Season 2 of Heritage Minute with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 is under way! In this episode, a walk-through of the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation headquarters named for Gen. James "Jimmy" Doolittle.----more---- Located on 24 acres of land on the Air Force Academy, just southeast of the Cadet Area, is Doolittle Hall, the Association of Graduates’ headquarters building.  The facility is named for General James “Jimmie” Doolittle, who led the April 1942 raid on Tokyo that gave a huge morale boost to the United States and its allies.  Groundbreaking for the alumni house took place on May 28, 1991, with one of General Doolittle’s sons and a Doolittle Raider among those in attendance.  Just over a year later, on August 21, 1992, the 35,000-square-foot facility was dedicated.  The building houses many historical displays and plays host to a variety of cadet-, graduate-, and Academy-related events throughout the year.  Doolittle Hall also houses two other Academy-supporting foundations, the USAFA Endowment and the Falcon Foundation.  On June 30, 1995, the first phase of the Class of 1999’s inprocessing took place at Doolittle Hall.  Every inprocessing between then and 2017 started at Doolittle Hall, with the exception of 2012, when it was moved to the Field House due to the Waldo Canyon Fire.  Doolittle Hall continues to be a focal point on in-processing day, as the building and grounds play host to the incoming basic cadets’ family members.  Basic cadets visit the facility late in Basic Cadet Training, a day devoted to learning about the Academy’s rich heritage and accepting the challenge of taking the first steps toward joining the Long Blue Line of Academy graduates.       The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

Penny Grossman served 21 years of active duty as an Air Force nurse. In 1973, She was stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines during Operation Homecoming, when nearly 600 American Prisoners of War were freed. The first leg of their journey home took them from Hanoi to Clark Air Base, where Penny witnessed their first steps of freedom. She has not spoken of these difficult memories in 50 years. ----more---- Operation Homecoming image credit:  whoa.org, Mr. Don Quigley, contributor  THE BACKSTORY  This Heritage Minute special presentation is guest-hosted by George Hayward, author of The Party Dolls: The True, Tragic Story of Two Americans’ Attempted Escape from a 1969 Hanoi POW Camp.  He is a recognized authority on the history of Americans held captive during the Viet Nam war, and the horrors they faced.   Lt. Penny Grossman, USAF, Clark Air Base, 1972 George has known Penny for more than 20 years. He has known her husband Barry, also retired Air Force, for more than 30 years. But he'd never heard any of this until just a few months ago. Penny's stories moved him to tears, and, according to George, she shed many tears in the telling. A short time later, she recorded her memories on audio, which George has agreed share with you.     Mr. George Hayward, Author, The Party Dolls Available on Amazon ABOUT THE PARTY DOLLS In May 1969, at the peak of the Vietnam War, two American prisoners of war escaped from a brutal North Vietnamese prison camp. Their story is one of incredible bravery against the longest of odds—and also one of bitter conflict. Air Force Captains John Dramesi and Ed Atterberry escaped with help from their fellow prisoners, but that help was not given freely. Their attempt killed one man and brought many others a lifetime of pain.THE PARTY DOLLS tells the true, tragic story of an escape code-named the “Party.” The story is told by the men who lived it, American POWs, via interviews conducted by the author some two decades ago, but never published until now.   The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation

