three silvery spires soar the vision of the dedicated group that enough money and win the necessary up, arching and narrowing navigated it from dream to reality. Ten permits to start construction. until they seem to disappear years on, it’s been embraced by the Air The National Park Service led the site in the air. They almost look like contrails, Force, other services, foreign airmen, and design committees on a tour of 18 but they’re stainless steel, not smoke. Yes, and random visitors to the nation’s possible locations in the Washington, you actually can hear aircraft engines— capital alike. D.C., area. The committee liked a usually from airliners approaching nearby “It has become what we had hoped number of them, including a small plot Reagan National Airport. for and expected,” said retired Air Force adjacent to the National Mall, near the This is the US Air Force Memorial Col. Pete Lindquist, who served as Air Smithsonian’s National Air and Space in Arlington, Va., designed to evoke the Force Memorial Foundation director of Museum. They settled, though, on an spectacular grace of fl ight and to honor operations from 1996 to 2012. area of Northern Virginia known as the commitment, heroism, and sacrifi ce Arlington Ridge. of all the men and women who have TH The site was directly in line with the served the cause of American airpower. The origins of the memorial began in east-west axis of the mall, just across Dedicated Oct. 14, 2006, the memorial, the wake of US victory in the 1991 Gulf the Potomac River. It was on land off set atop a hill overlooking both the Penta- War. A small group of Air Force Asso- the northern end of Arlington Cemetery gon and Arlington National Cemetery, is ciation leaders, headed by O. R. “Ollie” and between two existing attractions: now a decade old. In just 10 years it has Crawford, saw airpower’s dominance in the Netherlands Carillon—a thank-you become the Air Force’s ceremonial stage, that campaign as something worthy of from the Dutch for US aid during and hosting promotions and retirements, commemoration. after World War II—and the Marine historic commemorations, band concerts, Crawford helped form a foundation Corps War Memorial, the iconic giant and drill team performances. It is the that included himself, John R. Alison, statue that depicts raising the fl ag during scene of speeches, parades, and Honor George M. Douglas, Martin H. Harris, the battle for Iwo Jima. Coincidentally, Flight visits. Couples get engaged there. Thomas J. McKee, and Jack C. Price as it was only a short distance from the Spouses and children visit to remember trustees. The group was incorporated and site of the fi rst fl ight of a US military departed loved ones. Airmen—currently granted nonprofi t, tax-exempt status in airplane, on adjacent Fort Myer. serving, retired, and even those who 1992. Retired Lt. Gen. Robert D. Springer Given the proximity to the Iwo Jima served in USAF’s predecessor organi- accepted the job of executive director, Memorial, the foundation informed zations—come for inspiration. They and the Air Force Sergeants Association senior Marine Corps leaders of its plan show off the memorial to their families promised its full support. in February 1994. None raised objec- or just lean back and take in the majesty In 1993, business executive Joseph tions to the Air Force building its own of the spires. Coors Jr. came aboard as foundation memorial in the vicinity. The spires did not rise easily. Like chairman. H. Ross Perot Jr. agreed to serve More permission was needed, though. many monuments in Washington, the Air as chairman of the foundation’s site and Erecting memorials in and around the Force Memorial endured controversies design committee. Congress passed, and nation’s capital is a complicated pro- so heady that it changed shape and lo- President Bill Clinton signed, legislation cess, as a number of panels and commis- cation a number of times. It faced court authorizing the building of an Air Force sions have the power to say yes or no. challenges and congressional objections. Memorial on federal land. Within a year the foundation quickly But today it’s a place to celebrate the That signature started a clock ticking. won site approval from the National Air Force on a grand scale. That was The foundation had seven years to raise Capital Memorial Commission and

A soaring inspiration, the Air Force Memorial celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.

Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto

2 C a a i e October 2016 These Magnificent Spires By Peter Grier

C a a i e October 2016 21 1

Air Force Memorial illustration

2 Air Force Association photo

1

Sisson Studios photo via Centex Mid-Atlantic Construction the Commission of Fine Arts. The limits, architect James Ingo Freed had As Shaud recalls in a written refl ection National Capital Planning Commis- produced a design only 50 feet tall, with on the memorial’s construction, Gen. sion balked, however. The foundation space below for an interpretive center Michael J. Dugan, former Air Force worked with the group and agreed to and other functions (later eliminated Chief of Staff, was also present at the a number of design parameters that for practicality and cost). Viewed from fund-raiser and said, “I like the slogan eased its objections. above, the design was a fi ve-pointed star. ... ‘Soaring to Glory,’ but looking at the All signals seemed to say “go” in Not everyone in the Air Force loved model, that ain’t it.” 1996, as the foundation had all the site it. Retired Gen. John A. Shaud, former The more the guests looked at the de- and design approvals it needed. Fund- AFA executive director and memorial sign, Shaud wrote, the more “we tended raising started in earnest. foundation trustee, attended a fund- to agree with Mike.” The Secretary of This fi rst iteration of the Air Force raiser for the memorial entitled “Soar- the Air Force remarked, “It looks like a Memorial was quite different from the ing to Glory.” A model of the proposed moon lander.” Over time, a more pejora- one now standing. Due to the site height design was on display. tive nickname circulated: “the ashtray.”

