the USAF to build a new museum. Its goal was to raise money for the new building, targeting a fall 2017 opening. The new museum would be located on a {{Convert|85000|sqft|m2|abbr=on|adj=on}} site north of the parade grounds. It would have {{Convert|50000|sqft|m2|abbr=on|adj=on}} of exhibit space and be privately funded with $50 million by the Airman Heritage Foundation.{{Cite news |last=Keegan |first=CK |date=August 1, 2014 |title=New museum to inspire Airmen |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-new-museum-to/124857500/ |via=Newspapers.com}}

In 2014 the Airman Heritage Museum and Security Forces Exhibit Annex were brought together under a single entity, the Airman Heritage Training Complex, itself operated by the Air Education and Training Command.

The museum recognized members of the Tuskegee Airmen and their families at opening of their exhibit on May 4, 2015.{{Cite news |last=Christenson |first=Sig |date=May 5, 2015 |title=Air Force salutes Tuskegee Airmen's enlisted corps |url=https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Air-Force-salutes-Tuskegee-Airmen-s-enlisted-6241987.php |access-date= |website=San Antonio Express-News |language=en-US}} The research for the exhibit had begun in 2014 at the Air Force Historical Research Agency.{{Cite web |last=Nichols |first=Lynsie |date=May 8, 2015 |title=Lackland's Tuskegee Airmen exhibit opens to the public |url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/588048/lacklands-tuskegee-airmen-exhibit-opens-to-the-public/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=Air Force |language=en-US}}

The Airman Heritage Foundation continued to raise funds in 2019 for new building set to open in 2022. It is planned to be more accessible, with the entrance outside the base.

In 2019 the Airman Heritage Museum had 36,000 visitors and the Security Forces Exhibit Annex had 23,000 visitors.

In 2020, nine static aircraft of the Southeast Asia Airpark were moved to make room for construction of new Airman Training Complexes. Aircraft moved to the Parade Ground Airpark included the B-52, F-4, F-5, F-100, B-57, B-66, and F-105. The T-37 and UH-1 were moved to the Inter-American Air Force Academy. The Airman Heritage Training Complex provided technical support for the move.{{Cite web |last1=Delgado |first1=Alex |last2=Kersey |first2=Rachel |date=June 25, 2020 |others=Photo by Johnny Saldivar |title=JBSA-Lackland's Southeast Asia Airpark relocated |url=https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/2231823/jbsa-lacklands-southeast-asia-airpark-relocated/ |access-date= |website=Joint Base San Antonio |language=en-US}}

Collections

= Airman Heritage Museum =

File:220118-F-FV908-002.jpg

The current indoor space is {{Convert|6,778|sqft|m2|0|abbr=on}} with {{Convert|5000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of exhibit space. The museum has over 4,000 artifacts from 1907 to present, which are on loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. A total of 35 exhibits are on display, including scale models of planes, a B-24 bomber simulator, the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit, an original Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplane fuselage skeleton with OX-5 engine,{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Jay |date=November 11, 1971 |title=the Armchair Aviator |volume=58 |page=51 |work=The Austin American |issue=117 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-austin-american-the-armchair-aviator/125125609/ |via=Newspapers.com}} an exhibit on the precursor to the Air Force, the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, a display on the Women's Air Force, and more.{{Cite web |last=DeKunder |first=David |date=February 8, 2022 |title=New exhibits make history come alive at Airman Heritage Museum |url=https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/2926589/new-exhibits-make-history-come-alive-at-airman-heritage-museum/ |access-date= |website=Joint Base San Antonio |language=en-US}}

The Airman Heritage Museum has over 40 aircraft on static display outdoors, most of which are located Parade Ground Airpark.{{Cite web |date=April 2016 |title=Aircraft on Loan (by Location) |url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Portals/7/documents/other/aircraft_on_loan_by_location.pdf#page=45 |website=National Museum of the US Air Force |pages=45–46}}{{Cite web |title=Airpark |url=https://www.airmenheritage.com/airpark |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Airmen Heritage Training Complex |language=en}} The aircraft represent Army Air Corps and Air Force history{{Cite web |title=Lackland Air Park |url=http://www.lackland.af.mil:80/library/history/lacklandairpark/index.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107211806/http://www.lackland.af.mil:80/library/history/lacklandairpark/index.asp |archive-date=2011-11-07 |website=Lackland AFB}} spanning eight decades.

== Aircraft ==

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= Security Forces Exhibit Annex Museum =

The Security Forces Annex contains 47 exhibits and an archival repository pertaining to the history of the Air Force Security Forces since 1947, including the history of military, air, and security police.{{Cite web |title=Home Page |url=https://securityforcesmuseumfoundation.org/ |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=Security Forces Museum Foundation}} Special exhibits are on display regarding women in the Security Forces and military working dogs.

Airman Heritage Foundation

The Airman Heritage Foundation is the private non-profit organization that supports and raises funds for the museum. Its mission is to preserve and honor the history and heritage of enlisted airmen.

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{Commons and category|Lackland Air Force Base aircraft collection|Lackland Air Force Base aircraft collection}}

  • [https://myairmanmuseum.org/ Airman Heritage Foundation]
  • [http://www.airmenheritage.com/ Airmen Heritage Training Complex]

Category:Aerospace museums in Texas

Category:Air force museums in the United States

Category:Military and war museums in Texas

Category:Museums established in 1956

Category:Museums in San Antonio