Because my dad was an airman, because my granddad was in both the Army Air Corps and the Air Force, because one of our blog contributors is an active-duty Zoomie, and because we love America…. Happy birthday, U.S. Air Force, formed on this day in 1947. W. Stuart Symington, the first secretary of the Air Force said at the time,
“In this day when a powerful counterattack is America’s only real answer to aggression, there can be no question that we need the world’s first Air Force. It is only through the global, flashing mobility of the Air Force that we can hold our counterattack poised … we feel, with deep conviction, that the destiny of the United States rests on the continued development of our Air Force.”
I hope it’s not a faux pas of any sort, but I like the old-fashioned version of the song, which includes “Air Corps” instead of “Air Force.” All the versions with the updated lyrics sounded a little too soft for the occasion. Enjoy:
