August 18, 1951. Col. Keith Compton wins the first USAF jets-only
 Bendix Trophy transcontinental race, flying from Muroc AFB, Calif.,
 to Detroit, Mich., in a North American F-86A Sabre with an average
 speed of 553.761 mph. Total flying time is three hours, twenty-seven
 minutes.
     August 21, 1951. The Medal of Honor is awarded posthumously to
 Maj. Louis J. Sebille, USAF, who was killed August 5 near Hamch'ang,
 Korea. Major Sebille attacked Red troops in his damaged plane until
 it crashed.  This is the first Air Force Medal of Honor awarded in
 the Korean War.
     September 14, 1951. Flying a night intruder mission, Capt. John
 S. Walmsley, Jr., attacks a North Korean supply train near Yangdok,
 North Korea. His bombs hit an ammunition car, and the train breaks
 in two. He then makes a strafing attack on the remaining cars, but
 his guns jam after the first pass. Using the newly installed search-
 light in the Douglas B-26 Intruder's nose, he lights the way for
 another pilot to finish off the train. Captain Walmsley's aircraft
 is hit by ground fire and crashes. Captain Walmsley is posthumously
 awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.
     September 20, 1951. The Air Force makes the first successful
 recovery of animals from rocket flight when a monkey and eleven mice
 survive an Aerobee flight to 236,000 feet.
     October 2, 1951. Col. Francis S. Gabreski of the 51st Fighter
 Wing downs a MiG-15, which gives him 6.5 victories in Korea.
 Combined with his 28 victories in World War II, he is the highest
 scoring Air Force ace with victories in two wars.
     November 30, 1951. Maj. George A. Davis, Jr., becomes the first
 USAF ace of two wars--World War II (seven) and Korea (fourteen).
     February 1, 1952. The Air Force acquires its first general-
 purpose computer (a Univac I).
     February 10, 1952. Despite being outnumbered twelve-to-two, Maj.
 George A. Davis, Jr., and his wingman attack a formation of MiG-15s
 over the Sinuiju-Yalu River area of Korea in order to protect a
 force of US fighter-bombers. Major Davis, who had recorded seven
 air-to-air victories in World War II and had added fourteen more in
 Korea, shoots down two of the MiGs (although these would not be
 confirmed kills) before being shot down himself. His wingman manages
 to escape. For his unselfish action, Major Davis would posthumously
 be awarded the Medal of Honor.
     April 1, 1952. In a further change from practices carried over
 from when it was part of the Army, the Air Force redesignates the
 grades of PFC, corporal, and buck sergeant as Airman Third Class,
 Airman Second Class, and Airman First Class.
     April 15, 1952. The Boeing YB-52 Stratofortress bomber prototype
 makes its maiden flight from its facility in Seattle, Wash. Company
 pilot A.M. "Tex" Johnston is at the controls.
     June 23-24, 1952. Combined air elements of the Air Force, Navy,
 and Marines virtually destroy the electrical power potential of
 North Korea. The two-day attack involves 1,200 sorties and is the
 largest single air effort since World War II.
     July 14, 1952. The Ground Observer Corps begins its round-the-
 clock skywatch program as part of a nationwide air defense effort.
     November 1, 1952. The United States tests its first thermonu-
 clear device at Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands. The device, code-
 named "Mike," has a yield of 10.4 million tons of TNT, 1,000 times
 more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II.
     November 22, 1952. While leading a flight of four Lockheed F-80s
 on a mission to dive bomb enemy gun positions that were harrassing
 friendly ground troops near Sniper Ridge, North Korea, Maj. Charles
 J. Loring, Jr.'s aircraft is hit repeatedly as he verifies the
 position of the enemy guns. His aircraft badly damaged, he turns and
 deliberately crashes into the gun positions, destroying them com-
 pletely. For this selfless action, Major Loring is posthumously
 awarded the Medal of Honor.
    December 16, 1952. Tactical Air Command activates first Air Force
 helicopter squadron.
     January 2, 1953. Cessna Aircraft is declared the winner of the
 Air Force's primary jet trainer competition. This Cessna, later
 designated T-37, beats out fourteen entries.
     January 14, 1953. lst Lt. Joseph M. McConnell, Jr., who would go
 on to become the leading American ace in Korea, records his first
 aerial victory, a MiG-15. Assigned to the 39th Fighter Squadron, he
 was flying a North American F-86 at the time.
     January 26, 1953. Chance Vought Aircraft completes the last F4U
 Corsair. In production for thirteen years (and built by two other
 manufacturers during World War II), almost 12,700 Corsairs were built
 in a number of versions, making for one of the longest and largest
 production runs in history.
     February 4, 1953. Harold E. Talbott becomes Secretary of the Air
 Force.
     March 16, 1953. Republic delivers the 4,000th F-84 Thunderjet to
 the Air Force. The F-84 has been in production since 1946.
     April 7, 1953. The Atomic Energy Commission reveals that it is
 using QF-80 drone aircraft at the Nevada Proving Ground. The drones
 are flown directly through atomic bomb blast clouds to collect
 samples for later examination.
     May 12, 1953. Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson reveals that
 projected Air Force strength has been revised downward to 120 wings,
 instead of the 143 previously planned.
     May 18, 1953. Capt. Joseph M. McConnell, Jr., downs three MiG-15
 fighters in two separate engagements. These victories gave Captain
 McConnell a total of sixteen kills in just five months of action and
 makes him the leading American ace of the Korean War.
     May 23, 1953. Company pilot Geoge S. "Wheaties" Welch makes the
 first flight of the North American YF-100 Super Sabre prototype at
 the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif. He exceeds
 Mach 1 on this first flight.
 End of Part 17
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