The primary goal of the United States Air Force Academy is to educate, train, and inspire men and women to become leaders of character for the nation.  ----more----One great way to do this is by exposing cadets to individuals who embody the selflessness, grit, and other characteristics we work to instill in them.  No group of leaders has demonstrated these values better than Medal of Honor recipients.  Here, on the second floor of Fairchild Hall is the Academy’s Medal of Honor Wall.  It features the names and likenesses of all members of the Air Force and its predecessor organizations who have earned the Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. The Medal of Honor dates back to the American Civil War.  In December 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation establishing a Medal of Honor, making it the oldest continuously issued combat decoration in the United States.  The Medal of Honor is generally presented to its recipient or family member, in the name of Congress, by the President.  One President, in fact, received this honor – Theodore Roosevelt.  His son also earned the Medal of Honor, making them one of two father-son recipients.  The others:  Arthur MacArthur Jr. and Douglas MacArthur.  Since its inception, The Medal of Honor has been awarded more than 3,400 times.  The rolls include one woman and one eleven-year-old, both Civil War recipients. The first four of the more than 60 heroes memorialized on the Wall at the Academy are from World War I.  Captain “Eddie” Rickenbacker was the first, earning his for aerial combat in 1918.  Also in World War I, Pilot Harold Goettler and observer Erwin Bleckley, both lieutenants, were awarded the Medal for conspicuous gallantry for their mission to deliver supplies to troops trapped behind enemy lines in the Argonne Forest, a mission they did not survive.  Incidentally, their World War I unit, the 50th Aero Squadron, was activated at the Academy from the early 1980s until 2007, under both the Commandant of Cadets and the Dean of the Faculty. An additional 38 aviation-related Medals of Honor were awarded in World War II and four in the Korean War before the Air Force-specific Medal of Honor was created on April 14, 1965. Fourteen Air Force members received Medals of Honor for their service in the Vietnam War, including three enlisted warriors:  Airman First Class William Pitsenbarger, Chief Master Sergeant Richard Etchberger, and Airman First Class John Levitow. Certainly the Medal of Honor recipient cadets are most familiar with is Captain Lance Peter Sijan, Class of ’65, the only Air Force Academy graduate to have one bestowed on him.  On 9 November 1967, then-First Lieutenant Sijan was reported missing after he ejected from his disabled F-4C aircraft during a night bombing mission near Vinh, North Vietnam.  Despite grievous injuries, he managed to evade for 46 days before being captured.  He died in captivity on 22 January 1968. Two Medal of Honor recipients taught at the Air Force Academy in the 1970s after the conclusion of their Vietnam tours, serving as great role models for the cadets of that era, to include me.  Both officers flew helicopters and were recognized for their heroism on rescue missions.  Captain James Fleming taught on the faculty, while Captain Gerald Young served as a flight instructor. Several other recipients who appear on the Academy’s wall are very familiar to cadets and staff members.  Jimmy Doolittle is the namesake of the Association of Graduates’ alumni building.  Medal of Honor recipients chosen as class exemplars, leaders for cadets to emulate, include Jay Zeamer Jr., Richard I. Bong, Frank Luke, and George “Bud” Day. THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE WALL IS ALSO AN EXEMPLAR: THE CLASS OF ’26 HAS CHOSEN MASTER SERGEANT JOHN CHAPMAN, KILLED DURING COMBAT IN AFGHANISTAN, AS ITS EXEMPLAR.  The Medal of Honor Wall at the Air Force Academy serves as a reminder of the legacy left by these aviation heroes who went well above and beyond the call of duty.  These stories of integrity, service before self and excellence provide constant inspiration and motivation to the members of the Air Force Academy Cadet Wing who pass this display every day.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

Dive into the story behind the Col. Richard Gimbel Aeronautical Library, located at the top floor of USAFA's McDermott Library!----more---- On the sixth floor of the Academy’s McDermott Library is a temperature — and humidity-controlled room that houses one of the institution’s most historic collections.  The Colonel Richard Gimbel Aeronautical History Collection — totaling about 20,000 items — is one of the world's best collections of artifacts and publications documenting the human dream of flight.  Gimbel, a military aviator during World War II and an heir to the Gimbel's Department Store fortune, began collecting aeronautical memorabilia after buying a trunk full of aviation-related materials at a bombed-out London bookstore.  He would go on to collect many items for his aeronautical collection, including books, manuscripts, coins, prints, postcards and comic books.  The collection covers the transition of flight from hot-air balloons to parachutes and powered flight.  In the mid-1950s, aviator Charles Lindbergh learned about Gimbel's collection and suggested to his friend, Lieutenant General Hubert Harmon, the Academy's first superintendent, that the institution pursue the donation of the collection.  During his lifetime, Gimbel never confirmed that he would bequeath the collection to the Academy.  But in 1970, when Gimbel died, his will left the collection to USAFA.  The oldest item in the collection, dated to 2700 B.C., is a stone seal from southern Mesopotamia that bears the image of an outstretched eagle.  The Gimbel book collection includes a German volume from 1493 and an Italian volume from 1489.  The collection's numerous medallions commemorate the first manned balloon flight in France in 1783 and the Wright brothers' historic flight in 1903.  The collection even includes a Mickey Mouse cartoon book that depicts flying.  Cadets access the Gimbel collection for research, but it is also open to the public by invitation or by writing to the Academy library director.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

