This Week in U.S. Air Force/Aerospace History, 19 – 25 Feb Published Feb. 19, 2010 By Dan Simmons 92nd Air Refueling Wing Historian FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Feb. 19, 1936: William "Billy" Mitchell, "Father of the Air Force," died in New York City. He was buried in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Feb. 23, 1942: Maj. Gen. Ira C. Eaker assumed command of VIII Bomber Command, which would conduct the first heavy bombardment missions of Eighth Air Force from England. The same day, the command established an advanced detachment in England. Feb. 20, 1962: Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., USMC, became the first U.S. astronaut to orbit Earth. He flew for nearly five hours in Mercury capsule Friendship 7. Feb. 24, 1969: An enemy mortar shell struck an AC-47 gunship on which A1C John L. Levitow served as loadmaster during a night mission in South Vietnam. Although seriously wounded, Airman Levitow flung himself on a smoking magnesium flare that was rolling in the cargo compartment, dragged it to an open door, and threw it out of the aircraft. Almost immediately the flare ignited. For this selfless heroism, Levitow became the fourth enlisted airman to receive the Medal of Honor. Feb. 22, 1978: An Atlas booster launched the first Global Positioning System satellite. A "constellation" of these satellites revolutionized navigation. Feb. 23, 1998: B-2s deployed overseas for the first time, flying from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.