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  • An Oregon “Guest” of the Luftwaffe

    History can be a complex subject, finding the evidence of days gone by in documents, artifacts, images, interviews and such.  Even when one is familiar with the details of a given aspect of history, it’s common for new details to emerge.  History is not a static thing, and a surprising amount of

  • Remembering Across Time: Memorial Day 2022 in the 142nd Wing

    Who to remember on Memorial Day?  In our busy lives some people either forget or never learned the differences between Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day.  Simply put, Memorial Day is to remember those members of the Armed Forces who died in service to the country.

  • The 371st Fighter Group and the Aftermath of the Holocaust

    During this April 24 through May 1, 2022 Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust, with the Russo-Ukrainian War raging in Europe and perhaps some of the ghosts of World War II being stirred, we remember the terrible things that can happen when one group of human beings are demonized,

  • The Oregonians of the Doolittle Raid on Japan, April 18, 1942

    Today, Monday, April 18, 2022 is the 80th anniversary of the epic Doolittle Raid, when US Army Air Force B-25B Mitchell medium bombers flew from the pitching deck of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) in the first American air raid on Tokyo and the Imperial Japanese Home islands.

  • The Mysterious Fate of William T. “Shorty” Bales, Jr.

    Friday, April 13, 1945. A day after the passing of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Third Reich was collapsing as Allied forces pressed into Germany from the east and west. It seemed like the war in Europe would be over soon, though the fighting continued.

  • The Ukrainian Children’s Airlift of 1992

    Thirty years ago, the 142nd Fighter-Interceptor Group (142nd FIG, now the 142nd Wing) played an important humanitarian role in post-Cold War relations with the former Soviet Union, right after the end of the Cold War. In 1992, the 142nd FIG aided in the safe transport of 111 Ukrainian children and

  • The Dusty Start: The 142nd Wing’s Early SW Asia Experience

    This year marks the 30th anniversary of Operation DESERT STORM, the coalition campaign to forcibly remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s military forces from the Kuwait in an impressive air, land and sea effort. The 142nd Wing’s connection to the desert reaches back to this era, and has continued

  • 80 Years of Oregon Air National Guard Veterans and Veterans Days

    This Veteran’s Day, 2021 marks the 80th anniversary of the Oregon Air National Guard being in the ranks of veterans whom we celebrate on November 11 each year. We honor our veterans and their service in defense of our nation, state and community, in peace and in war.