KC97 were still flying at Walker until they transferred to Pease AFB. They constituted the 509 ARS and were called " The flying Red Horse" They had a Mobil Oil flying red horse nose insignia. One crashed on a low level survey mission in northern Arizona in 1957 with 16 souls on board. All perished.

A B47 from WAFB reflexing at Pease AFB crashed on takeoff from Pease about 1958.

A fighter group flying twin engine jet fighters was assigned to WAFB about 1959.

WAFB hit headlines in 1959 when two 2nd lieutenants caught bubonic plague hunting rabbits. These two were the first cases of plague successfully diagnosed and treated in the USA.


KC135 arrived at WAFB about 1958 as the 6 ARS.


Edwin Bradley Colonel USAF MC Ret.
Flight Surgeon WAFB 1957-60