Heritage Minute

The Col. James Jabara Statue - Heritage Minute

Above Arnold Hall’s main entrance stands a statue of Col. James Jabara — America’s first jet ace and the second-leading ace of the Korean War. Dedicated in 2004, this monument is closely tied to the Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship, an annual honor established in 1967 and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy, the Association of Graduates and the Jabara family. The award goes to a USAFA graduate, living or deceased, whose actions directly associated with an aerospace vehicle set him or her apart from contemporaries. The first recipient was Capt. Donald Stevens ’60 in 1968, and past honorees include Karol Bobko ’59, Steve Ritchie ’64, and Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger ’73.
 
 

Holaday Athletic Center - Heritage Minute

With the unpredictable weather here at the Academy, having an indoor athletic training facility is a near necessity.  The Holaday Athletic Center has capably served that purpose for more than a decade.  The 92,000 square-foot multi-purpose building cost $15.5 million, all of which came from private donations.  The center was the first major project for the USAFA Endowment, the fund-raising organization established in 2007 and now known as the Air Force Academy Foundation.  Lynn and Bart Holaday, Class of ’65, made the lead gift of five million dollars.  Ground was broken for the structure on 1 October 2010.  The ceremony made for a somber event, however, as Lynn Holaday had passed away earlier that morning after a long struggle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.  The building that bears her name was ready to go exactly nine months and twenty-one days later, with the dedication ceremony taking place on 22 July 2011.  The Holaday Athletic Center can accommodate football, lacrosse, and soccer, in addition to other athletic activities.  In fact, its value to the Academy far exceeds athletics.  For example, in the past few years, it has served as the arrival point for the new classes as they report to the Academy for in-processing and Basic Cadet Training.  The facility is bare bones, as it does not include heating or cooling.  Air flow is provided by those Big Ass fans up there.  Yep, the name of the company that made them is Big Ass Fans.
 
 

The Mall of Heroes - Heritage Minute

In between Vandenberg and Fairchild Halls, in the shadow of the Core Values Ramp, is the green oasis known as the Mall of Heroes.  This mini-park is the gift of the Class of 1964.  It features statues of three Academy legends.  The first statue to be dedicated was that of First Lieutenant Karl Richter, Class of ’64, who was shot down and killed on 28 July 1967 during his 198th combat mission in Vietnam.  The Richter statue was dedicated on 27 May 2008, just before the Class of ’08 graduated, as Richter was the class’s exemplar.  It would be eighteen months until more statues were added, causing some cadet comedians of the time to call the area “The Mall of Hero.”  Before long, however, Lieutenant Richter had company.  On 6 November 2009, during its 45-year reunion, the Class of ’64 dedicated and ceremonially donated to the Academy the Mall of Heroes.  The ceremony included the unveiling of two new statues, honoring Captain Valmore Bourque, Class of ’60, the first Academy graduate killed in combat, and Captain Lance Sijan, Class of ’65, the first Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor.  Since then, as cadets march down the ramp and past this area en route to the Stillman Parade Field, they execute an Eyes Right and salute these icons.
 

Sabres – Heritage Forged in Steel - Heritage Minute

The Academy and the saber have a long and rich history, dating back to the very beginning of USAFA’s existence.  Most of the early Air Force Academy planners were in fact West Point graduates.  They brought many of their programs, artifacts, and traditions to the new school in Colorado.  Included in that category is the saber, which has been carried by wing, group, and squadron leaders while marching or participating in ceremonies.  In 1961, only three years after the Academy moved from Lowry Air Force Base in Denver to its current location, cadets founded the Cadet Sabre Drill Team.  Its mission was – and still is – to demonstrate professional military skills and discipline through the performance of intricate saber manual.  One of the few U.S. military units that perform drills entirely with sabers, they delight audiences throughout the Rocky Mountain area and beyond.  When I was on the AOG Board of Directors in the mid-1900s we demonstrated the importance of the saber in Academy culture. In this very room, we established the Academy’s first donor club, naming it The Sabre Society.  For decades, graduating cadets have been able to purchase German-made sabers from the Cadet Store for their personal use.  In 2008, the Association of Graduates took over that program, selling and renting sabers for use in weddings and other events.  An exciting change in that process took place in 2024, when production of the edged weapons was brought home.  Excalibur Outdoors, a sister company to Kilroy’s Workshop in Colorado Springs, has taken on the task of producing these items.  This “Buy American” initiative will decrease shipping costs and permit greater interaction with the manufacturer.
 
 

Stillman Field - Heritage Minute

Do you know who the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Stillman Field is named after? What about the milestones that take place there? Do you know what the mass of lush green grass’s name was before, in 1994, it earned its current moniker? Find the answers to these questions (and more you didn’t know you had) in this Heritage Minute.
 
