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National Aviation Day and the 437th Airlift Wing
August 17, 2018 — President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a proclamation declaring August 19, 1939 National Aviation Day in honor of the 68th anniversary of Orville Wright’s birthday. Orville was the younger brother of Wilbur Wright, who, together, became American aviation pioneers. On December 17, 1903, the Wrights made aviation history, when they successfully completed the first controlled flight of a powered flying machine. To put that achievement into perspective, the 437th Troop Carrier Group (TCG) was activated a mere 40-years later on May 1, 1943 and a year later they were flying combat sorties over France during Operation NEPTUNE, known by most as D-Day. In 1947, the United States Air Force was established as a separate and equal service alongside the Army and Navy. Two years later, on June 27, 1949, the 437th Troop Carrier Wing (TCW) was activated as a reserve wing at Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, Illinois. ...