On 5 April 2007, Lynn Daker, Roger Lovett and Terry McNichols visited Whiteman AFB, MO. Lynn was asked to speak at the Community Council Luncheon and at Clinton High School, Clinton, MO.

Whiteman is the home of the 509th Bomb Wing, which operates and maintains the Air Force's premier weapon system, the B-2 bomber. The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses.

Whiteman is also the home of the 442nd Fighter Wing, an Air Force Reserve Command unit that flies the A-10 Thunderbolt II, as well as the Missouri Army National Guard 1-135th Aviation Battalion, which flies the AH-64 Apache helicopter. The Navy Reserve Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit 114 also operates from Whiteman. Their mission is to provide surveillance, intelligence and force protection measures for naval assets.

History: Whiteman Air Force Base is located in Johnson County, Missouri, 65 miles southeast of Kansas City. The base is two miles south of Knob Noster, just off U.S. Highway 50. Whiteman is about 10 miles east of Warrensburg and 20 miles west of Sedalia.

The base had it's beginnings in 1942 during the U.S. mobilization following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It was originally activated on Aug. 6, 1942, as Sedalia Glider Base.

In November 1942, the installation became Sedalia Army Air Field and was assigned to the 12th Troop Carrier Command of the Army Air Force. The field served as a training site for glider tactics and paratroopers.

Assigned aircraft included the Douglas C-46s, C-47s and the Waco CG-4A glider. During the massive demobilization in the mid 1940s, the base closed and most of the buildings were abandoned.

In August 1951, however, the base returned to life again and became a part of Strategic Air Command. SAC activated the 4224th Air Base Squadron to supervise the rehabilitation and construction of a new base, Sedalia AFB.

The 4224th continued its activities until Oct. 20, 1952, when it inactivated while turning over the base to the 340th Bombardment Wing. SAC scheduled the 340th to received the command's newest aircraft systems, the B-47 Stratojet and KC-97 tanker. Construction workers soon completed runway repairs and other projects in November 1953, paving the way for the arrival of the first B-47 in March 1954.

On Dec. 3, 1955, Sedalia AFB became Whiteman AFB in honor of 2nd Lt. George A. Whiteman. Lieutenant Whiteman, a native of Sedalia, was one of the first American airmen killed in World War II when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.
            
Lynn Daker and Brig General Greg Biscone at the base          Brig. General Greg Biscone, commander of the 509th at
Community Council lunchon where Lynn spoke on 4-5-07     Whiteman AFB, Lynn Daker and Lt Col. Paul Tibbets IV,
                                                                                              commander of the 393rd and grandson of Paul Tibbets Jr.

During the attack of Bellows Air Field, Oahu, Lieutenant Whiteman managed to reach his fighter aircraft. While attempting to take off, enemy fighters attacked his plane. Sadly, Lieutenant Whiteman's P-40 crashed, fatally injuring the mid-Missouri native. By the time rescue teams reached the aircraft, Whiteman had died.

In June 1961, the Department of Defense chose Whiteman to host the fourth Minuteman ICBM wing. On Jan. 17, 1962, the firm of Morrison, Hardeman, Perrini, and Level received the prime contract for construction of hardened, underground launch facilities and 15 launch control centers. The project called for the excavation of 867,000 cubic yards of earth and rock.

The contractors used 168,000 yards of concrete, 25,355 tons of reinforcing steel and 15,120 tons of structural steel. In addition, the project called for the installation of a vast underground intersite cable network. If laid end to end in a straight line, this cable would stretch from Whiteman AFB to 100 miles beyond Los Angeles. Construction of the complex was officially completed in June 1964.

Lynn Daker and Roger Lovett in the cockpit of a B-2.
The tour was conducted by Gen. Biscone.

The base continued to lead the way. In the late 1980s, the 351st fielded the first female Minuteman missile crew, the first male and female Minuteman crew, and the first squadron commander to pull alert in the Minuteman system. Under the provisions of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the Minuteman II system is being inactivated.

Then came an announcement that would change Whiteman forever. On Jan. 5, 1987, Congressman Ike Skelton revealed that the first deployment of the B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber would be at Whiteman. Beginning in 1988, a massive construction wave that created new buildings designed for B2 operations, maintenance and support activities swept over the base.

On Dec. 17, 1993, the event that Whiteman had long awaited finally arrived. On that day, at approximately 2 p.m., a dark jet bomber swooped from the sky and landed on the Whiteman runway. Amid much fanfare, the first operational B-2, The Spirit of Missouri, had arrived. Less than a week later, on Dec. 22, 1993, Whiteman again made history as it generated the first B-2 sortie from the base.

In 1995 the base also lost one of its long-time resident units. On July 31, 1995, the 351st Missile Wing officially inactivated, ending its 33-year association with Whiteman AFB.
Throughout its history, the base has always been at the forefront of national defense. With the arrival of the first B-2 and the subsequent assignment of others, the future for the installation does, indeed, look bright for many years to come.

"Whiteman AFB Mission Statement: Skilled and proud Airmen providing full spectrum, expeditionary, B-2 global strike and combat support capabilities to geographic commanders and the Commander, USSTRATCOM, while supporting Team Whiteman. We kick down doors and kill targets... Weapons on Target, On Time! "
 
 

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