Probook #1: Contrails USAFA Heritage (C4C)

When did the first class of incoming cadets arrive at USAFA?

1955

When the first cadets arrived at USAFA, what did the two-foot tall metal letters say?

the first phrase of Samuel Walter Foss's poem, "The Coming American"

What are the Air Force core values?

integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do

Where did the first USAFA cadets arrive in 1955?

Lowry Air Force Base

Who announced the Core Values in 1955?

General Ronald R. Fogleman (Class of 1963)

What are the USAFA class colors?

red, blue, gold, silver

What does red represent?

the sun

What does blue represent?

the sky

What does gold represent?

the grasses on the plains

What does silver represent?

to mirror aircraft technology

How many rooms are in Vandenberg Hall?

1320

Who was Vandenberg Hall named after?

General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, 2nd USAF chief of staff (1948-1953)

How many rooms are in Sijan Hall?

913

How many total cadet rooms are at USAFA?

2233

Who was Fairchild Hall named after?

General Muir S. Fairchild, first commander of Air University

When was Gregory Hall added to Fairchild Hall?

1966

Who was Gregory Hall named after?

Honorable Frederick Gregory, Class of 1964, NASA Astronaut and Deputy Administrator

Who was the McDermott Library named after?

Col Robert F McDermott, first permanent professor and Dean of Faculty of USAFA

What 2 collections are the McDermott Library home of?

Clark Special Collection and Stalag Luft Collection

Who was the Clark Special Collection named after?

General A.P. Clark, the sixth superintendent of the institution

What famous aviation library is in the McDermott Library?

Gimbel Aeronautical Library

Mitchell Hall has facilities for serving how many meals at once?

4,400

Who was Mitchell Hall named after?

Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell

How many spires does the Cadet Chapel have?

17

When was the Cadet Chapel dedicated?

September 1963

How many seats does the chapel have for Protestant services?

1,200

How many seats does the chapel have for Catholic services?

600

How many seats does the chapel have for Jewish services?

100

How many seats does the chapel have for Buddhist services?

20

How many Roll of Honor plaques are at the base of the chapel?

10

How many fallen graduates do the Roll of Honor plaques on the chapel honor?

850

Who was Arnold Hall named after?

General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, first General of the Air Force

Who does Harmon Hall house?

the superintendant and his staff

Who was Harmon Hall named after?

Lieutenant General Hubert R. Harmon, first Superintendant of the Academy (1954-1956)

Who was the Barry Goldwater Air Force Academy Visitor Center named after?

Arizona Senator Barry M. Goldwater

When did the Barry Goldwater Air Force Academy Visitor Center open?

June 1986

How many square feet is the Barry Goldwater Air Force Academy Visitor Center?

31,600 square feet

When was the planetariym in operation

1959-2004

When were renovations for the planetarium completed?

fall 2018

How many acres of sports fields are outside the cadet gym?

150 acres

How many seats for spectators are at the Cadet Field House?

2,600

How many seats are in Clune Arena?

6,000

Who was Clune Arena named after?

Colonel John J. Clune, Director of Athletics (1975-1991)

When were the Falcon Athletic Center and Holaday Athletic Center completed?

July 2011

How many square feet is the Holaday Athletic Center?

92,000 ft

How many seats are in the Falcon Stadium?

39,441

When was the USAF Academy Preperatory School established?

May 1961

What is the Terrazzo made out of?

composite pavement sections framed by marble strips

What number is the Academy structured around (used for increments for the entire campus layout and is a traditional symbol of perfection)?

7

When was Polaris Hall dedicated?

2016

What star does Polaris point to?

North Star

Who was the General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Airfield named after?

the commander of the WWII Tuskegee Airmen

Who was Doolittle Hall named after?

General James H. Doolittle

When was Doolittle Hall dedicated as teh Association of Graduates headquarters?

1992

What gardens were the Air Gardens inspired by?

Persian gardens

When was the Eagle and Fledgling statue gifted to the academy from the Air Training Command?

1958

What does the quote on the Eagle and Fledgling statue say?

Man's flight through life is sustained byt he power of his knowledge

How many fallen graduates are honored on the War Memorial composed of three 7x21 slabs of polished black Starlite granite?

182

What does it say on top of the War Memorial?

In memory of our fellow graduates who have fallen in battle

When was the War Memorial gifted to the Cadet Wing by the Association of Graduates?

October 10, 1970

When was the Brigadier General Robinson Risner Statue erected?

2001

How tall is the Brigadier General Robinson Risner Statue?

9 ft

What did Brigadier General Robinson Risner recall after hearing the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America when he was imprisoned during the Vietnam War?

I felt like I was nine feet tall and could go bear hunting wiht a switch

Who served as the First Officer of United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during 9/11?

