1947 Air Force Birthday Graphic

On September 18, 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 establishing the Department of the Air Force as a separate branch from the Army Air Forces. The act, which was a component of President Truman’s Cold War strategy also merged the Departments of the Army and Navy into the National Military Establishment (NME) that would eventually be renamed as the Department of Defense (DoD). All of this was signed into effect while President Truman was traveling aboard the VC-54C “Sacred Cow” that would later be known as the first Air Force One.