As you all might know we have for some years been working on getting a navigator's exhibit in one of the USAF Museums. We have made some progress,,, and here is where we are... the following is an e-mail I just sent to the President of AFNOa, Board, and Navs.... Please read and pass alnog to other navs... Thanks, Ron Barrett, AFNOA Historian ronaldpbarrett@yahoo.com
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Dear Jimmy Bannerman President of Air Force Navigators Observers Association and Navigators,
As you all know we have been pushing to create a Navigator's History for and in the USAF Museums: Because there is none! To facilitate this effort I created a USAF Flight Navigator's Time Line: which is really a data base of the history of the USAF navigator/ bombardier/ WSO, RIO, CSO, etc, etc. A summary of the Time Line is now posted on Mike Radowski's web site www.usaf-nav-history.com
AFNOA VP Sostenes Suazo and myself are to meet in April at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to give to the NM-USAF a copy of the USAF Navigator History Time Line. The Board of AFNOA has been given a copy of the Time Line for peer review. Museum Chief Terry Aitken is to reveiw the Time Line and determine how a Navigator's themed exhibit might fit the needs of the museum. We are very happy that they will do this, as we feel confident that we can help them in a very positive manner. However it will take some time to get all done.
At this very moment, we can, if we agree to, create a "Long Term Navigator's" exhibit at the SAC Museum, now named Strategic Air and Space (SAS) Museum, located between Lincoln and Omaha Nebraska, on Interstate 80, Ashalnd NE, www.strategicairandspace.com .
The SAC Museum Curator, Brian York has informed me that if AFNOA would provide them a letter, expressing a desire, and showing a capability to create a "Long Term Navigator's Exhibit," they would agree to it. I recommend that AFNOA do this right away, and all interested Navs get behind AFNOA and help as they can. To cut to the issue here: Money will be the problem,,, because it costs to create an exhibit. Succinctly: can and/or will AFNOA sollicit its members for financial support? Can the AFNOA Treasurer rightfully handle this? Can and/or will other Nav groups (namely the James Connally navs) help here?
We (AFNOA) have now two good Nav History exhibit efforts underway. The first one at the National Museum of the USAF. VP Suazo is working this effort as we speak. And the second one at the SAS Museum that I am working. Note: we have and now know of assessions and have collected enough to support for sure the NM-USAF exhibit and two smaller long term exhibits, such as an exhibit at the SAS Museum. The NM-USAF has in storage more than enough items to support a nav exhibit all by themselves and has offered to loan out what others museums may want to display.
To all navs: time now for you to pass this on and speak out. To the point; we are dieing off, and it will not be too many years and we all will be gone! We flew our missions proudly, let not our efforts be totally lost over time. It was great being a nav!
The USAF Flight Navigator's Time Line was a bit costly to produce, but those that want one I will Office Max and bind a copy of the data lines for $15 each, to include the $4.00 Priority mailing. The file is a Microsoft dot.doc WordPerfect 7.0. For the graphicsI used Progeny's TimeLine Maker Ref. www.timelienmaker.com Both the NM-USAF and the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, will have the Time Line in digital formats.
Let me know your thoughts, Ron Barrett, AFNOA Historian
________________________________________________
Dear Jimmy Bannerman President of Air Force Navigators Observers Association and Navigators,
As you all know we have been pushing to create a Navigator's History for and in the USAF Museums: Because there is none! To facilitate this effort I created a USAF Flight Navigator's Time Line: which is really a data base of the history of the USAF navigator/ bombardier/ WSO, RIO, CSO, etc, etc. A summary of the Time Line is now posted on Mike Radowski's web site www.usaf-nav-history.com
AFNOA VP Sostenes Suazo and myself are to meet in April at the National Museum of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to give to the NM-USAF a copy of the USAF Navigator History Time Line. The Board of AFNOA has been given a copy of the Time Line for peer review. Museum Chief Terry Aitken is to reveiw the Time Line and determine how a Navigator's themed exhibit might fit the needs of the museum. We are very happy that they will do this, as we feel confident that we can help them in a very positive manner. However it will take some time to get all done.
At this very moment, we can, if we agree to, create a "Long Term Navigator's" exhibit at the SAC Museum, now named Strategic Air and Space (SAS) Museum, located between Lincoln and Omaha Nebraska, on Interstate 80, Ashalnd NE, www.strategicairandspace.com .
The SAC Museum Curator, Brian York has informed me that if AFNOA would provide them a letter, expressing a desire, and showing a capability to create a "Long Term Navigator's Exhibit," they would agree to it. I recommend that AFNOA do this right away, and all interested Navs get behind AFNOA and help as they can. To cut to the issue here: Money will be the problem,,, because it costs to create an exhibit. Succinctly: can and/or will AFNOA sollicit its members for financial support? Can the AFNOA Treasurer rightfully handle this? Can and/or will other Nav groups (namely the James Connally navs) help here?
We (AFNOA) have now two good Nav History exhibit efforts underway. The first one at the National Museum of the USAF. VP Suazo is working this effort as we speak. And the second one at the SAS Museum that I am working. Note: we have and now know of assessions and have collected enough to support for sure the NM-USAF exhibit and two smaller long term exhibits, such as an exhibit at the SAS Museum. The NM-USAF has in storage more than enough items to support a nav exhibit all by themselves and has offered to loan out what others museums may want to display.
To all navs: time now for you to pass this on and speak out. To the point; we are dieing off, and it will not be too many years and we all will be gone! We flew our missions proudly, let not our efforts be totally lost over time. It was great being a nav!
The USAF Flight Navigator's Time Line was a bit costly to produce, but those that want one I will Office Max and bind a copy of the data lines for $15 each, to include the $4.00 Priority mailing. The file is a Microsoft dot.doc WordPerfect 7.0. For the graphicsI used Progeny's TimeLine Maker Ref. www.timelienmaker.com Both the NM-USAF and the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, will have the Time Line in digital formats.
Let me know your thoughts, Ron Barrett, AFNOA Historian