Leroy J. Homer (USAFA Class or 1987)

Who was a computer programmer and an astronaut in the USAF Manned Spaceflight Engineer Program who was abord American Airlines Flight 11 during 9/11?

Charles Edward Jones

Which class gifted the 9/11 memorial?

1976

When was the 9/11 memorial dedicated?

September 9, 2011

What is the 9/11 memorial?

two granite slabs (symbolizing the twin towers) atop a five sided foundation (symbolizing the Pentagon)

What memorial stands adjacent to the B-52 bomber on display by the North Gate as a tribute to every American who supported their Air Force?

Air Warrior Combat Memorial

When was the Madera Cyber Innovation Center dedicated?

April 25, 2025

Who was the Madera Cyber Innovation Center named after?

Paul and Joan Madera (lead donors and class of 1978)

How many square feet is the Madera Cyber Innovation Center?

49,000 ft

What building is home to the Department of Computer and Cyber Sciences, Air Force CyberWorx and the Institute for Future Conflict?

Madera Cyber Innovation Center

When was Wecker Hall dedicated?

July 25, 2025

Who was Wecker Hall named after?

Dr. Bill (class fo 1969) and Mary Linn Wecker

Who was Yost plaza named after?

Dave Yost (class of 1969) and Jean Yost

What part of campus features a Pegasus statue and a seven foot replica of an Air Force Academy graduation ring?

Yost Plaza

What bronze busts commemorate the conviction and effort that made powered flight possible?

Orville and Wilbur Wright Statues

What statue is accross the Wright Brothers?

Charles Taylor (the engineer who built the engine for the Wright brother's first powered flight)

Who donated their rifle collection to USAFA?

Lieutenant General Albert P. Clark, sixth Superintendant of the Academy

When did Lieutenant General Albert P. Clark donate his personal rifle collection (31 military shoulder arms issued to troops from 1763-1970) to USAFA?

March 14, 1973

Who is the "Father of Modern Military Education?"

General McDermott (dean of faculty from 1956-1968)

What room holds more than 20,000 items dating from 2700 BCE to the present, including books dating from the 15th century, aeronautical prints, etchings, coins, and other memorabilia of flight?

Colonel Richard Gimbel Aeronautical Library

This bronze statue, sculpted by Mark Austin Byrd and Jenelle Byrd, was donated on behalf of the class of 1964. The statue was dedicated in April 2008 in honor of the youngest graduate to shoot down a MiG.

First Lieutenant Karl W. Richter

This bronze full-body statue, sculpted by Mark Austin Byrd and Jenelle Byrd, was donated on behalf of the class of 1964. It was dedicated in the spring of 2009 in honor of the first Academy graduate to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Captain Lance P. Sijan

This bronze full-body statue, sculpted by Mark Austin Byrd and Jenelle Byrd, was donated on behalf of the class of 1964. It was dedicated in the spring of 2009, honoring the first graduate to die in combat.

Captain Valmore Bourque

When was the Captain Lance Peter Sijan Portrait painted by Maxine McCaffrey?

1976

When was Sijan Hall dedicated?

May 31, 1976

What is the gallery of the crests from each graduating class of the Air Force Academy mounted on the east retaining wall of the Cadet Chapel?

Class wall

When is a new plaque or the new firstie class mounted on the Class Wall in the chapel each year?

during graduation parade

When was the Honor Code adopted?

1955

Who was the Memorial Tree Grove (west of the Cadet Chapel) named after?

C1C Scott Macvean Manly

When was the Memorial Tree Grove approved to be planted?

March 29, 1990

When was the Cadet Honor Court Tuskegee Airman Memorial donated?

May 6, 1988

What statue reads, "They rose from adversity through competence, courage, commitment and capacity to serve America on silver wings and to set a standard few will transcend"?

Cadet Honor Court Tuskegee Airman Memorial

Memorial with bronze wings in honor of WWI overseas fliers, donated in November 11, 1984 by Ira Milton Jones, president of WWI Overseas Fliers Association

WWI Overseas Fliers Memorial

Bronze bust in honor of Lt General Harmon, donated in 1984 by the class of 1959 at their 25th reunion

Lt General Hubert R. Harmon Memorial

Bronze bust in honor of Lt Gerneral Mitchell, donated May 1989 by Lt Colonel Jerry McKenna

Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell Memorial

Bronze bust in honor of General O'Malley, donated in 1987 by Mr. Ross Perot, one of the first air training officers at teh Academy

The General Jerome F. OMalley Memorial

Bronze statue in honor of the WASPs, donated on September 4, 1997. It reads, "I salute all WASPS. You have been pioneers in a new field of wartime service. You have shown that you can fly wingtip with your brothers"

Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs) Memorial