Barksdale and the Bomb: Shreveport's Cold War Role

Barksdale Air Force Base has been home to the 8th Air Force — the strategic bombing arm of the U.S. military — since 1942. During the Cold War, B-52 Stratofortresses loaded with nuclear weapons sat on alert at the end of the runway, ready to launch within minutes. The base was a primary target in Soviet war plans. Today Barksdale remains a key node in America's nuclear deterrent, and the Global Power Museum on base tells the story of strategic airpower from the firebombing of Germany to the present.