 

Contrails

From sweat-soaked pages in Jacks Valley to ceremonial handoffs at the Acceptance Day Parade, Contrails is more than a handbook — it's a rite of passage at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Dive into the legacy in this edition of Heritage Minute!
 
 
 
 
The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation
 
 
 

USAFA's Cemetery Part 4 of 4 - Eligibility

The Air Force Academy cemetery is the only active base cemetery in the Air Force. In that regard, the USAFA cemetery is similar to the West Point and Annapolis cemeteries, which are also operated by their parent services, and the Arlington National Cemetery, which is administered by the Army. Consequently, the Academy cemetery has unique criteria for burial eligibility is outlined in Headquarters United States Air Force Academy instruction 34-501, which was published on 13 November, 2018. There are several exceptions and qualifiers, but the main categories of people eligible for burial at USAFA are USAFA cadets, Air Force military personnel assigned at USAFA at the time of their deaths. USAFA graduates all active duty and retired Air Force four star generals and lieutenant generals, specific former Academy senior staffers, original cadre from the Lowry days and mid-70s air training officers who supported the enrollment of the first female cadets, specific relatives of eligible members and Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross recipients. The instruction also has a waiver process. The 10th Air Base Wing Commander can disapprove a request for exception, but only the superintendent can approve an exception. These criteria and acres of space to expand ensure that eligible individuals can continue to be buried here far into the future.
 
 
 
The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation
 
 
 

USAFA's Cemetery Part 3 of 4 - Stunning Structures

The Air Force Academy cemetery has breathtaking natural beauty and an exceptionally impressive roster of people who have chosen it as their final resting place. It also holds a large number of important structures. Most visible is the memorial pavilion. After many years of events being negatively impacted by inclement weather on 11-May, 2007, this facility, funded by the Association of Graduates, was dedicated at the time. The $4.7 million structure, funded by more than 11,000 graduates and friends, was the largest single gift ever made to the Academy. Other structures at the cemetery include the locator building with the same architecture as the memorial pavilion. It contains kiosks allowing visitors to locate any grave marker and learn about the lives of the deceased. The Memorial Wall, dedicated in 1981, contains plaques from air related units, commemorating their service and acknowledging their comrades who died as a result of combat. The 40 foot tall American Legion Memorial tower was also dedicated in 1981 in memory of those who have served their country from the Revolutionary War to the present. The tower was originally located on the Hill west of the Cadet Chapel. It was moved here in October 1996. A bronze sculpture of an Air Force honor guard was installed in October 2007. The eight foot tall statue, a gift from Mr. Ross Perot, is a replica of the Statue of the United States Air Force Memorial in Washington, DC. The Airman on the Meadow and Winged Refuge statues located near the memorial pavilion were dedicated in November 2011. The uplifted arm of the airmen evokes the John Gillespie McGee poem, High Flight, while the Winged Refuge is a set of 17 1/2' foot Art Deco wings that honor aviation and its relevance to the Academy. Mission.
 
 
The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation
 
 

USAFA's Cemetery Part 2 of 4 - A Final Resting Place

The Air Force Academy cemetery is a somber and dignified focal point of the Academy's commitment to those who have gone before. It opened in September 1958 shortly after the cadet wing moved from Lowery Air Force base in Denver to its permanent location here, north of Colorado Springs. One gage of the facility's stature and importance is the people who have chosen it as their final resting place.
Appropriately, Lieutenant General Hubert Harmon, the Academy's first superintendent, was the first person buried here. He has since been joined by an impressive roster of Air Force and Academy leaders.
At the risk of omitting noteworthy individuals. Here are some of those who are buried here. 
General Carl Spots, the first Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Three other chiefs of staff, Generals Curtis LeMay, John McConnell and John Ryan. 
Eight superintendents, including the first six, Captain Valmore Bork, Class of '60, the first graduate killed in combat. He shares this hallowed ground with dozens of other graduates and heroes who gave their lives in defense of the United States. Master Sergeant William Crawford, United States Army, the only Medal of Honor recipient in the cemetery and the first enlisted person to be buried here. Notably, he was a janitor in Sijan Hall, a cadet dormitory when a classmate of mine, Cadet Jim Moschgat, uncovered his story while reading about World War II; Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Harris, Korean War POW held in solitary confinement for 14 months, and author of the Contrails quote, “Many of us learned as doolies, if I can't go back with my self respect, I won't go back at all.” Colonel Lee Black, the first Preparatory School commander; Captain Charles Bush, Class of '63, the first black graduate; Brigadier General Robin Olds, triple ace and former commandant of cadets. A 100 acre site has room to grow in hopes of serving graduates and heroes long into the future.
 
The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation
 
 
 

USAFA's Historic Cemetery Part 1 of 4

Traveling around the 18,500-acre Air Force Academy campus, one can see breathtaking natural scenery, modern architecture, and tributes to Air Force and Academy pioneers. 