22 C a a i e October 2016 3 Although it was 50 feet tall, it appeared stubby and squat.

T CT Then a storm arose that the founda- tion hadn’t foreseen. It started small. Residents of the leafy neighborhood near the Arlington Ridge site began raising objections. They used the space as something of a neighborhood park for dog walking, Frisbee fl ying, and other activities. Some worried that the presence of a third memorial on the site would bring more people and vehicles and interfere with these activities. The opponents knew they needed al- Air Force Association photo lies. The objection of a neighborhood Air Force Association photo association by itself wouldn’t derail the project. “They partnered with some retired marine folks and organizations and it certainly escalated from there,” said Lindquist. “We were portrayed as im- pacting the hallowed ground of the Marine Corps.” The opposition organized into a group called the Friends of Iwo Jima and began lobbying Congress. On July 30, 1997, Rep. Gerald B. H. Solomon (R-N.Y.), a Marine Corps veteran, introduced leg- islation prohibiting any new memorials near the Iwo Jima statue. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate in October. Opponents pursued court action via a civil suit as well. They got some support from active marines despite the fact that the corps had been consulted through- out the process, and the memorial had already received the explicit approval of the Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. The foundation had followed the legal planning process by the book and successfully defended itself in the courts a number of times. In June 1998, a US District Court judge dismissed the Friends of Iwo Jima suit against the foundation via summary judgment.

/ 1/ A mod el of th e originally p rop osed Air F orce M emorial th at was to b e b u ilt on Arlington R id ge in V irginia. V isib le on th e righ t is th e M arine Corp s W ar M emorial, on th e lef t is th e N eth erland s Carillon. strto of the fi rst roose memorial at nigh t. / 3/ S p ires u nd er con- stru ction at M ariani M etal F ab ricators in 2 0 0 5 . / 4/ T h e sp ires are erected in 2 0 0 6. / 5 / An aerial p h otograp h of th e memorial constru ction site in N ov emb er 2 0 0 5 , with th e N av y Annex b eh ind it.

C a a i e October 2016 23 1 2

USAF photo by TSgt. Cohen A. oung

6

hoto by Navin Sarma

An appeals court upheld this action in “There were some very concerned “The Friends of Iwo Jima, mainly May 1999. Meanwhile, the House and individuals at high levels in both ser- retired Marine generals, were each pre- Senate bills that would have blocked the vices—the Marine Corps and Air Force— pared to make a speech,” and they did, memorial went nowhere. because what was happening was, this Shaud recalls. “Peters nudged me and Foundation offi cials forged ahead with little tiff over memorials was really asked, ‘When do you think we ought to fund-raising and other activities. At a causing some consternation between say something?’ I replied, ‘Sir, look at dedication ceremony for the Arlington active duty forces,” recalled Lindquist. the body language of the senators and Ridge site held Sept. 18, 1997, some Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) and Deputy congressmen. Let them go on … and on.’ ” participants noticed that the Iwo Jima Defense Secretary Rudy deLeon were Finally, Warner asked if the Air Force Memorial was more than 500 feet away, instrumental in brokering a compromise. had anything to say. up a hill, and screened by a copse of Congressman Solomon organized a Peters initially deferred to Shaud, who trees. No part of it—not even the tip of meeting on the Hill attended by sev- answered, “The Air Force is following the fl agpole—was visible from the site. eral senators and congressmen and the the Wing Walkers Creed, which is, ‘Don’t In the court of public opinion, though, Friends of Iwo Jima. The Air Force was let go of something ’til you have hold the Air Force Memorial wasn’t faring represented by Secretary F. Whitten of something else.’ ” well. The dispute over its siting was re- Peters and Shaud, who represented AFA Later, while walking down the Capi- verberating in the Pentagon and beyond. as its executive director. tol steps, Peters asked Shaud how he

