Near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Red Eagles
America's Secret MiG Squadron
| | 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron | |
Photographed by Craig Baker, April 20, 2021
1. Red Eagles Marker
This tribute is placed to recognize all the men and women of the 'Red Eagles' and the many Higher Headquarters personnel who contributed to the success of Project CONSTANT PEG.
From April 1977 to July 1990, the 'Red Eagles' of the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron executed the secret mission of Project CONSTANT PEG. The mission involved covertly obtaining and flying Soviet designed MiG-17, MiG-21, and MiG-23 fighter aircraft. Headquartered at Nellis AFB NV, the 'Red Eagles' flew out of remote Tonopah Test Range Airfield, located in the NW corner of the vast Nellis AFB NV training area. During the period July 1979 to March 1988, 'Red Eagle' pilots from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps secretly flew over 15,000 MiG sorties while exposing almost 6,000 Air Force, Navy and Marine fighter crews to the unique capabilities of the threat aircraft types they would likely face in the event of a conflict. Our secret was not publicly revealed until October 2006.
Special Honor is accorded to three dedicated men who lost their lives while performing the 'Red Eagle' mission:
Lieutenant Melvin Hugh Brown, (USN), MiG-17 Mishap, 23 August 1979.
Captain Mark Francis Postai, (USAF), MiG-23 Mishap, 21 October 1982.
Technical Sergeant Rey Hernandez, (USAF), Industrial Mishap,
this page online
Erected 2018 by Red Eagles Alumni Association.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold.
Location. 39° 46.71′ N, 84° 6.882′ W. Memorial is near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is on Spaatz Circle near Spaatz Street. Located at the Museum of the Air Force, in Memorial Park. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 38 Spaatz Cir, Dayton OH 45431, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pioneers of Stealth (a few steps from this marker); Aircraft Loadmaster Monument (a few steps from this marker); "That Others May Live" (a few steps from this marker); Dedicated to CMSgt Bill Cannon (a few steps from this marker); Gold Star Families Memorial Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Troop Carrier Tactical Airlift (within shouting distance of this marker); The Berlin Airlift (within shouting distance of this marker); United States Air Force Academy Class of 1959 (within shouting distance of this marker).
Regarding Red Eagles. A Red Eagle MiG-23 fighter aircraft from Project CONSTANT PEG is on display inside the museum.
Also see . . .
Photographed by Craig Baker, April 20, 2021
2. Red Eagles Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 807 times since then and 43 times this year. Last updated on April 23, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2021, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
