90th Anniversary of 5th Bomb Wing: Aug. 15, 2009 Published Aug. 13, 2009 By Mr. Rob Michel 5th Bomb Wing Historian MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The organization has been through much in its lengthy history. A few chapters that come to mind are: the bombing of the Mauna Loa volcano to stop a lava flow threatening the city of Hilo, the destruction of their airfield at Hickam, and the beginning of nearly four years of combat in the Pacific. Perhaps a more well-known chapter is the B-52, a constant in the wing since 1959. It is difficult to imagine the 5th without this workhorse. As the bomb wing passes its ninth decade of service, remember that the history of the wing hasn't been shaped entirely by forces beyond its control; for its own people, the men and women who give the organization its living existence, are the very character and personality of the wing, and are the true reason for this storied history.