2 C a a i e October 2016 3

Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto

hoto by Jim Diedrich USAF photo by Jim arhegyi hoto by Navin Sarma felt they did. “Sir, I think just fine,’ ” At the time, though, defense officials Shaud recollects. “And that turned out said the annex buildings wouldn’t be / 1/ S tonework contractor M arcel M ach ler to be true.” removed for another 20 years. ch isels th e lettering of th e d ed ication into th e granite at th e site. / 2 / T h e b rilliant Warner brokered a swap: If the The fight over the Arlington Ridge mu lticolor sk y of a W ash ington, D .C., trustees gave up the Arlington Ridge site had already eaten up some of that d awn f orms a b ack d rop f or th e silv ery site, they could have a parcel of land time. Then the Pentagon decided it sp ires of th e memorial. / 3/ A star and seal are inlaid in th e stonework b elow by the Navy Annex, adjacent to the didn’t have to wait and demolish the th e sp ires. / 4/ A rememb rance lef t at th e southern border of Arlington Cemetery. entire Navy Annex—a series of eight M issing M an d isp lay. / 5 / AF A cond u cts a The proposed new location was in buildings—all at once. Instead, the wreath -laying ceremony, lik e th is one in 2 0 13, at th e memorial d u ring th e N ational many ways a superior site—on a hill new plan called for razing just one of Conv ention ev ery year. S o f ar in 2 0 16, that overlooked the Pentagon on one them. Added to space from a parking wreath -laying ceremonies h av e com- side, Arlington cemetery on another, lot, this would provide a promontory memorated M emorial D ay, th e Civ il Air P atrol, N ational P O W / M I A R ecognition and then across the Potomac to the for a highly visible memorial. Better D ay, th e 2 0 th anniv ersary of th e K h ob ar Washington Monument and all of D.C. yet, it could now soar upward, freed of T owers b omb ing, and oth er ev ents and beyond. The site selection committee the height limits of Arlington Ridge. sfi ct tes es scre with U S AF core v alu es—I ntegrity, S erv ice, had, in fact, visited the Navy Annex In October 2001, the foundation board E x cellence— are d isp layed with insp iring as part of its original tour and liked it. decided to accept the deal. Members q u otes f rom airp ower ad v ocates.

C a a i e October 2016 2 1

USAF photo by TSgt. Joshua L. DeMotts

6 One day during this period, he got a call in his AFA office informing him that the competing architects were meeting downstairs. They wanted him to talk about the differences between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. In the elevator on the way down he mused about what to say. The differ- ent elements in which each service moved were obvious—land, sea, and air. How to illustrate that? He decided that architects—probably all of them fine arts majors of some sort—might USAF photo by SSgt. David Salanitri DOD photo by Linda Hosek respond to songs. knew if they insisted on the fi rst site, being a far better site, and in my opinion, Shaud told them the land-based more litigation would follow, costing a far better design.” Army could be symbolized by in- them dollars and time. The whole pro- exorable marches such as the “Battle cess of building the memorial would T T Hymn of the Republic.” The Navy drag out, and they might run out the A new site, having fewer restric- sings a more majestic hymn to the clock, with the risk that Congress might tions, offered new opportunities. The expanse and loneliness of the ocean, not extend the authorizing legislation. foundation in early 2002 asked fi ve while the Air Force is all about the That December, President George architectural fi rms to submit new ideas. grace of flight. The Air Force hymn, W. Bush signed a defense authorization Among those taking part was the win- “Lord, Guard and Guide the Men bill that, among other things, allowed ner of the fi rst design contest, James Who Fly,” is in three-four time, the the transfer of up to three acres of the Ingo Freed of the fi rm Pei Cobb Freed meter of a flowing waltz, Shaud told Navy Annex property for the Air Force & Partners. His fi rm had designed the architects. memorial. the Grand Louvre museum project in “The architectural symbol is the Everyone said “it turned out to be Paris and the US Holocaust Memorial dynamic curve—not the column of in our favor,” observed retired Maj. Museum in Washington, D.C. soldiers on the march or the profound Gen. Edward F. Grillo Jr., who served Shaud thinks music may also have emotion of being at sea,” Shaud wrote as foundation president. “It ended up helped inspire the look of the memorial. in his reflection on the memorial.

