P-51 pilots begin escorting U.S. bombers to European targets. Ninth Air Force begins Operation Crossbow raids against German bases where secret weapons are being developed.
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.