Korea:The Forgotten War


This exhibit at the museum honors the American men and women who served during the Korean War (1950-1953). Artifacts and memorabilia from that era are on display, as well as a brief timeline of the war. Descriptions and photographs of many USAF aircraft flown during the period are also shown. The Korean War-era aircraft in our hangars are also specially labeled to highlight their roles in the war.

The museum has been designated by the Department of Defense as a Korean War 50th Anniversary Commemorative Site.

 As in any war, the Korean War necessitated a buildup of American forces, and that increase naturally affected Chanute Air Force Base. The student population of Chanute Technical Training Center nearly tripled during the first year of the conflict and continued to increase until a peak of 11,443 students was reached in August 1953.
These increases in the student population caused a severe shortage of qualified instructors. Consequently, many students were asked to remain on base as instructors after they graduated their courses.

Chanute AFB During the Korean War

Technical Training

 Technical training at Chanute operated on a twenty-four hour schedule during the Korean War years. Classes were taught in a wide variety of courses, including flight simulators, aircraft instrument specialist, jet engine mechanic, aircraft electrical specialist, flight control specialist, electronic principles specialist, radar bombing systems, radar systems specialist, and training instruction.

Several area residents served with distinction in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Their stories are an inspiration to us all.

Captain Warren G. Harding of Rantoul flew fighters with the Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war he retained an Air Force commission as a reserve officer and became a weather instructor at Chanute. When the Korean War started he was called up for duty.

Harding was sent to Las Vegas for six weeks refresher training and then shipped out to Korea in September 1950. There he flew the North American F-82 Twin Mustang long-range fighter. After only three months' service, Captain Harding and his copilot were killed when their aircraft's wings iced up shortly after taking off from Seoul, South Korea, causing them to crash into the mountains.

Captain Harding's portrait now hangs in the Korean War exhibit room, depicting him in front of his aircraft, "Jeannie," during World War II. His plane was named for his wife, Jean. She still lives in Rantoul and is a dedicated volunteer at the museum.

  Local Korean Veteran