One of the most interesting areas in the McDermott Library is the stunning circular staircase pinnacled by a replica of the Wright Brothers' airplane.  ----more---- The aviation pioneers, appropriately enough, occupy the uppermost region of the facility, at the top of the striking three-story spiral staircase.  The geometrical staircase was designed to satisfy the Superintendent, Lieutenant General Hubert Harmon.  Harmon didn’t care for the rigid, square Modernist architectural style, so the Academy project’s lead designer, Walter Netsch, designed the staircase to provide General Harmon with some variety.  By the time the Orville and Wilbur Wright busts were dedicated on April 20, 1979, they had actually been at the Academy for nearly eleven years.  They were donated to the Academy on November 22, 1968, by Retired Air Force Colonel Milton Seaman, the Academy’s first liaison officer.  They have been displayed in several locations.  First, they were located on the footbridge in front of the Library, where cadets would rub the busts’ heads for luck on their way to the academic building for exams.  The statues also resided in the Air Gardens in front of Mitchell Hall before moving to their current location.  The area also features a quarter-scale replica of the Wright Flyer of 1903 suspended under the skylight at the top of the stairs, a bust of Charles Taylor, the engineer who built the engine for the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight, and other displays.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

Displayed along the spiral staircase of USAFA’s McDermott Library is an impressive collection of rifles used by U.S. troops throughout the ages. ----more---- The collection of 31 military shoulder arms dates from 1763 to the 1970s.  Donated by Lieutenant General Albert P. Clark, sixth superintendent of the Academy and a prisoner of war during World War II, the rifle collection tracks the evolution of arms through the decades — from the early single-shot muzzleloader to fully automatic weapons.  Some of the earliest firearms on display are a French Charleville Musket and a British “Brown Bess” musket — used during the Revolutionary War.  The Clark collection also includes various types of bayonets and fighting knives used by the combat soldier over the past two hundred years.  The rifle collection was donated on March 14, 1973, and has been on display for cadets and visitors to study ever since.  A West Point graduate, Clark became well known for helping to organize a massive escape attempt from a German POW camp.  Those events were the inspiration for the 1963 film, “The Great Escape.”   DOWNLOAD THE CLARK COLLECTION CATALOG       The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

Situated at the north end of the Air Garden on the Academy Cadet area’s Terrazzo, just under the flagpole proudly displaying the American flag, is the Academy’s Graduate War Memorial. ----more---- The idea for the memorial was conceived by Captain Richard T. Mathews, from the Class of 1960, who served as the first alumni secretary.  The $24,000 cost of constructing the memorial was covered by donations by graduates and parents of graduates.  The memorial was eventually presented by the Association of Graduates to the Cadet Wing on October 10, 1970.  The names of Air Force Academy graduates who have lost their lives in combat are etched in the three slabs of Starlight granite that make up the memorial.  The inscription at the top of the memorial reads, “In memory of our fellow graduates who have fallen in battle.”  At the dedication ceremony in 1970, Brigadier General Robin Olds, commandant of cadets at the time, challenged the cadets in attendance, saying quote “Remember these names.  Honor them.  They are a part of you, the wing.  They represent your past, as you today represent our future.  Reflect in their example of selfless devotion to duty, and gain courage so that, when you face your test, you may add honor and glory to the annals of the wing – and of the Air Force – and of our country.”  With the addition of two fallen warriors in October 2023, the names of 190 Air Force Academy graduates are carved into the Academy’s Graduate War Memorial. SEE THE LIST OF NAMES HERE     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