26 C a a i e October 2016 2 3

Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto

hoto by evin Burns Air Force Memorial staff photo by Barbara S. Taylor Dynamic curves carried the day. When other is a glass contemplation wall, the designs were unveiled, Freed’s new etched with the images of F-16s in a forto of sts y over the eor for the th versry of entry was stunning—and far different missing man formation. the e of or r II he r orce from his original star. It presented three The Honor Guard statue is said to have ccoe the yover th soaring spires, their joints concealed been added at the insistence of Perot, who sc fro the or r II er er ys er the sres he and smooth as possible, reaching into wanted to know “where’s the photo op?” oor r stte sts tch t the the Virginia sky. He wanted to be sure there was an element eor otes hotorhs re “The bottom line is that Jim Freed of the memorial where visitors could pose ofte eft t the se of the ss sy hosty es of fi hter ets re came in and hit a home run with the for a picture, without the photographer etche to the ss e che committee,” said Lindquist. having to be hundreds of feet away to oy o oy ste s the coors The three spires are different heights capture the soaring spires. re resete t eters Dy cereoy t the eor t cereoy , and curve asymmetrically. They are remi- The area is enclosed on two ends by hery re che er hos niscent of the Thunderbirds executing black granite walls that contain quotes hoto of her t, re che, ho s their bomb burst formation or perhaps from noted Air Force and Air Corps leaders oe rforce ervce ot or r II he rethy t the the path of a rocket to space. about service values, excerpts from letters eor s rt of toy evet “The Air Force Memorial is rooted of airmen serving their country far from r hch eers receve in the necessary symbolic transition of home, and the names of Air Force and Air the oresso o e making the medium of the Air Force Corps recipients of the Medal of Honor. visible. ... At the same time, it enshrines Shaud remembers discussing how to groundbreaking and dedication ceremony the past in permanent remembrance of identify the Medal of Honor recipients. at the Navy Annex site. the pioneers of fl ight who came before Should they be listed by unit or by Demolition of the northernmost wing and pays homage to those of the future,” hometown? of the Navy Annex began a month later, wrote Freed in 2004. “We decided to identify them by their and excavations for the spires and other The spires emerge from a prow-like hometown. Where do we get people like features began in January 2005. enclosure at the edge of the memorial’s that? From the villages of America,” he As a construction project, the Air site. Offset below is the Honor Guard, a said. Force Memorial was challenging. The larger-than-life and meticulously detailed With the new design in hand the steel spires were supposed to appear as statue of Honor Guard airmen meant to foundation had to go back and restart seamless as possible. It took more than complement the tall steel arcs. They stand the process of winning approval from a year to construct the spires and lay at one end of a parade ground marked various D.C. boards. That went smoothly their foundation. The concrete took fi ve by paths that resemble runways. At the and on Sept. 15, 2004, there was a formal months to set.

C a a i e October 2016 27 1 2

White House photo by aul Morse

USAF photo by Jim arhegyi 3

hoto by Navin Sarma

“One of the real challenges we had was with rubber. The balls would be free to was no way in the world we were going trying to fi gure out how long it would roll about if a spire swayed in the wind, to delay the dedication,” said Grillo. take to build something so unique,” mitigating the wind’s effect. Mere hours beforehand—even while Grillo said. There were also concerns from nearby attendees began to arrive—workers At one point a scale model of the spires Reagan National Airport that the spires were still planting trees and laying sod was tested in a wind tunnel. This revealed would be a hazard to navigation. Even- on the memorial’s hill. The weather that the structure might be subject to a tually, the FAA was satisfi ed that they on dedication day was beautiful. Bush phenomenon known as “galloping”— posed no risk, but like all towers, the spoke from a podium at the base of dangerous rhythmic swaying induced memorial was topped with a blinking the spires. by wind of a specifi c speed. red light to warn off errant aircraft. “Under these magnifi cent spires, we The memorial needed some sort of Finally, the end of the long march pay tribute to the men and women of movement-damping system to ensure neared. Dedication was set for Oct. 14, the Air Force who stand ready to give against the fate of the famous Tacoma 2006. Logistics planning began far in all to their country,” he said. Narrows Bridge, nicknamed “Galloping advance—after all, President Bush and A historic parade of US aircraft, Gertie,” which collapsed in 1940 due to many other VIPs were involved. from a Wright brothers biplane to an wind-induced twisting. Engineers settled F-117 stealth fi ghter, fl ew overhead on a simple solution of three-quarter ton H TT TH as a series of luminaries spoke of the metal balls contained in steel boxes lined Then came the inevitable last-minute history of US military aviation, from hitch. Contractors pouring concrete in the Air Service to the Air Corps to the the spires’ inner structures saw that Air Force. It all concluded with a spec- or o r ir orce e orial the amount they were putting in didn’t tacular show from the Thunderbirds. The operational mission of the Air Force seem to match the amount collecting At one point, they approached the hill Memorial is paid for through the contribu- tions of generous supporters such as you. in expected places. They discovered from the Pentagon side, low and out of To help preserve the memorial for the that wet concrete had been leaking into sight of the crowd. Then they swung future, please consider donating to the Air some of the damping boxes—entombing upward behind the spires in the bomb Force Memorial Foundation. ou can do- the supposedly free-moving balls in an burst maneuver, mirroring the spires’ nate by visiting http: www.airforcememorial. immovable jacket. shape. Some attendees said the sight com donate or by sending cash or check to One Air Force Memorial Drive, Arlington, A Workers went on a 24/7 schedule to get caused the hair to stand up on the back 22204. The Air Force Memorial Foundation the monument ready in time. “There were of their necks. is a 1 c nonprofi t, and all donations actually people in there hand-chipping “It was an awesome dedication,” said are tax-deductible. the stuff around those balls. ... But there Grillo. To this day, AFA facilitates the

