1950’s

In August 1950, torrential rains unleashed a devastating flash flood upon the town of Waimea on the island of Kauaʻi. Swollen by days of relentless downpour, the Waimea River surged beyond its banks, cutting off the town from the rest...

In the shadow of the jagged Korean mountains and in the cold of a brutal war far from home, three sons of Hawaiʻi answered the call with courage, sacrifice, and service that would define not only their own lives, but...

A Tribute to Hawaii National Guard Former Prisoners of War From the frigid hills of North Korea to the dense jungles of Vietnam, the story of Hawai‘i’s sons in uniform is marked not only by valor in battle, but also...

National Medal of Honor Day, a U.S. federal observance, is celebrated annually on March 25th to honor the heroism and sacrifice of Medal of Honor recipients. The Medal of Honor is the highest U.S. military award for valor in combat. Over 3,400...

Hawaii Air National Guard photograph Nine pilots were put through a concentrated training program and became qualified as Alert Ready. The 199th Fighter Squadron went on 24 hour active air defense alert at 0001 October 23, 1958. The dedication of...

The 199th Fighter Squadron converted to North American F-86 Sabre in 1954. It was more than aircraft conversion from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt to the Sabres; it was a transition from props to jets. There were challenges for operations and maintenance. In...

Hawaii Air National Guard photographs The 199th Fighter Squadron flew the Republic F-47 Thunderbolt from 1947-1954. Originally known as the P-47 (P for Pursuit), the aircraft were redesignated F-47 shortly after the end of World War II. The F-47s were...

Hawaii Air National Guard photograph This undated photograph shows Kenneth "Kenny" Camara (L) and two unidentified maintenance mechanics. They are standing in front of a North American Aviation F-86 Sabre; a fighter jet the 199th Fighter Squadron flew from 1954...

Hawaii Air National Guard photograph This undated photograph shows a Convair F-102A Delta Dagger four ship at the "last chance" end of runway inspections. The photograph was taken from the cockpit of the 154th Fighter Group's Douglas C-54 Skymaster.

Hawaii Air National Guard photograph When the 199th Fighter Squadron converted from the Republic P/F-47 Thunderbolts to the North American F-86 Sabres, they also received "several" two seat Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star jets.  Thought its service life, the T-33s were...