Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
A-26A/B-26K Counter Invader
Night Hid the Attacks Until the Bombs Dropped
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
1. A-26A/B-26K Counter Invader Marker
Painted black, Invaders flew night missions over North Korea, searching for trucks and trains carrying supplies to the battlefront. Angling down, the pilot fired the eight guns in the nose. In some Invaders, a glass nose allowed a bombardier to sight targets. Bombardier Les Snyder, who later settled in Rapid City, described a mission that earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. Flying through heavy ground fire, he and his crew reached an ammunition supply depot. When his bombs hit, they survived "the biggest and best 'fireworks' display one could imagine."
A VETERAN PLANE RETURNED TO SERVICE
Retired after Korea, forty aging A-26—including this one—were retrofitted to attack insurgent supply lines in Vietnam and renamed Counter Invaders. Unlike fighter pilots, the crews on this slower attack plane could linger over their targets. Of course, that also made them easier targets for anti-aircraft fire.
LEFT: An A-26 in the air near Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, 1969.
RIGHT: The A-26s were 25 years old when they flew in Vietnam. But every B-1 on Ellsworth is already older than that!
A big glass nose gave B-26
this page online
Modern Combat Systems Officers combine the functions of radar, navigation, and targeting, as well as defensive systems.
DATA CARD
Top Speed mph · 322
Crew · 4
Range · Regional
Payload · 12,000 lbs. of bombs and rockets; eight .50 caliber machine guns
Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Korean • War, Vietnam • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota Air and Space Museum series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1969.
Location. 44° 8.029′ N, 103° 4.319′ W. Marker is in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker and aircraft are on static display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. 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.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
2. A-26A/B-26K Counter Invader and Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: C-47 Skytrain (a few steps from this marker); EB-57B Canberra (within shouting distance of this marker); C-131D Samaritan (within shouting distance of this marker); T-33A Shooting Star (within shouting distance of this marker); UH-1F Iroquois (within shouting distance of this marker); F-86H Sabre (within shouting distance of this marker); F-101B Voodoo (within shouting distance of this marker); F-84F Thunderstreak (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Regarding A-26A/B-26K Counter Invader. 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.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
3. A-26A/B-26K Counter Invader Nose Guns
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
4. A-26A/B-26K Counter Invader
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 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
