Smyrna times., 1945-07-26
OPEN HOUSE
ARMY AIR FIELD
3Sth Anniversary of Army
Air Force Will Have Spec
tacular Aerial Review
TO PRESENT AWARDS

observance OF the ooLn dnnlVer-
sary of the Army Air Forces on
Wednesday, August 1, will feature
an elaborate open house program,
air show and review of troops at
Dover Army Air Field, in addition
to participation by Dover pilots in
aerial reviews over Philadelphia
and New York City. The public
will be entertained at the airfield
throughout the afternoon with dis
plays of aircraft and euipment,
plus air and ground demonstra-
tions, according to announcement
by the base commander, Colonel
Harold ]. Rau. Climax of the
days festivities will be the formal
retreat ceremony beginning at 3
p. m, in which every officer and
enlisted man at the field will par
ticipate. Several combat awards
will be presented to oversee veter-
ans now stationed at the air base.
State and local officials are being
invited to take part. Dover pilots
will appear in training formations
over every sector of the State of
Delaware at some time during the
day in tribute to the men of the
AAF and also as a vivid reminder
of the important war role of the
Army Air Forces.
To Appear at New York
Philadelphia is scheduled to see
Dover pilots in action shortly be-
fore two o'clock as the flights
pause for a salute enroute to New
York City where they will partici-
pate in an half-hour aerial demon
stration. Dover's planes will be
joined by aircraft from Millville,
N. j., Army Air Field and Suffolk
County, N Y, Army Air Field for
the New York mission. Special
program features are being ar
ranged for the public in the after
noon, with the evening program
set aside for the military person
mel. There will be a dance for Of
ficers at the Officers Club, while
the enlisted men will be entertain
ed at a dance at the Base Gym
nasium.
Memorial Services July 20
Memorial services honoring AAF
men are being planned in churches
in the Dover area for Sunday, July
20. Services at the Base Chapel
on that day also will be dedicated
to AAF personnel. The Army Air
Forces was founded 1 August 1907
as the Aeronautical Division of the
Office of the Chief Signal Officer
War Department ito study the fly
ing machine and the possibility OF
adapting it to military purposes. y
The original complement of one
captain and two enlisted men has
been expanded to the recent peak
of more than 100000 officers and
men. Work of the original group
resulted two years later in the pur-
chase of the first military airplane
which was accepted on August 2
1909 after trial flights from the
parade ground of Fort Myer, Va
The plane weighed TAO pounds
empty and 1900 pounds with fuel
water and two passengers aboard
(In contrast, B-29's on recent
bombing missions north of Tokyo
carried bomb loads IL times heav-
ier than the original fully-loaded
airplane). During World War H.
the AAF has participated in 2,300,-
900 combat flights, dropped 2,0O0,-
900 tons of bombs on the enemy
and destroyed more than 10000
enemy aircraft. The June 1945
rate of bombings by B-29 Super
fortresses in the war against
Japan was in excess of 1000 tons
of bombs a day smashing down
upon Japan. General Henry H.
Arnold, Commanding General of
the AAF, himself is the dean OF
Army flight training. He was the
18th student assigned for Army
fight training and with the estab-
lishment of the rank of military
aviator became one of the first
three officers to earn his wings.