Walker AFB Museum

[Clifford Bossie]

Yesterday my wife and I visited the Walker AFB Museum in Roswell. Walker AFB started life as the Roswell Army Air Field and later became Walker AFB. The base was closed in 1967. It is a very small museum, just inside the front door as one enters the Roswell Industrial Air Center terminal. It is really an ambitious endeavor created by just a few individuals in Roswell. I had known about it for some time and had wanted to check it out as it ties in with an interest in SAC and local aviation history ( http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Walk ... erAFB.html ), but had not had time to visit before, it was worth the effort.

As stated previously, the museum is inside the terminal:



This memorial is dedicated to the former SAC base:











Someone had the initiative to snag this SAC emblem from the base before it disappeared:



Ther is also a good sized model display in another part of the terminal:





There appears to be only two scheduled flights a day, so traffic must be light.

There is a F-105 on RIAC that has been there for years. It has nothing to do with the museum and I sure would like to steal it for my museum! It looks to have been a BDR airframe at some time in the past:



This museum is one of sevral around the country that are geared towards a local interest. Carlsbad, NM has one in the terminal about the Carlsbad AAF and Pyote, Texas has a museum for the "Rattlesnake Bomber Base" (Pyote AAF). I am interested in any others out there as well.

We did not take the time to visit the UFO museum, it has kind have gone downhill anyway. No time for aliens!

[APG85]

Wow, very cool. It's always nice to see the history of these bases preserved like this. Thanks for posting the pictures!

[TAdan]

Nice display of the local history. Looks like a well executed little museum.

[viking73]

Nice photos Cliff, thanks for posting them.

Isn't that former Texas AFRES F-105D one of the airframes rescued from Camp Mabry? She looks okay but could use some TLC to cover up her BDR wounds eh?

-Derek

[red two]

my dad was stationed there from '65-'67. at that time they had 2 air divisions, and was the largest sac base in the continental united states.

[Tulio]

A Couple of blocks from where the F-105 stands, there is a WW-II era drone atop a pole.

Did you happen to see it?

Thank you for the museum pix, they are very good.


Saludos,


Tulio

[zorro7]

Clifford:

Good Day!

Interesting subject! I may have to drop by on my next vacation. Did you happen to take other angles or close-ups of the green Raleigh bicycle??

Tks

[Clifford Bossie]

A Couple of blocks from where the F-105 stands, there is a WW-II era drone atop a pole.

Did you happen to see it?

Thank you for the museum pix, they are very good.


Saludos,


Tulio

I do not remember seeing that on any of my previous visits, Tulio. Can it be seen on Google Earth?

Clifford:

Good Day!

Interesting subject! I may have to drop by on my next vacation. Did you happen to take other angles or close-ups of the green Raleigh bicycle??

Tks

Unfortunately I did not and this portion of the full size photo does not show it well.

[Forgotten Field]

Pyote Army Air Field was a very big storage area after WWII. My L-5 and many other surviving warbirds have time recorded there on their record cards. Do you have any photos from your trip there? I'm just curious about the place. Thanks!

[zorro7]

CB:

Tks for info and picture of the bike & other interesting displays. I will visit thsi place in the future. I will f/u with the museum folks about the history of that UK Bike! Tks

Last edited by zorro7 on Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[viking73]

Forgot to ask Cliff, did you revisit the Nike site there at Walker again this trip?

-Derek

[Clifford Bossie]

Pyote Army Air Field was a very big storage area after WWII. My L-5 and many other surviving warbirds have time recorded there on their record cards. Do you have any photos from your trip there? I'm just curious about the place. Thanks!

The remains of one of the hangars (along with some other buildings) are visible for I-10, actually about a mile south of the Interstate. I have not photographed them yet, but someday would like to take the time to walk around the area. There is a prison on the north side near the road. Here is a photo of the outside of the museum itself:



There are a few artifacts and a lot of photos inside.

Forgot to ask Cliff, did you revisit the Nike site there at Walker again this trip?

-Derek

Derek - I did not on this visit. I pointed out the WA-50 site to my wife, but did not drive over to it. Both sites need to be revisited.

[Tulio]

I do not remember seeing that on any of my previous visits, Tulio. Can it be seen on Google Earth?

I just failed to find it on Google maps. It was close to the New Mexico Youth Challenge Academy.

The drone used to be at an intersection on E. Gillis St., I cannot make the other street's name from the picture. Last time I saw it though, was in 2007.

Saludos,


Tulio

Attachments

[Clifford Bossie]

I do not remember seeing that on any of my previous visits, Tulio. Can it be seen on Google Earth?

I just failed to find it on Google maps. It was close to the New Mexico Youth Challenge Academy.

The drone used to be at an intersection on E. Gillis St., I cannot make the other street's name from the picture. Last time I saw it though, was in 2007.

Saludos,


Tulio

Tulio - An RCAT. It does show up on Google Earth, but for some reason I have never noticed it before. I will have to check it out the next time I am there.

[viking73]

Cliff,

Forgot to ask, have you ever been to any of the Atlas F sites around the former Walker AFB?

-Derek