HERITAGE MINUTE
THIS DAY IN AIR FORCE ACADEMY HISTORY
As Heard on KAFA 97.7 FM, Colorado Springs | LISTEN LIVE
ON THIS DAY IN KAFA HISTORY - THE MOST NOTABLE MOMENTS HERE
HISTORIC DATES IN FEBRUARY
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DATES1 February 1965 -- Captain Henry Canterbury, Class of '59, becomes the first Academy graduate to fly with the Thunderbirds (U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron). His first official flight with the team took place at Andrews AFB, Maryland, on the occasion of General Curtis LeMay's retirement.
6 February 2012 -- President Barack Obama nominates Janet Wolfenbarger, Class of '80, for promotion to General, which upon Senate confirmation made her the Air Force's first female four-star general. She had received her third star in December 2009 and became the Air Force's highest ranking woman in January 2010.
7 February 2001 -- KAFA, the Academy radio station, begins a weekly feature whereby Academy senior leaders serve as DJs for an hour (7:00 to 8:00 p.m.) on Wednesday evenings. First up was Colonel Chuck Bensen, 34th Support Group Commander. The idea for the show came from Cadets Scott Snider and Sam Kidd, both Class of '02.
12 February 1973 -- Operation Homecoming begins in Hanoi, during which 591 American prisoners of war are released from captivity. Among those released on the first day were Air Force Academy graduates Major Hayden Lockhart Jr. (Class of '61), and Captains Jerry Singleton ('62), Jerry Driscoll ('63), John Borling ('63), Ralph Browning ('64), and Charles Jackson ('69).
13 February 1989 -- KAFA, the cadet radio station, returns to the air after a long absence. The station broadcast as 104.5 FM. It has been on the air ever since.
21 February 1981 -- Brigadier General Robert Beckel, Class of '59, becomes the first Air Force Academy graduate to serve as Commandant of Cadets.
22 February 1980 -- The Falconews reports that KAFA, the Academy radio station, is closed until transition week for renovation and equipment replacement.
25 February 1999 -- The Exemplar Program begins, as the Class of 2000 chooses General Jimmy Doolittle as its exemplar and dedicates a Doolittle exhibit. The program provides each class with a role model to emulate.
28 February 1975 -- KAFA, the Academy's radio station, begins its second annual charity marathon. Cadet disk jockeys stayed on the air the entire 54½-hour duration of the event, which raised $6,500 for a local family.
DOWNLOADABLE PDF "THIS DAY IN USAFA HISTORY"
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VIDEO: HERITAGE MINUTE - BIRTH OF A RADIO STATION
January 17, marks the annual anniversary of the KAFA Radio Station! Following the National Anthem, "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" was the first song played on the airwaves of the cadet-run radio station on Jan. 17, 1971. Steve Simon '77 brings you inside the history of the radio station's founding, which still broadcasts to this day on 97.7FM and is available online. (Funding for the streaming is provided by your Association of Graduates).
READ: "KAFA WAS BORN" - CHECKPOINTS, MARCH 2017, BY STEVEN A. SIMON '77
"In early 1971, singer-songwriter Don McLean wrote and recorded one of the most iconic songs in history, “American Pie.” The song addressed the Feb. 3, 1959, death of singer Buddy Holly, describing it as “The Day the Music Died.” While McLean was working on his masterpiece, the Air Force Academy experienced “The Day the Music Was Born.” At 6:57 p.m. on Sunday evening, Jan. 17, 1971, KAFA went on the air for the first time."
DOWNLOAD THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
- Copy credit: Steven A. Simon '77. Image credit: Association of Graduates and Foundation
DOWNLOAD THE FULL ARTICLE AS PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 2017 EDITION OF CHECKPOINTS
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