Have you met the “USAFA Before USAFA History Guy?”----more---- Col. (Ret.) Jack Anthony ‘78 (R) is the Academy’s recognized authority on our “pre-history,” which has earned him the handle, “USAFA Before USAFA History Guy.” Join Jack and Heritage Minute host, Steve Simon '77 (L), as they share stories about a of few of Jack's favorite historical sites on Academy grounds — and some untold stories as well!     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

WATCH!  HERITAGE MINUTE IN THE NEWS It’s the Air Force Academy’s 70th year bringing up great leaders who go on to serve the nation in uniform!----more---- You might be surprised at what you don't know about the institution or its founding. Heritage Minute podcast host, Steve Simon, a 1977 USAFA grad, recently joined Fox 21’s, Krista Witiak, for a fun, rapid-fire Q & A about the school’s history and heritage! Watch now! Credit and Special Thanks: KXRM FOX21, Colorado Springs, CO; Krista Witiak, FOX21 reporter; Shane Crigger, Fox21 News Director, and Dean Miller, USAFA Public Affairs HERITAGE MINUTE IN THE NEWS PART 2     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

A pair of fighter jets on display at the Academy played key roles in our national defense! Steve Simon ’77 has their story!‌----more---- In this episode of Heritage Minute with Steve Simon '77, the stories behind the F-15A and F-16A fighters on display at the west end of the Terrazzo in the cadet area. These aircraft represent planes that have been flown by countless Academy graduates, and have recently played key roles in America's national defense.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

In this episode of the Heritage Minute podcast, host Steve Simon '77, flashes back to May 1968 when the F-105D Thunderchief static display on the USAFA Terrazzo was dedicated.----more---- What happened next resulted in 300 broken windows, more than $50,000 in damage and a grounded pilot. How did it happen? And did the pilot ever fly again? Get the full story in this episode of the Heritage Minute podcast.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

The grassy center of the Academy Cadet Area’s Terrazzo open space features a static display aircraft on each of its four corners. ----more----   The most historically significant is the McDonnell-Douglas F-4D Phantom II located on the southeast corner near Mitchell Hall and the Air Garden.  It is the only aircraft since the Korean War to be credited with six MiG kills, all of which took place in 1972.  Not only that, but two Air Force Academy Class of 1964 graduates recorded half of those kills.  Captain Steve Ritchie, the Academy’s first graduate pilot ace and the Air Force’s only pilot ace of the Vietnam War, recorded his first and fifth kills in this plane.  His classmate, Fred Olmsted, also had a kill in it.  The Academy took possession of the aircraft on December 2, 1986.  Five months later, on May 8, 1987, a dedication ceremony took place during the Noon Meal Formation.  Both Steve Ritchie and Fred Olmsted attended the event, as did another pilot with a kill in the aircraft, Ivy McCoy Jr.  Incidentally, this F-4 replaced another Phantom on the Terrazzo.  On May 29, 1970, an F-4 was unveiled for display.  That aircraft was a gift from the Utah Air Force Association and was constructed of pieces of several aircraft at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

The 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 9, 2011, as part of the Class of 1976's 35th reunion class giving project. The memorial incorporates an actual girder from the World Trade Center. ----more---- The memorial features two granite slabs, representing the Twin Towers, atop a five-sided foundation that represents the Pentagon. The words, "World Trade Center," "The Pentagon" and "Shanksville, Pa." are etched onto the memorial.   The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

Welcome to the Heritage Minute Podcast Channel! ----more----One key mission of the Association of Graduates is to highlight some of those things that make the Academy the special place that it is. Whether it’s a statue honoring a war hero, a static display of historic aircraft or a collection of important memorabilia, these reminders help tell the story of USAFA and the big Air Force through the decades. Heritage Minute Podcast Channel Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon '77   The Heritage Minute Channel and Podcast is a production of  the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation