The 1254th Air Transport Wing was a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

unit, existing between 1948 and 1966. It was last stationed at

Andrews AFB Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form ...

, Maryland. The 1254th Air Transport Wing was a

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...

of the

Military Air Transport Service The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) is an inactive United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy's Naval Air Transport Service (NA ...

(MATS) which was first organized as a squadron in 1948. The mission of the 1254th Air Transport Wing was to manage the MATS Special Air Mission fleet of aircraft for

Very Important Person A very important person (VIP or V.I.P.) or personage is a person who is accorded special privilege (legal ethics), privileges due to their high social rank, social status, status, social influence, influence, or Importance (disambiguation), impo ...

s (VIP)s in the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

area. The wing reported directly to MATS Headquarters after 1952. It was discontinued on 8 January 1966.

History

''For the history of Special Air Missions after 1966 see

89th Airlift Wing The 89th Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force is based at Joint Base Andrews and has an operational force of over 1,000 personnel. The 89th provides global Special Air Mission (SAM) airlift, logistics, aerial transport and communications ...

Origins

In 1944

Air Transport Command Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces. It had two main missions, the first being the delivery of supplies a ...

(ATC) organized the 503d AAF Base Unit at

Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport in Arlington County, Virginia, United States, from Washington, D.C. The closest airport to the nation's capital, it is one of two airports owned by the federal government and ope ...

, Virginia and assigned it to its North Atlantic Division. The unit replaced the 26th Transport Group and the Washington National Airport Staff Squadron. Because of its frequent transport of high-ranking passengers, the unit was referred to as the "Brass Hat Squadron." The 503d operated the first airplane designated as a presidential plane, the Douglas VC-54C known as the "Sacred Cow." This aircraft was used by Presidents Roosevelt and Truman. It took President Roosevelt to the

Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference (), held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe. The three sta ...

in 1945. On 26 July 1947, President Truman signed the

National Security Act of 1947 The National Security Act of 1947 (Act of Congress, Pub.L.]80-253 61 United States Statutes at Large, Stat.]495 enacted July 26, 1947) was a law enacting major restructuring of the Federal government of the United States, United States governmen ...

while on board this plane. This act established the Air Force as an independent service, making the Sacred Cow the "birthplace" of the USAF. In 1947 the unit began to operate the Douglas VC-118 named "Independence" after President Truman's home town as the primary presidential airplane.

1254th Squadron

On 1 June 1948

(MATS) replaced ATC. MATS organized the 16th Air Transport Squadron at

Westover Air Force Base Westover may refer to: People *Al Westover (born 1954), American professional basketball player in Australia *Arthur Westover (1864–1935), Canadian sport shooter and 1908 Olympian *Charles Westover (1934–1990), better known as Del Shannon, Amer ...

, Massachusetts.''See'' The squadron moved to

, Virginia on 1 September. Its mission was to provide air transportation for high-ranking United States government officials, and for designated individuals of foreign dignitaries visiting the United States. The Squadron also sent aircraft to Europe in support of the

Berlin Airlift The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...

. In October the squadron was redesignated the 1254th Air Transport Squadron. From 1949 to 1951 the squadron also trained an attached

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...

unit, the 8522d Air Transport Squadron.Abstract, History 1254 Air Transport Squadron Jul-Aug 1950
(retrieved 10 October 2013) In October 1950, President Truman flew a Lockheed VC-121 Constellation, also named "Independence" to the

Wake Island Conference On October 15, 1950, U.S. President Harry S. Truman and General Douglas MacArthur met on Wake Island to confer about the progress of the Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Penin ...

to meet with General

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

to confer on the progress of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

1254th Group

The squadron was expanded to

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...

status on 1 August 1952. The following month, the 1111th Special Air Missions Squadron at

Bolling Air Force Base Bolling Air Force Base or Bolling AFB was a United States Air Force installation located in Washington, D.C. In 2010, it merged with Naval Support Facility Anacostia to form Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling. From its establishment, the base has s ...

, District of Columbia was transferred to MATS from

Headquarters Command Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

, redesignated the 1299th Air Transport Squadron (Special Missions) and assigned to the group, In January 1953 1298th Air Transport Squadrons (Special Missions) was organized under the group at Washington National. On 1 March 1957 the group was assigned two Bell H-13J helicopters, the first rotary wing aircraft assigned. The H-13s initial mission was to provide short range air transportation for the President to an alternate location in the event of an emergency evacuation. These helicopters remained on alert to perform this mission.Abstract, History 1254 Air Transport Group Jan-Jun 1957
(retrieved 10 October 2013) In 1959 the group became the first USAF unit to operate jet aircraft for the transportation of personnel when it accepted three VC-137As. One of the more unusual passengers carried by the wing was

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

prime minister

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...

who was transported on one of these aircraft during his 1959 tour of the United States.

1254th Wing

The unit expanded to

size and in 1961 all its units moved to

Andrews Air Force Base Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form ...

Mueller, p. 12 from National Airport and Bolling. VC-137C 62-6000 was used for presidential transport during the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon Administrations. It was the first aircraft popularly known as

Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control-designated Aviation call signs, call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. The term is commonly used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modifie ...