Historic Ice Lake

Located just west of the Service and Supply Area at the south end of the Academy is Ice Lake.  A century ago, it was bustling with industry. 

The Air Force Academy's Oldest Building is a Tiny Cabin

Tucked away in the Douglass Valley woods, along the stretch of the Falcon Trail between the Community Center and Falcon Stadium is the oldest structure on the Academy and one of the oldest in the Pikes Peak region. 

A Gallery of Great Airmen

The “Gallery of Great Airmen” is an artistic gem located in the Exemplar area of Fairchild Hall. 

The Bell of Neuville Tolls a Story

There is an artifact in the Academy’s Community Center area that predates the Academy by more than 140 years. 

USAFA's First Home: Lowry AFB

This is where it all began.  July eleventh, 1955, 306 basic cadets arrived at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, to begin their journey at the United States Air Force Academy. 

USAFA's Defunct Ski Tow

In the early 1960s, some enterprising residents of Douglass Valley tried to build a neighborhood ski area in the west end of the valley. 

Falcon Stadium's Rich Heritage Explained

Almost all of the Air Force Academy football games are televised, drawing large national audiences. 

The Town of Husted - Anchoring USAFA's Past

Before there was an Air Force Academy, the 18,500 acres that now host USAFA had a few settlements, most notably the small community called Husted. 

An Ancient Diary In Stone: USAFA's Cathedral Rock

Best known for the “Run to the Rock,” a key rite-of-passage milestone in Doolie-year training, Cathedral Rock, has an interesting history.

The F-100 Super Sabre

One of the Academy’s best, and mostly unknown, historical artifacts is located on the campus of the Air Force Academy Preparatory School.  The North American F-100 Super Sabre aircraft on static display here has an amazing history.

Blodgett Peak's 1943 C-49-J Crash Site

The Academy is home to a large number of impressive static display aircraft.  In addition to those in populated areas, there is one aircraft well off the beaten path, just to the west of the Academy, that predates the others by decades.

KAFA 97.7 FM: USAFA'S Radio Station

Lots of colleges and universities have radio stations, but there is only one KAFA!

The Biggest Permanent Mural in the World

The Air Force Academy houses one of the largest permanently hung murals in the world. 

The Home of Falcons Hockey

One of the three sporting venues in the Cadet Field House is the 2,600-seat Cadet Ice Rink. 

USAFA'S Clune Arena - Home Falcon Basketball

Covering nearly five acres of terrain and encompassing three distinct sporting areas, the Cadet Field House plays host to a number of events, not all athletic in nature.  The largest of the three venues, in terms of seating capacity, is Clune Arena. 

The Cavernous Cadet Field House

The Air Force Academy’s cavernous Cadet Field House contains facilities for intercollegiate basketball, hockey, and track & field, among other sports and events.  Sometimes IT'S mistakenly called Clune Arena.

Remembering the T-38 Talon

Just to the west of the Academy airfield is the Thunderbird Overlook.  It contains two interesting static display aircraft: the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt and the Northrop T-38 Talon. 

Behemoth B-52: 1 - MIG: 0

Can you believe this behemoth shot down a MiG?  Well, it did!

A-10 Warthog - The Chopper Popper

The Thunderbird Overlook near the south end of the Academy is home to two static display aircraft:  the Northrop T-38 Talon and the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt (aka the Warthog). 

On Silver Wings - The Tuskegee Airmen

A bronze statue in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen is on display outside Harmon Hall on the Academy’s Honor Court.  The plaque affixed to the statue’s base reads:  Quote:  “They rose from adversity through competence, courage, commitment and capacity to serve America on silver wings and to set a standard few will transcend.”  Unquote.  The statue, completed by Tuskegee Airman and artist Clarence Shivers, was unveiled and donated to the Academy in 1988 by the Hook-Jones Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.  A wreath-laying ceremony is conducted at the site each year.
The term “Tuskegee Airmen” refers to all who were involved in the Army Air Corps program to train African-Americans to fly and maintain combat aircraft during World War II.  At a time of racial segregation in the military, the Tuskegee Airmen answered the call to arms and flew a total of 1,578 combat missions during the war.  They flew fighters on ground attack and bomber escort missions over Europe and North Africa.  Approximately 150 Tuskegee Airmen lost their lives while in training or on combat flights.  On March 29, 2007, the Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award that may be bestowed by the United States Congress.
 
The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation
 
 
 
 

The Harmon Memorial

Just to the west of the Cadet Chapel, concealed by a stand of pine trees, is a bronze statue honoring Lieutenant General Hubert Harmon, the first superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy. 

The Capt. Lance P. Sijan Memorial Statue

The United States Air Force Academy has one graduate Medal of Honor recipient.  His name is Lance Peter Sijan, Class of 1965. 

