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 AUGUST
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DATES
14 August 1954 -- Lieutenant General Hubert Harmon signs General Order Number 1, ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY. The Order states that the “Academy will operate as a separate operating agency under the direction of the Chief of Staff, United States Air Force.” General Harmon assumed command of the Academy and its three employees, to include himself. The other original employees were Lieutenant Colonel Gilbert Cooke, personnel officer and acting adjutant, and Sergeant Major Harry Parnell.
29 August 1958 -- An advance party of approximately 60 cadets arrives at the permanent home of the Academy, beginning the three-day process of moving the entire Cadet Wing from its temporary location at Lowry Air Force Base, Denver, Colorado.
30 August 1958 -- The movement of cadets from Lowry Air Force Base in Denver to the Academy’s permanent site continues. This group consisted primarily of cadets who had recently completed summer courses at Lowry.
31 August 1958 -- Members of the Class of ’62, having completed Basic Cadet Training at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, are bused to the north entrance of the permanent Academy site, along with upperclassmen and Air Training Officers. With some 400 cadets lining the route, they marched to the Cadet Area, finishing by marching up the ramp and onto the Terrazzo. Construction continued throughout the campus.
31 August 1958 -- With the entire Cadet Wing having moved to the permanent site, the cadets had their first dinner together in the new dining hall.
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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