JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – For many traveling past the Airman and Family Readiness Center or to the Main Exchange, the old C-141 Starlifter at Starlifter Memorial Park is just a static aircraft worthy of an occasional glance. For others, it’s an aircraft silently guarding the memories of so many men and women who flew or maintained the Garden State Starlifter as it flew around the world supporting nearly every contingency operation the United States Air Force participated in since the late 1960s.
The 57th Alumni Association, an organization dedicated to preserving the memory of all who flew, maintained, and supported the C-141, donated a granite bench to the Starlifter Memorial Park on Aug. 19, 2020 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The bench, weighing 600 pounds, is placed alongside an aircraft that started its life at McGuire Air Force Base on Aug. 8, 1967. Over the next 40 years, this C-141 proved to be versatile for troop and cargo transport, humanitarian- and disaster-relief operations and aeromedical evacuation. The Garden State Starlifter secured an important place in airlift history ranging from the Vietnam War through the Global War on Terrorism.
The 57th Alumni Association was established in 2010, consisting of individuals who had served or were attached to the 57th Troop Carrier Squadron, 57th Military Airlift Squadron, 57th Airlift Squadron, and 57th Weapons Squadron. One of the 57th Alumni Association’s mission is to place a granite bench near every static C-141 aircraft. Granite benches have been placed at the following locations so far:
- Altus Air Force Base, Okla.
- Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, Ga.
- March Air Field Museum at March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
- McChord AFB Museum at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
- Travis Air Force Base Heritage Center at Travis AFB, Calif.
- Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover AFB, Del.
- Joint Base Charleston Air Park at JB Charleston, S.C.
If you have the opportunity, take time to visit the Starlifter Memorial Park and enjoy a moment on this newly donated bench. When doing so, you’ll spend a moment in history with an amazing aircraft and the thousands of lives dedicated to keeping it in the air.