Commemorate Air Force’s 72nd birthday with ‘Plane Talks’

To commemorate the 72nd birthday of the U.S. Air Force, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will host “Plane Talks” Sept. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., offering visitors a special opportunity to interact with veterans who will be stationed at aircraft throughout the museum.

Included among the veterans scheduled to be on-hand will be 16 pilots; four navigators; four crew chiefs; an electronics warfare officer; electronic countermeasures officer; electronics equipment repairman; aircraft maintenance officer; and a structural repairs technician, who have flown on aircraft such as the A-1; AC-130; B-25; B-52; B-58; C-123; C-124; C-130; C-141; EC-121; F-4; F-15; F-22; F-100; F-105; HU-16; KC-97; SR-71; and VC-137C (Air Force One).

Explore WWII veteran to parachute into history with AFRL researcher’s help

In addition, a former museum curator will speak about the B-24D Liberator exhibit.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet and hear stories from more than 30 Air Force veterans (volunteers subject to change).

Bldg. 1 (World War II Gallery)

B-24 D – Joseph Ventolo, former museum curator

B-25B – Retired Lt. Col. Jack Hampshire, former pilot

Bldg. 2

A-1E – Retired Col. Ed Mentzer, former pilot

B-52D - Retired Col. Andrew Gilmore, former electronics warfare officer

B-52D - Retired Maj. Will Davis, former navigator/electronic countermeasures officer

C-123K - Retired Lt. Col. Paul Reinman, former pilot

C-124C - Retired Lt. Col. Dick Brubaker, former pilot

EC-121D - Retired Senior Master Sgt. Sam Jiles, former communications electronics equipment repairman

F100 D - Retired Col. Robert. Pinizzotto, former squadron maintenance officer

F-105G - Retired Col. Jim VerStreate, former pilot

F-4C - Retired Chief Master Sgt. Franklin Wolf, former crew chief

OV-10A - Retired Col. Denny Crouch, former pilot

RF 101C - Retired Lt. Col. Joe Muchnij, former aircraft maintenance quality control officer

UH-1P & H-43B - Retired Col. Tom Gardner, former pilot

Bldg. 3

A-10 A - Retired Lt. Gen. John Hudson, former pilot

AC-130A - Retired Col. Carl Periolo, former navigator

AC-130A - Dick Gardner (former captain), former pilot navigator

B-1B – Don Chislaghi, former engineer

B-58A - Retired Col. Chuck Jones, former navigator

F-102A - Retired Col. Jack Wilson, former pilot

F-106A - Retired Senior Master Sgt. Joe Matis, former crew chief

F-111A - Retired Lt. Col. Michael Uecker, former combat crew training sq instructor radar navigator

F-4G - Retired Col. Ron Hunt, former pilot

HU-16B - Retired Col. Lee Smith, former Pilot

KC-97L - Retired Lt. Col. Kenneth Normand, former pilot

Minuteman - Retired Col. Larry Skapin, former missile combat crew commander/instructor

Missile Gallery - Retired Maj. Harmon Withee, former missile crew member

RF-4C - Retired Lt. Col. Chuck Schmitz, former pilot

SR-71A - John Schell (former Capt), former development engineer

U-2A – Staff Sgt. Ralph Shain, former crew chief

Bldg. 4

C-130E - Retired Master Sgt. Dave Richards, former crew chief

C-141C - Retired Col. Jim Blackman, former pilot

C-21A - Retired Lt. Col. Rick Weeks, former pilot

VC-137C - Retired Senior Master Sgt. Gerrard Mongelli, former structural repairs technician

VC-137C - Retired Maj. Don Brown, former pilot/instructor

This program is free and open to the public. Additional information on these and other upcoming events is available at: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Events/.

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, is the world's largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space. For more information, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.

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