Spotlight on 342-C: Color Photographs of U.S. Air Force Activities, Facilities, and Personnel, Domestic and Foreign, ca. 1940–ca. 1980

342-C is a series of photographs comprised of color transparencies, slides, and negatives that document the activities of the U.S. Air Force and predecessor agencies, including the Army Air Forces (AAF). The images in 342-C heavily cover periods of war from World War II, through Korea, to the Vietnam war. However, there is also documentation of training exercises, aircraft maintenance, USAF personnel, and day-to-day activities.

The vast majority of images in 342-C have corresponding prints filed separately within 342-FH (pre-1954) and 342-B (1955-1980). That said, many of the images were only printed in black-and-white despite the original being in color. Further, there are transparencies and negatives scattered throughout 342-C that have not been printed and only exist within our collection as a negative/transparency. Luckily, advances in scanning and camera equipment have made it possible to reproduce negatives and transparencies in a more efficient and accessible manner.

While there are currently over 1,300 images from 342-C that have been made available through our online catalog, there are roughly 69,000 items within the whole series. To spotlight these invaluable records, below is a selection of images that have been scanned from the original transparency or negative.

British, American and Chinese cadets at Williams Field, Arizona

Brigadier General James H. Doolittle

F-4D's and F-4E's, aircraft are assigned to the 432nd Tactical Fighter Reconnaissance Wing, heading for a refueling tanker

Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)

1946 Kure, Japan

Boeing B-47 Stratojet

Personnel

A sentry dog and his security guard handler, Wiesbaden Air Base, Germany

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Original captions and local photo ID numbers:

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