RELEASED BY: LT. COL. GREG HAPGOOD

     PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
     OFFICE: (515) 252-4582
     CELL: (515) 971-6385
     HOME: (515) 986-5725

RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

MILITARY TOY AIRCRAFT EXHIBIT AT THE IOWA GOLD STAR MILITARY MUSEUM
 

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge will host a military toy aircraft exhibit honoring the 60th Anniversary of the United States Air Force on Friday and Saturday, September 14-15. The exhibit will include model toy aircraft from World War II to the present. In addition, the public is invited to tour the museum’s permanent exhibit “Into the Wild Blue” featuring artifacts, clothing, and images highlighting several Iowa military aviators from World War II to the present.
 

The origins of the U. S. Air Force began with the creation of the Aeronautical Division of the U. S. Army Signal Corps in 1907 and its purchase of a dirigible airship the following year. In August 1909 the Army Signal Corps contracted with the Wright brothers to purchase the Army’s first aeroplane: the Wright Model B.
 

The fledgling Army Air Service drew valuable lessons in combat during World War I and performed the first in-air refueling in 1923. Air Service pilots achieved many speed and altitude world records during the 1920s and 1930s and conducted experiments with instrument flight navigation, photographic reconnaissance, and bombing tactics.
 

During World War II the U. S. Army Air Corps was expanded into the U. S. Air Force, with a peak force of 2.2 million men, and participated in defeating the axis powers in the skies over Europe, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia.
 

Realizing the unique and unparalleled missions the Army Air Force conducted during WW II and the new global security responsibilities of the cold war, the Department of Defense authorized the creation of a new independent military branch, United States Air Force, on September 18, 1947.
 

Established in 1985, the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is the only federally-recognized repository for military artifacts in the state of Iowa. The mission of the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum is twofold: to preserve Iowa’s military history and honor the military service of all Iowans.
 

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum’s permanent exhibits tell the stories of Iowans who have served in defense of their state and nation, beginning with the early settlement of the state in the 1840s, through the Global War on Terror. An extensive exhibit honors the 34th Infantry Division (“Red Bull” Division), which holds the distinction of serving the most continuous days in combat of any U.S. division in the European Theater of Operation during World War II. The museum also contains one of the finest military small arms collections in the Midwest. Additionally, an exhibit detailing the history of the Iowa State Patrol is also on display.
 

Group tours are welcome and available by appointment; contact the museum for scheduling. For additional information or questions about the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, contact the Museum at (515) 252-4531 or visit the museum website at www.iowanationalguard.com.
 

For questions concerning this release as well as additional information about the operations, training, and activities of the Iowa Army and Air National Guard, please contact Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, Iowa National Guard Public Affairs Officer by email at gregory.hapgood@ia.ngb.army.mil or (515) 252-4582 (office), (515) 971-6385 (cell), or (515) 986-5725 (home. You may also contact Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden at (515) 252-4666 (office), (515) 480-7647 (cell), (515) 251-7335 (home), or by e-mail at duff.mcfadden@ia.ngb.army.mil.

-END-

IOWA NATIONAL GUARD
Americans at Their Best