Airstream Historical Moments--JFK and?

[utahredrock]

On June 5, 1963, President Kennedy visited White Sands, New Mexico and the White Sands Missile Range.

You can see his remarks along with a video summary of his visit, including many missile launches, here: https://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Vie.../USG-03-B.aspx

At about 13 minutes 25 seconds into the video you get a glimpse of two Airstreams, though not the one that had been converted into a mobile hospital which Kennedy toured. At least one, and likely both, of the Airstreams visible in the video have two axles, whereas the mobile hospital only had one. The hospital was built in a 1962 Airstream Safari (possibly a '61). Below is a photo of him exiting the Airstream.

Along with this photo and the one of Nixon with the special Airstream housing the Apollo 11 crew, what do you view as some of the most significant historical Airstream images?

[utahredrock]

Here's a screenshot of the other two Airstreams seen in the video:

[utahredrock]

Here's an "iconic" image of Americana--titled "History Rewritten."

It's clearly photoshopped, but fun. Presidential candidate Kennedy and Jackie on Oct. 19, 1960 in NYC with a not vintage Airstream behind them.

#notHistorical

[utahredrock]

The 1983 Excella used by NASA from 1983 to 2011 to transport space shuttle astronauts to the shuttles. #Astrovan

(I wrote an article in Airstream Life about this!)

[utahredrock]

Kennedy in front of a different Airstream in New Mexico.

Article by John Moore, August 1, 2008. Caption read: President John F. Kennedy used an Airstream as his temporary office during a visit with vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson at White Sand Missile Range in New Mexico.
Source: http://www.trucktrend.com/features/0...ailer-history/

[utahredrock]

Found this in the NY Times. Is one of these the Kennedy/White Sands Airstream? Are they early-1960s Safaris?

The caption says: "Airstream trailers were used as mobile health units during the Kennedy Administration."

Source: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.co...ink-temporary/

[kendrick.l.j]

Wow. So cool. Thank you for sharing these photos.

[kdickinson]

How does it get better than that for a marketing / brand team at a small trailer company!? These are true history - which one is more historically valuable? Who knows? For me all of them are really great to see - thank you. They have one of the NASA Airstream trailers (or at least had) that were used during the Apollo moon missions at the Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian Air & Space museum.

[glenrms]

Does anyone know where the '83 NASA Excella is today?

[SeeMore]

The last I read, the Astrovan had been offered to museums after Endeavor's last flight as part of NASA's artifact disposition process but it was soon thereafter withdrawn to be 'mothballed' for future use within the program.

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by utahredrock

Found this in the NY Times. Is one of these the Kennedy/White Sands Airstream? Are they early-1960s Safaris?



The caption says: "Airstream trailers were used as mobile health units during the Kennedy Administration."



Source: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.co...ink-temporary/

The one on the right is a '63, identifiable by the small lip over the door and 7 segments.

On edit, so is the one in post 5

[Shacksman]

Originally Posted by utahredrock

Found this in the NY Times. Is one of these the Kennedy/White Sands Airstream? Are they early-1960s Safaris?

The caption says: "Airstream trailers were used as mobile health units during the Kennedy Administration."

Source: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.co...ink-temporary/

Seems strange that they had WBCCI numbers. You would think that they would have been new at the time.

[JDArmstrong]

My folks owned WBCC #5767 at the time these photos were taken back in 1963. There were a total of four Air Stream trailers at this event held at WSMR; though only three are seen in photos.


JFK was really the first individual to use my folks 30' Sovereign since they recently took delivery of the trailer about 3 weeks prior when purchased at the Anaheim, CA factory. My folks trailer was considered the White House during JFK's visit at WSMR and it was filled with all sorts of electronic communications gear for his visit.

It was during the missile firings the next day after we took the trailer to WSMR where I, as a very young boy, had the opportunity to meet the president inside the trailer. He was a very nice man and he spoke to me and my folks for about five minutes before he had to go on to other things during his visit. I remember this event like it happened yesterday.


After about 3-4 years of ownership, my folks sold the trailer to an Army Officer who moved to northern New Mexico (Edgewood). For many years it sat in that community where it fell into disrepair. I later tried to purchase the trailer, but it was sold to someone else around 2010-2012. It would have required a complete restoration and the rear part of the chassis needed rebuilding since the back end was sagging.