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In this Heritage Minute Special: Col. (Ret.) Darrel Whitcomb '69 recently led a reunion of his classmates and emceed a briefing outlining their roles during the Vietnam War. The group heard from fellow pilots, search-and-rescue team members and former POWs. Join the conversation between host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 and Col. Whitcomb, a passionate historian and published author with a great many stories to tell.
 
 
 
 
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
 
 

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. 

In this edition of Heritage Minute Special, host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 is holding a reunion of sorts.

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. 

In this edition of the Heritage Minute Special podcast, host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ‘77 is speaking with the Academy’s Command Historian, Dr. Brian Laslie.  During this conversation, we get into his love of history and how that led him to  the Academy.
 
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 “Gallery of Great Airmen” is an artistic gem located in the Exemplar area of Fairchild Hall. 

Maj. (Ret.) Don Rightmyer ’73 has spent a lifetime chronicling and preserving history. Like Heritage Minute Special host, Steve Simon ’77, he has a love of history. Unlike Steve, who developed his passion for the field only about 20 years ago, Maj. Rightmyer's dates back to his days as a USAFA cadet. These kindred spirits have been drawn together by their mutual interest in history and heritage. 
 
 
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
 
 

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

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1977, hockey player Chuck Delich is a living legend and he continues to contribute to the game to this day. Enjoy this conversation with Chuck's classmate and host of the Heritage Minute Special series, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ‘77.  
 
 
 
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
 
 

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. 

Host, Steve Simon’77, is joined by Colonel (Retired) Randy Helms, USAFA Class of ’79.  Among his many accomplishments, he leads the Association of Graduates’ Class Advisory Senate. The two get into that and many other topics in this conversation.
 
 
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
 
 
 

When it’s all about holding up our end of the historical preservation and Academy story telling mission… Beginning Sunday, January 5, history makers, observers and your favorite historical story teller, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77, all meet in the same place the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month and you get to listen in! 
 
 
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
 
 

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

The production of USAFA’s cadet sabers has moved from Germany to Colorado Springs. Heritage Minute Special host Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steve Simon ’77 is closely connected with the people and the processes and explains the change.MORE ABOUT STEVE SIMONSteve and his wife, Paula, are not only charter members, but Steve is a founding signatory on the original agreement to form the group back in 1994. In addition, Steve and Paula share a notable distinction with only five other Sabre Society members:  they have faithfully made their yearly donation every year since the Sabre Society's inception without a single miss.
And there's still more. Steve serves the Association of Graduates and Foundation as writer and historian. As a recognized authority on all things Sabre Society, Steve wrote a feature piece for the December 2024 edition of Checkpoints Magazine on the Sabre Society's 30 anniversary year and a major change in the manufacture of USAFA's cadet sabres. That article is linked below as a free downloadable PDF file.
In addition to his Checkpoints piece, he has also hosted two Heritage Minute Special podcasts, collaborated with the AOG's Ryan Hall to produce a companion video (embedded below), and much more.   
 
 
READ MORE BY STEVE SIMON IN THE DECEMBER 2024 CHECKPOINTS
*FREE PDF DOWNLOAD*
 
 
MORE ON THE SABRE SOCIETY HERE
 
 
 
 - Video written and produced for Checkpoints Magazine by Ryan Hall and Steve Simon
 
 
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
 
 

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