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Korea:
The Forgotten War
 | The newest permanent exhibit
at the museum honors the American men and women who
served during the Korean War (1950-1953). Artifacts and memorabilia
from that era are on display, as well as a brief timeline of
the war. Descriptions and photographs of many USAF aircraft
flown during the period are also shown. The Korean War-era aircraft
in our hangars are also specially labeled to highlight their
roles in the war.
The museum has been designated by the Department of Defense
as a Korean War 50th Anniversary Commemorative Site. Visit the Korean War
50th Anniversary Homepage for more information about this
project. |  | Chanute AFB During the Korean War
As in any war, the Korean War necessitated a buildup of American
forces, and that increase naturally affected Chanute Air Force
Base. The student population of Chanute Technical Training Center
nearly tripled during the first year of the conflict and continued
to increase until a peak of 11,443 students was reached in August
1953.
These increases in the student population caused a severe shortage
of qualified instructors. Consequently, many students were asked
to remain on base as instructors after they graduated their
courses. |  | Technical training at Chanute
operated on a twenty-four hour schedule during the Korean War
years. Classes were taught in a wide variety of courses, including
flight simulators, aircraft instrument specialist, jet engine
mechanic, aircraft electrical specialist, flight control specialist,
electronic principles specialist, radar bombing systems, radar
systems specialist, and training instruction. |  | Local Air Force Personnel in the Korean
War
Several area residents served with distinction in the United
States Air Force during the Korean War. Their stories are an
inspiration to us all.
Captain Warren G. Harding of Rantoul flew fighters with the
Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war he retained
an Air Force commission as a reserve officer and became a weather
instructor at Chanute. When the Korean War started he was called
up for duty.
Harding was sent to Las Vegas for six weeks refresher training
and then shipped out to Korea in September 1950. There he flew
the North American F-82 Twin Mustang long-range fighter. After
only three months' service, Captain Harding and his copilot
were killed when their aircraft's wings iced up shortly after
taking off from Seoul, South Korea, causing them to crash into
the mountains.
Captain Harding's portrait now hangs in the Korean War exhibit
room, depicting him in front of his aircraft, "Jeannie,"
during World War II. His plane was named for his wife, Jean.
She still lives in Rantoul and is a dedicated volunteer at the
museum. |
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