. It was famously flown to

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Texas, 22 November 1963. it was on this aircraft that

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

was sworn into office as the

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

, following the assassination of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

and returned the body of President Kennedy to Washington, D.C. that evening. With the inactivation of Military Air Transport Service, the 1254th Air Transport Wing was discontinued on 8 January 1966 and its personnel and equipment were reassigned to 89th Military Airlift Wing (MAW) of

Military Airlift Command The Military Airlift Command (MAC) is an inactive United States Air Force major command (MAJCOM) that was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Established on 1 January 1966, MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of ...

. Its 1298th Air Transport Squadron was replaced by the 98th Military Airlift Squadron and its 1299th Air Transport Squadron by the 99th Military Airlift Squadron. Because this was a MAJCON to AFCON unit conversion, the 89th wing and 98th and 99th squadrons were entitled to retain the honors (but not the history or lineage) of their predecessors. Following this provision 89th adopted the 1254th's emblem as its own on 28 April 1966.

Lineage

* Designated as the 16th Air Transport Squadron : Organized on 1 June 1948 : Redesignated 1254th Air Transport Squadron (Special Missions) on 1 October 1948 : Redesignated as: 1254th Air Transport Group (Special Missions) on 1 August 1952 : Redesignated as: 1254th Air Transport Group (Heavy) (Special Missions) on 1 July 1954 : Redesignated as: 1254th Air Transport Wing on 1 December 1960 : Discontinued on 8 January 1966

Assignments

* 520th Air Transport Group, 1 June 1948 * Atlantic Division, Military Air Transport Service, 1 July 1948 * Continental Division, Military Air Transport Service, 1 September 1948 *

, 1 January 1951 – 8 January 1966

Components

Operational Squadrons * 1298th Air Transport Squadron (Special Missions), 1 February 1953 – 8 January 1966 * 1299th Air Transport Squadron (Special Missions), 1 August 1952 – 8 January 1966 :: Stationed at Bolling Air Force Base until 10 July 1961 * 8522d Air Transport Squadron (Corollary), (attached 14 July 1949 - 23 June 1951) Support Squadrons * 1254th USAF Dispensary, ''ca''. 1 February 1954 - ''ca''. 1 November 1957 * 1254th Air Police Squadron, 1 June 1962 – 8 January 1966 * 1254th Air Terminal Squadron, 1 June 1962 – 8 January 1966 * 1254th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 1 June 1962 – 8 January 1966 * 1255th Air Base Squadron (later 1255th Support Squadron), 1 August 1952 – 1 April 1964

Stations

* Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts, 1 June 1948 * Washington National Airport, Virginia, 1 September 1948 * Andrews AFB, Maryland, 10 July 1961 – 8 January 1966

Aircraft

Presidential Aircraft

* Douglas VC-54C 42-107451 "Sacred Cow" : Used by Presidents Roosevelt and Truman. The airplane is now on display at

National Museum of the USAF The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...

* Douglas VC-118 46-505 "Independence" : Used by President Truman. The

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

ordered the 29th production DC-6 as a replacement for the "Sacred Cow". The aft fuselage was converted into a stateroom. Also, the main cabin seated 24 passengers or could be made up into 12 "sleeper" berths. The airplane is now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. * Lockheed VC-121 Super Constellation, "Independence" : Replaced the previous airplane * Lockheed VC-121 Super Constellation, "Colombine II" : Dedicated by

Mamie Eisenhower Mary Geneva "Mamie" Eisenhower (; November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979) was First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 as the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in Boone, Iowa, she was raised in a wealthy household in Colo ...

on 24 November 1954 * Lockheed VC-121E Super Constellation, 53-7885 "Colombine III" : Ordered by US Navy as R7V-1 Bu. No. 131650 and diverted during construction as Presidential aircraft. Operated until 1966. The plane was replaced in October 1962 by Boeing VC-137C. The airplane is now on display at the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is ...

. * Boeing VC-137A-BN 58–6970; 58–6971, 58-6972 : Three commercial 707-153 bought by USAF as VIP transports. All later converted to VC-137B with JT3D-3 turbofans. :: 6970 to The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA in June 1996. :: 6971 to AMARC as CZ0193 8 Oct 1998. On display at Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, AZ :: 6972 scrapped in 1996 due to severe corrosion. * Boeing VC-137C. 62–6000; 62-7000 : Special 707-353B for Office of the President. The airplane was retired from service in 1998. 62-6000 is now in the Presidential Gallery collection of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The aircraft is currently not on public display due to budget cutbacks at the museum.

Other Aircraft

* Douglas VC-47 Skytrain * Douglas VC-54 Skymaster * Douglas VC-118 Liftmaster * Convair VC-131 Samaritan *

Fairchild C-123 Provider The Fairchild C-123 Provider is an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and built by Fairchild Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to its USAF service, which included later service with the Air Force Reserve a ...

, 1958-unknown * Bell H-13J, 1957-unknown * Aero Commander L-26B (later U-4A), 1956-unknownAbstract, History 1254th Air Transport Group Jul-Dec 1956
(retrieved 10 October 2013)

Award

References

Notes

Bibliography

* *
AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits
Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 15 Jun 1971 Further reading * {{cite book, last=Ulanoff, first=Stanley M., title=MATS: The Story of the Military Air Transport Service, year=1964, publisher=Franklin Watts, Inc., location=New York, NY, isbn=978-1-19908-768-3

External links

C 121 Constellation "Columbine III"

President Kennedy and Mrs Kennedy land at Love Field
Major command controlled wings of the United States Air Force Military units and formations disestablished in 1966 1948 establishments in Massachusetts 1966 disestablishments in Maryland Air transport wings of the United States Air Force