Alamogordo in Otero County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
The Fightin' 49ers Mission
Holloman Air Force Base
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 5, 2014
1. The Fightin' 49ers Mission Marker
(inset photo captions, top to bottom)
1942 • 49th Fighter Group P-40's flying near Port Moresby, Australia. By the end of World War II, the 49th Fighter Wing had destroyed 678 enemy aircraft.
Major General Douglas MacArthur congratulates Major Richard Bong, whose 38 air victories made him America's top fighter pilot.
During WWII, Alamogordo Army Air Field trained B-17, B-24, and B-29 aircrews.
On 13 January 1948, in honor of research and development pioneer Col. George Holloman, Alamogordo Army Air Field was renamed Holloman Air Force Base.
1949 • Construction began on the Holloman Test Track. The track was built to evaluate jet fighter ejection seats. Over 10,500 tests have
this page online
During the Korean War, the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing moved to Taegu Air Base, South Korea. The 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing participated in every major air campaign destroying 27 aircraft, 239 tanks, 150 locomotives, 3000 railroad cars, and over 2000 vehicles.
1968 • The 49th Fighter Wing arrived at Holloman AFB with its 66 F-4D aircraft.
1992 • After years in Nevada, the F-117A Stealth Fighter arrived at Holloman AFB and became part of the 49th Fighter Wing.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Military.
Location. 32° 46.78′ N, 106° 10.359′ W. Memorial is in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in Otero County. It can be reached from the intersection of U.S. 70 and Dunes Drive, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located beside the sidewalk in the plaza on the west side of the White Sands National Monument Visitor Center. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 19955 US Highway 70, Alamogordo NM 88310, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in New Mexico’s Pecos Valley. It is also in the American Borderlands and in the Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comanchería, and the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 18 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Dog Canyon (approx. 11 miles away); Calvin Boles (approx. 11.4 miles away); La Luz (approx. 17.6 miles away).
More about this memorial. This is a large composite plaque, mounted in a large, metal "Kiosk-style" framework.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 29, 2018. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 476 times since then and 19 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on November 29, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
