We learned an esoteric fact today about what happens to the remains of birds that have run afoul of a military aircraft—they go to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. According to the MacDill Thunderbolt, airmen at MacDill AFB, Fla., thoroughly check out any aircraft that has been struck by a bird and, as they do so, they bag the bird remains for shipment to Smithsonian experts. These bird experts then add the bird strike particulars—type of bird, time of year, frequency by species—to a database that tracks trends. The aim is to guide the Air Force in its bird strike avoidance practices.
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
