THE ENLISTED HERITAGE RESEARCH INSTITUTE

HONORING ENLISTED CONTRIBUTIONS TO AIR POWER

By Colonel Joe Panza, USAF (Ret)

Just about everyone who has been on Air Force active duty for any length of time has undoubtedly heard of the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Relatively few know about another world-class Air Force facility, the Enlisted Heritage Research Institute – more commonly referred to as the Enlisted Heritage Hall – that houses exhibits and artifacts honoring the contributions of enlisted airmen throughout aviation history.

Located on the Maxwell AFB - Gunter Annex in Montgomery, Alabama, adjacent to the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, the heritage hall serves as a repository for a significant array of historical memorabilia and source documents.

The hall has evolved from humble beginnings in 1974 when a collection of historical artifacts began to accumulate in the lobby of the Senior NCO Academy. As the collection burgeoned, it became apparent that a stand-alone facility would be needed to properly store and display the valuable artifacts. A building was identified that could be made available, and the decision was made to initiate a redesign and renovation effort to modernize what had been a mess hall originally built in 1942.

In 1986 the facility became the Enlisted Heritage Hall with Chief Master Sergeant Wayne Fisk named as director.

Before entering the facility, you will see an impressive display of monuments honoring those who have served during various campaigns, operations, and significant events. Monuments paying tribute to those who have defended America from the early days of the Minutemen to the enlisted pilots of World War II, the Korean War, Bosnia, and those who died in the terrorist attack on Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia are prominently arrayed. There is even a unique monument that recognizes the sacrifice and duty of the working dogs in South East Asia.

As you enter the facility, you experience a feeling of reverence as you view the illuminated Medal of Honor embraced by a large American flag and surrounded by images of Air Force enlisted Medal of Honor recipients. This moving tribute to AF heroes is the focal point of the most impressive array of Air Force memorabilia this side of Dayton.

After experiencing the impressive Medal of Honor exhibit you begin a walking tour through aviation history. Bill Chivalette, Curator of the heritage hall since 1997, oversees the development of displays which chronicle the exploits of enlisted warriors throughout the history of aviation from the days of aerial-observation balloons in the civil war to air warfare in the Middle East.

Among the exhibits is a recreation of the battle scene in Vietnam where Medal of Honor winner Airman 1^st Class William Pitsenbarger tended to wounded soldiers and fought off the enemy. Chief Master Sgt. Richard Etchberger, who was killed in action at Lima Site 85 in Laos is honored for heroism. So too is Sgt John Levitow who won his Medal of Honor when, despite multiple wounds, he threw an ignited flare from an AC-47 saving the aircraft and crew.

A mannequin of a POW sitting in an exact mockup of a cell in the Hanoi Hilton, designed by former Southeast Asia POWs, always evokes a powerful emotional reaction from viewers.

“We do not put an exhibit on the floor without extensive research to make sure each detail is historically accurate” said Chivalette. “Years of research and study have gone into some of our displays.”

A “Wall of Achievers” contains photographs of enlisted men and women who went on to high office or became celebrities. You’ll find photos of Chuck Norris, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Stewart, Alan Ladd, Flip Wilson, Charlton Heston and others.

While these magnificent exhibits are the outward signs of the work done by the heritage hall, their primary mission is to provide archival information and teaching displays to support study, student research, and curriculum support to the College for Enlisted Professional Military Education worldwide.

Since the early 1990s, an impressive library of historical reports and documents have been accumulated. Under the watchful eye of Technical Sgt James Jones, the hall has seen its role expand exponentially as the enlisted professional military education community has come to depend on this extremely valuable source of historical information.

“Recently added touch-screen computers and the inclusion of over 200,000 pages of accessible historical data on our web site have added a new dimension to our research capability” said TSgt Jones.

Chief Master Sergeant Dave Hamel, the current director of the heritage hall, had nothing but praise for the work of his staff.

“Bill and James, with the help of Air National Guard Augmentee, Chief Master Sgt. Tim Foreman, and volunteer, “Hoot” Gibson have put the heritage hall on the map. What they have created rivals the finest museum-quality exhibits you will find anywhere. We are constantly seeking to add displays and artifacts, although we are getting pretty short of space” said Hamel. “We’re looking to expand our facility in the near future, and if we can get the funding, we envision a new building that will be able to house and do justice to our world-class exhibits.

The Heritage Hall has twice won the Air Force Association Gill Robb Wilson Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to national defense in the field of arts, letters, and media relations, and has been a multiple winner of the Heritage Project Award presented by Hq USAF and Hq AETC.

“In the spring of 2004 we will dedicate a park on our grounds to honor former director Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Fisk,” Said Hamel. “Not only do we owe a great debt to Wayne for his vision in creating the Heritage Hall, we are paying tribute to him as a true American hero. Wayne earned two Silver Stars while serving four tours in South East Asia. He participated in many combat rescues and was a member of the task force on the Son Tay raid deep into North Vietnam to rescue our POWs. Chief Fisk was the last man off of Koh Tang Island during the rescue of the crew of the SS Mayaguez. He is truly a warriors warrior.”

“Our exhibits and monuments are made possible largely through the generous contributions of active duty and retired military personnel and the general public. We also raise funds through the sale of promotional items” said Hamel. “We’re open to the public year round and everyone is welcome. It is a place everyone in the Air Force can be proud of."

Tax deductible contributions may be sent to the Air University Foundation, 55 LeMay Plaza, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112. For more information on the EHRI visit their web site at http://afehri.maxwell.af.mil, or call 334-416-3202.