The Belk Falcon Statue

Just outside of Falcon Stadium, on the east side, soars the largest falcon statue in the United States. 

The Commander in Chief's Trophy

In the “old” days, (the fifties, sixties and early seventies), Army and Navy were afraid to play the Falcons in Colorado – something about the altitude. 

Falcon Stadium - Home of the Fighting Falcons

Falcon Stadium, home of the Air Force Fighting Falcons, has a rich history.  Plans for the facility date back to 1955, the year the first cadets reported to the Academy’s temporary home at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver. 

USAFA's Spaces for Buddhists and Other Faiths

The Cadet Chapel and surrounding areas provide worship spaces to accommodate virtually every cadet interest. 

USAFA's Jewish Chapel

The Jewish Chapel shares the downstairs area of the Cadet Chapel with the Catholic and Buddhist worship spaces. 

USAFA's Catholic Chapel

Occupying the bulk of the Cadet Chapel’s lower level is the Catholic Chapel.  Called Our Lady of the Skies, the space was designed to give the impression of being a grotto. 

USAFA's Protestant Chapel

The Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel stands alone as the only chapel at a service academy that accommodates all faith groups under one roof. 

USAFA's Iconic Cadet Chapel

The Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel soars 150 feet into the thin Colorado air.  Its 17 spires evoke the mountains that form its backdrop, jets flying in formation, and raised sabres. 

The POW Memorial - Remembering USAFA's Prisoners of War

The Association of Graduates’ Heritage Trail includes the POW Memorial Sculpture.  Located at the entrance of the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion, it contains the names of the 33 Academy graduates who were prisoners of war in Vietnam. 

The Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion - A Most Commanding Edifice

The largest and most commanding structure on the Heritage Trail is the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion.  A gift of the Class of ‘70, it was dedicated on October first, 2010, during the class’s 40-year reunion. 

The Pegasus Statue - The Story Behind this Special Gift

In the traffic circle outside Doolittle Hall, the Air Force Academy alumni headquarters, is a remarkable sculpture of Pegasus.

Distinguished Graduate Pedestals - Commemorating USAFA Grads of Distinction

An important part of the Association of Graduates’ commitment to heritage is recognizing and honoring the Academy’s most outstanding graduates. 

The Challenge Bridge - "To Each Incoming Cadet..."

A key feature of the Heritage Trail at Doolittle Hall is the Challenge Bridge.  The bridge was commissioned by the Academy’s first graduating class, the Class of ’59, and their surrogate upperclassmen, the Air Training Officers.

The Heritage Trail - Celebrating Graduate Accomplishments

One of the three missions of the Association of Graduates is to promote the heritage of the Academy and the accomplishments of its graduates.  One very visible representation of this undertaking is the Heritage Trail, located adjacent to Doolittle Hall, the AOG’s headquarters building. 

How Doolittle Hall Got its Name - Heritage Minute

Season 2 of Heritage Minute with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 is under way! In this episode, a walk-through of the Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation headquarters named for Gen. James "Jimmy" Doolittle.

Honoring the Greatest of the Greats - Heritage Minute

The primary goal of the United States Air Force Academy is to educate, train, and inspire men and women to become leaders of character for the nation. 

We ARE Meant to Fly! - Heritage Minute

Dive into the story behind the Col. Richard Gimbel Aeronautical Library, located at the top floor of USAFA's McDermott Library!

First in Flight! - The Wright Brothers Display - Heritage Minute

One of the most interesting areas in the McDermott Library is the stunning circular staircase pinnacled by a replica of the Wright Brothers' airplane. 

A Collection that Inspired The Great Escape - Heritage Minute

Displayed along the spiral staircase of USAFA’s McDermott Library is an impressive collection of rifles used by U.S. troops throughout the ages.

The USAFA Graduate War Memorial - Heritage Minute

Situated at the north end of the Air Garden on the Academy Cadet area’s Terrazzo, just under the flagpole proudly displaying the American flag, is the Academy’s Graduate War Memorial.

USAFA's 70th Birthday - Heritage Minute In the News

WATCH!  HERITAGE MINUTE IN THE NEWS
It’s the Air Force Academy’s 70th year bringing up great leaders who go on to serve the nation in uniform!

Flashing Back to the F-105D Thunderchief

In this episode of the Heritage Minute podcast, host Steve Simon '77, flashes back to May 1968 when the F-105D Thunderchief static display on the USAFA Terrazzo was dedicated.

USAFA's F-4D Phantom II

The grassy center of the Academy Cadet Area’s Terrazzo open space features a static display aircraft on each of its four corners.

USAFA's 9/11 Memorial - Heritage Minute

The 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 9, 2011, as part of the Class of 1976's 35th reunion class giving project. The memorial incorporates an actual girder from the World Trade Center.