|By Mark Nankivil|
The 45th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army National Guard was formed in 1923 primarily from soldiers based in Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. It was engaged in domestic operations at the call of state governors and prepared for war in 1940. During World War II, the Thunderbirds served for 511 days across European Theater of Operations. Following the war, the 45th Infantry Division was based at Fort Sill, OK and later served 429 days of combat in Korea in four campaigns. In 1969, the division was reorganized into separate units within the OK Army National Guard.
Here is just a sample of the aviation portion within Thunderbird Park: