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National Air and Space Museum

One of the entrances to the underground tunnels of the Mittelwerk, as photographed by the U.S. Army after the liberation in April 1945.

“Wonder Weapons” and Slave Labor

Curator Michael Neufeld discusses how Nazi Germany's high-tech weapons were assembled in part by forced and slave labor from the various Nazi camp systems.

TWA transferred its entire fleet of five Boeing 307s, along with their flight crews, to the ATC. The airline opened regular transatlantic service in 1942.

Air Transport Command and the Airlines During World War II

During World War II, airlines worked closely with the military to further the war effort by transporting people and materiel. Bob van der Linden, curator of air transportation, discusses Air Transport Command.

Aircraft designer Neal Loving flying his WR-3 near Springfield, Ohio.

Neal V. Loving: Pilot, Engineer, Aircraft Designer

Curator Russell Lee shares the story of aircraft designer Neal V. Loving.

Alma W. Thomas, Blast Off, 1970, acrylic on canvas, 74 x 54 inches

The Art of Alma W. Thomas: A Colorful Response

Carolyn Russo, curator of the Museum's art collection, reflects on the work of Alma W. Thomas.

The 101 African American officers arrested at Freeman Field about to be transported to Goodman Field, Kentucky. This image was likely taken with a hidden camera by Master Sergeant Harold J. Beaulieu, Sr. Other photographs of the event taken by another African American enlisted man were destroyed by a white officer on the spot.

Mutiny at Freeman Field: The Tuskegee Airmen on Trial, Part 2

In 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen of the 477th Bombardment Group protested discrimination at Freeman Field through pre-planned displays of resistance against the segregated officers' clubs.

Men of the all-African American 477th Bombardment Group pose in front of a North American B-25 Mitchell.

A Pattern of Resistance: The Tuskegee Airmen on Trial, Part 1

The Tuskegee Airmen’s fight for equality involved more than their skills in the air. It required coordinated, collective actions of civil disobedience in which 162 officers risked their careers and their lives to stand up against systemic racism in the US Army Air Forces (AAF).

Reverend Ralph Abernathy, Hosea Williams, and other members of the SCLC Poor People's Campaign march through the lunar lander exhibit at Kennedy Space Center before the launch of Apollo 11.

The Challenge Before Us: A Historical Reflection on 1969 and 2020

On the same day that a commercially-built spacecraft docked with the ISS for the first time, cities across this nation experienced widespread protests sparked by profound racial disparities. The confluence of events drew comparisons to 1968 and 1969, when successful flights to the Moon occurred in the midst of a similarly fraught moment. Curator Margaret Weitekamp reflects.

Three WASP at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas.

Flying on the Homefront: Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP)

Aeronautics curator Dorothy Cochrane explores the history of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) and their fight for recognition for their contributions to World War II.

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