105th Airlift Squadron TN ANG C-130 Model

Fly with the 105th Airlift Squadron of the Tennessee Air National Guard in this hand crafted C-130 Model. Each model is carefully carved from wood and hand painted to provide a unique piece you’ll love.

Length- 16 inches

The 105th Airlift Squadron (105 AS) is a unit of the Tennessee Air National Guard 118th Wing (118 WG). It is assigned to Berry Field Air National Guard Base, Nashville, Tennessee and was previously equipped with the C-130H Hercules aircraft. It has since transitioned to the MQ-9 Reaper, with its parent organization, the former 118th Airlift Wing (118 AW), having recently been redesignated as the 118th Wing. The 105th will likely be redesignated as either an attack squadron or a reconnaissance squadron in the near future.[1][2][3][4]The squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 105th Aero Squadron, established on 27 August 1917. It was reformed on 4 December 1921, as the 105th Observation Squadron, and is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II.

The 105th Airlift Squadron traces its origins to 27 August 1917 with the organization of the 105th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. There, the squadron was assigned to indoctrination training, with the men taken up by drills, hikes, physical training and other exercises. Also the men attended various lectures about military courtesies and customs. In late October, the 105th received orders for overseas duty, and was transferred to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City, Long Island. It arrived at Mineola Field on 4 November 1917 where it was prepared and equipped for overseas duty. On 22 November the squadron was transferred to the New York Port of Embarkation, Hoboken, New Jersey, where it boarded the former White Star Liner RMS Baltic for the trans-Atlantic crossing. After an uneventful voyage, the squadron arrived in Liverpool, England on 8 December.[5]Upon arrival in England, the squadron was transferred to a Rest Camp near Winchester, where three weeks were spent waiting for movement orders. Finally, on 23 December, orders were received to proceed to France, arriving in Le Havre on Christmas Day. From Le Havre, the squadron was ordered to proceed to Air Service Supply Depot #1, Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, near Paris. The depot grew to be the largest supply and equipment depot in the AEF.[5]

105th Aero Squadron, Air Service Supply Depot #1, Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, November 1918.
It was there that the squadron experienced its first exposure to combat, when the Germans attacked with an air raid on 30 January 1918. A memorable date was on 15 March when the very earth itself trembled with a shock. News came that the largest munitions factory in France had blown up. This factory was at nearby La Courneuve. Personnel from the squadron marched to the town to help, and upon arrival the town was still filled with a cloud of smoke. Also the town was nothing but a ruined mass of buildings. Unexploded shells were numerous and the ground was also covered completely by unexploded hand grenades. The men of the squadron did their best to find the injured bodies and also to keep an eager crowd of people back from the still exploding shells, while others assisted in loading a large bunch of airplane engines that were to be taken to the Depot for storage. Not long afterwards, the reports of the German “Big Bertha” long range artillery gun shelling Paris began, and during the day the squadron could hear the sounds of artillery at the front. Also the squadron saw the night air raids by German bombers over Paris.[5]However, despite the danger, Clichy was much less dangerous than serving at the front lines. Regular work proceeded as usual, broken from time to time with leaves to Paris. The squadron remained at the Depot until after the Armistice with Germany in November 1918. It returned to the United States in late April 1918.