Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Ellsworth Air Force Base

Guardians of the North

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

1. Ellsworth Air Force Base Marker

Inscription.

Ellsworth is home to the 28th Bomb Wing. Our mission is to provide combat airpower— anytime, anywhere.

The base has played a vital role in our national security since 1941. While its facilities and mission have changed over time to meet the nation's needs, its Airmen and families have always been dedicated to excellence.

THE MISSING PLANES
To truly represent Ellsworth's past, this airpark would need two more planes: a B-17 Flying Fortress, and a B-36 Peacemaker. Crews flew the colossal Peacemaker—it would just barely fit on a football field—as a reconnaissance plane and a nuclear bomber. The base lost its commander, Brig Gen Richard Ellsworth, in a fatal B-36 crash in March 1953.

TOP LEFT: President Eisenhower personally dedicated the renamed Ellsworth Air Force Base in honor of its fallen leader.
BOTTOM LEFT: The massive, arched Pride Hangar was built to hold two B-36s with room to spare. It still stands on the flightline.
BOTTOM RIGHT: The B-17 Flying Fortress left Rapid City Army Air Base in the 1940s, but the same weather comes back every year!

The US Air Force is grateful to our neighbors throughout

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the Black Hills region for providing unwavering support for the base and its mission.

Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Patriots & Patriotism. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota Air and Space Museum series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.

Location. 44° 7.992′ N, 103° 4.432′ W. Marker is in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker is on the South Dakota Air and Space Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2890 Davis Drive, Ellsworth AFB SD 57706, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West River,

in the Badlands,

and in Greater Rapid City.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026

2. Ellsworth Air Force Base Marker

walking distance of this marker: B-52D Stratofortress (here, next to this marker); EC-135 Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) (within shouting distance of this marker); LGM-30F Minuteman II (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named LGM-30F Minuteman II (within shouting distance of this marker); Duke Corning (within shouting distance of this marker); MIM-3 Nike Ajax (within shouting distance of this marker); 4th Airborne Command Control Squadron (within shouting distance of this marker); C-45H Expeditor (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Regarding Ellsworth Air Force Base. Although an official field museum of the US Air Force Heritage Program and is adjacent to Ellsworth AFB main gate, the museum does not require access onto the base.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.