Evening star., 1946-07-28
Combined Show
Of Army Might
Slated Thursday
AAF and Ordnance
To Be Honored at
Monument Grounds

Washington will turn out to hon.
or two branches of the Army next
Air Forces and the
Ordnance Department-one in OBJ
servance of national Air Forces
Day" and the other at the opening
of six-week display of Ordnance
materiel at the Washington Monu-
ment grounds.
An armada of SO planes including
eight jet-propelled P-80s, will roar
over the District Thursday after
noon as part of exercises desig-
mated by President Truman in
commemoration of the 39th ami
versary of the Army Air Forces.
The Ordnance exhibit will bring
some 1000 tons of bombs, planes,
tanks, and guns to Washington, in
Guiding many items of equipment
never before seen by the public.
Among enemy materiel on display
will be German jet-propelled
plane, the Royal Tiger, Panther and
Panzer tanks and the first vi and
W. rockets to be exhibited in the
United States.
Giant Mortar on Display.
American equipment will include
the Little David" giant mortar
developed during the war; a battery
OF 9O-mm. antiaircraft guns, and a
240-mm. self-propelled howitzer.
The Air Forces Day" sky parade
is to begin at 3:15 pm. Following
the Jet-propeued craft will be a fleet
OF B-2s Superfortresses, Psi Mus
tangs, A-26 Invaders. Cas- Com
mandos, BIS Mitchell 5ombers and
Psi Black Widows.
The planes will leave Mitchell
Field, N. Y, at IL am. and fly to
Langley Field, Va, for a landing.
passing. meanwhile. over Boston,
New York City. Teterboro, N j.,
Allentown, Pa. Philadelphia. Balti-
more and Washington.
The jet fighters, because of their
excessive flying speed, will join the
southwark fight at Teterboro.
The aerial exhibition will also be
part of Boiling Fields Open
House" celebration of the anniver-
sary. The gates of the field will be
open to the public between l pm.
and 6 pm. THURSDAY to witness the
show. No passes of any kind will
be necessary during that time to
enter the base and parking facili-
ties will be available. Brig. Gen.
B. M. Hovey. commanding general
of Boiling Field. has announced.
Planes Open to Public.
Planes at the base will be open
/ for inspection, and tour of points
of interest has been planned. Me-
chanics and line chiefs will explain
their functions to the public, the
post chapel will give an organ re-
cital, the only three active sky
writers in the Air Forces-Maj.
Alexander H. Parrish, Capt. Eugene
w. Graham and 1t william l..
Wslker-will put on an exhibition
and a flight of six P-51s will
perform.
! A complete unit of men equipped
with standard paraphernalia from
the famous 82d Airbone Division
will aid in demonstrating joint Air
Forces-G Forces technique.
The post theater will show combat
films in continuous performances,
the Officers Clubs and the Nom
commissioned Officers Club and the
Service Club will hold anniversary
parties.
A formal retreat parade will be
held by Boiling Field troops at 5
pm. Gen. Hovey will review the
parade and award decorations to
air force heroes. The official Army
Air Forces Band will play
Spaatz Host at Dinner.
! Climaxing the District celebration
will be dinner at Z o'clock Thurs
day in the Presidential Room Of
the Statler Hotel with Gen. Carl
Spaatz, commanding general of the
Army Air Forces, as host.
/ Though the Army Air Forces
mark August l as the day to COM
memorate their 3eth anniversary.
the beginnings of air service for
the Army might be said to date
back even further, to the time OF
the Civil War. August /, 1907 marks
the establishment of the Aeronauti-
cal Division of the Signal Corps,
the date on which the anniversary
is based. But in 1862, during the
Civil War, observations from bal
looms were made for the Army of
the Potomac by civilian aeronauts.