Bolling Air Force Base

Bolling Air Force Base. . [Panel 1]: , Old Bolling Field, 1917 - Survey for the site of a military flying field to be used for defense of Washington and for proficiency flying. Captain William "Billy" Mitchell, commander of Army Signal Corps Aeronautics Division urges purchase of a tract of land near the Potomac., 1918 - Bolling Field is established just north of the present Bolling Air Force Base site - named for Colonel Raynal C. Bolling, Assistant Chief of Air Service. Colonel Bolling was the first high-ranking Air Service officer killed in action in world war one., [Panel 2]: , The Early Years, 1919 - First closed-body plane seen in Washington, a 27-passenger Lawson airliner, lands at Bolling after a four-hour flight from New York., 1920 - First Army Tournament, forerunner of modern air shows, is held at Bolling Field. It draws such aviation pioneers as Brigadier General Billy Mitchell and Lieutenant Colonel Horace M. Hickam., 1922 - Cross-country night flights between Bolling and Langley Field begin, using car lights to light the landing field., [Panel 3]: , Aviation Pioneers, 1920 - At Bolling, General of the Armies John J. Pershing and Brigadier General Billy Mitchell greet Army fliers after 112-hour, 9,000-mile round trip flight from New York to Alaska., 1921 - Captain Eddie Rickenbacker lands at Bolling after record-breaking 34-hour, 6-minute flight from Redwood, California., 1923 - President Warren Harding greets Lieutenants John Macready and Oakley Kelly after their historic transcontinental flight from New York to San Diego., [Panel 4]: , Conquering the Oceans, 1927 - After Charles Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris, the "Spirit of St. Louis" is shipped back from Europe and reassembled at Bolling. Lindbergh spends a week at Bolling, taking members of Congress on flights in Bolling aircraft., 1928 - At Bolling, President Calvin Coolidge presents the distinguished Flying Cross to Lieutenants Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger for their 2,428-mile flight from California to Hawaii., [Panel 5]: , New Bolling Field, 1928 - Heavy rains put Bolling Field under 2-5 feet of water. The House of Representatives authorizes purchase of land south of original Bolling Field for construction of a new base., 1932 - Works Progress Administration crews begin construction of new Bolling Field. Building 20, the airman dormitory, is first of 36 major buildings completed over the next 7 years., [Panel 6]: , Spanning the Distances, 1929 - Three crewmembers from Bolling: Captain Ira Eaker, Lieutenant Pete Quesada, and Master Sergeant Roy Hooe - along with Major Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, take part in the flight of the "Question Mark," which conclusively demonstrates the potential of air refueling., 1934 - With 10 Martin B-10s, Lieutenant Colonel H. H. "Hap" Arnold makes an historic 8,290-mile round trip from Bolling to Fairbanks, Alaska, demonstrating the feasibility of long-range bombing missions. As a result, Arnold is awarded the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year., [Panel 7]: , On the Eve of War, 1940 - An air show in January attracts over 22,000 people. Impressed by display of newly developed aircraft and other innovations, President Franklin Roosevelt orders show to remain open three extra days., 1941 - General Headquarters, Army Air Forces moves to Bolling from Langley Field., 1941 - Air transport service across the North Atlantic begins with a B-24 flight from Bolling to Scotland. This service pioneers long-range air transport system supporting the Allied effort worldwide., [Panel 8]: , The World at War: Across the Pacific and on the Home Front, 1942 - On 28 June, General "Hap" Arnold decorates Brigadier General Jimmy Doolittle and the first Tokyo Raiders on the Bolling flightline near Hanger 1., 1942 - On 3 October, General Arnold receives the Distinguished Service Medal for his flight from Brisbane, Australia to Bolling, demonstrating long-range strategic mobility and continuity of command., 1941-1945 - During rapid wartime expansion, over 300 temporary buildings spring up as Bolling's population grows from about 1,400 to almost 7,000., [Panel 9]: , The World at War: Across the Atlantic, 1942 - In the spring, the "Mighty Eighth" Air Force, commanded by Colonel Asa N. Duncan, establishes an administrative center at Bolling - the focal point for the organization of the Eighth and its move to the United Kingdom., 1942 - On 20 August, the Twelfth Air Force is activated at Bolling in preparation for the invasion of North Africa. Brigadier General James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle assumes command in September., [Panel 10]: , The World at Peace, 1945 - On 17 July, Bolling is assigned to Continental Air Forces (CAF), headquartered at Bolling since March. CAF's primary missions are continental air defense, training, redeployment of overseas forces, and formation of a continental strategic reserve., 1946 - On 21 March, Headquarters Continental Air Forces, at Bolling becomes Headquarters Strategic Air Command. SAC headquarters remains at Bolling until October, when it moves to Andrews AFB., 1946 - On 15 December, Bolling Field Command becomes headquarters for all Air Force people in the Washington area., [Panel 11]: , Final Flight, 1962 - Air traffic congestion caused by the proximity of Bolling Air Force Base to Washington National Airport brings an end to 44 years of fixed-wing flying operations at Bolling. On 1 July, the last fixed-wing aircraft assigned to Bolling, a C-54, departs the base. Headquarters Command helicopter missions continue to operate out of Bolling., 1968 - On 7 September, the 1001st Helicopter Squadron relocates from Bolling to Andrews, leaving Bolling's flightline empty after 50 years of military aviation.