2 C a a i e October 2016

USANG photo by SSgt. Christopher Muncy

/ 1/ T h e Air F orce T h u nd erb ird s, M aster S ergeant of th e Air F orce J ames U S AF ’ s aerial d emonstration team, Cod y d eliv ered th e k eynote sp eech at th e p erf orm a starb u rst maneu v er ov er ev ent. M any oth er d ignitaries h av e sp ok en th e sp ires at th e d ed ication of th e at th e memorial. / 4/ T h e memorial d ep icted memorial in 2 0 0 6. / 2 / T h e b ronze with a su nrise. T h e site of f ers v iews of H onor G u ard statu e is lit wh en nigh t th e W ash ington M onu ment, across th e f alls. / 3/ V olu nteers rep resenting th e P otomac R iv er, th e P entagon, and oth er T u sk egee Airmen p articip ate in a M e- land mark s. / 5 / A U S AF H onor G u ard ru ns morial D ay ceremony in 2 0 15 . Ch ief th rou gh a training d rill b eneath th e sp ires. hoto by Navin Sarma Mystery and Memory There is already some lore and mystery Since then, the process has repeated over about the memorial. One black and white and over. Taylor, a retired Air Force chief photo is a puzzle. It’s always there, propped master sergeant, removes the photo when on a low curb at the base of the Missing Man it becomes worn, and then it gets replaced. panel, where visitors often leave mementos Somehow. of their Air Force loved ones. I’ve never seen or caught the person doing The photo is of a group of World War II it. I don’t even want to know who that person airmen gathered at what might be a pub. is, said Taylor. They’re all smiling, having a good time. he fi nds the riddle of the reappearing There’s no clue as to why the picture is photo inspirational, saying it shows how special. much the Air Force Memorial means in the Staff photo of image by Mike Tsukamoto But it is—to somebody. A few months after lives of ordinary service members and their it fi rst appeared, it became tattered from families and friends. the weather. Barbara S. Taylor, Air Force Over the years the memorial has hosted -51 sortie over Japan on Aug. 14, 1945) Memorial managing director, picked it up and numerous personal ceremonies and re- spoke at the memorial in support of setting disposed of it. After several weeks, walking by membrances, big and small. Its fi rst funeral aside a day to commemorate the Greatest the same spot, she noticed it had reappeared service came in 2013. Air Force Col. Francis Generation. in the form of a new copy of the same scene. Jay McGouldrick Jr., then a major, had gone In 2014, a group of Gold Star mothers missing in Laos in 1968 after his B-5 collided organized a ceremony for 22 pararescuemen memorial’s day-to-day operations on with another aircraft. After nearly 40 years a and combat controllers killed in the years joint US-Laotian team discovered his remains. since Sept. 11, 2001. Js attending the event behalf of the Air Force, and more than In 2013, his casket lay in state at the base hit the pavement and did push-ups in honor 1.7 million visitors have passed through of the memorial spires for the repatriation of their fallen comrades. the memorial since its dedication. and funeral service before he was buried in Then there are the quieter, more personal One aspect of the memorial is not Arlington National Cemetery. moments. Taylor said that when Honor Flights The brave men who volunteered for the of veterans arrive she walks around and visible to visitors. Foundation members Flying Tigers squadrons in China in World searches out Air Corps vets in particular, decided to engrave, on the highest of War II were honored in a 2012 event at the to thank them for their service so many the spires, a phrase from an Air Force- memorial. years ago. In 21, erry ellin, the pilot who fl ew I’m incredibly blessed to be the caretaker beloved poem, “High Flight,” written the last combat mission of World War II, (a of this memorial, she declared. in early World War II by John Gillespie Magee Jr. The inscription on the 270-foot spire a a n n d Christian Science Monitor, a reads, “Put out my hand and touched n n Air Force Magazine. n a a the face of God.” J a d n C a a i e October 2016 2