May 28, 2015

The airplanes are lined up in rows by the hundreds, serving as a striking reminder of the nation’s military past.

They carried presidents and astronauts, shot down enemies during war and shuttled American military forces around the globe.

Now, they are scattered across a huge, dusty field at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on the outskirts of Tucson, at a location known affectionately as the “boneyard.”

: Phil Kovaric and Dennis Varney remove the missile rails from an F-4 Phantom slated for destruction at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group employees walk past Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers at the boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The “boneyard” is worldís largest aircraft storage and preservation facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Crew from from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard prepare a pair of Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights for storage after their arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility. AMARG provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Crew members from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard tow a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion into position on it’s storage site after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A row of U.S. Navy Beechcraft T-34 Mentor trainers are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Lockheed P-3c Orions are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Workers prepare to reclaim parts from a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jet at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Some aircraft at the boneyard are reclaimed to keep existing fleets in service. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Air Force Northrop T-38 Talon trainer jets are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-16 Fighting Falcons sit in a field along Miami St. at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Over 4,500 variants of the F-16’s have been produced since 1973. This field of fighters will become drone target planes in the future. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Air Force Northrop T-38 Talon trainer jets are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Numerous C-130 Hercules cargo planes are lined up in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Numerous C-130 cargo planes are lined up in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S. Navy Beechcraft T-34 Mentor trainers, foreground, and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at dusk, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights are stored in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A crew member from from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard applies tape to seams on a Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight in preparation for storage after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Military aircraft are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Workers apply rudder locks on a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jet at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5 has been used to support US military operations in all major conflicts since 1969 including Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Mechanics from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard prepare a U.S. Navy Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk for storage after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The “boneyard” is worldís largest military aircraft storage and preservation facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is seen chopped up per the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off the 39 aircraft in order to remove the B-52G models from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-4 Phantoms are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights are stored in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A crew member from from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard applies tape to seams on a Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight in preparation for storage after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Workers apply rudder locks on a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jet at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5 has been used to support US military operations in all major conflicts since 1969 including Vietnam, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Mechanics from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard prepare a U.S. Navy Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk for storage after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The “boneyard” is worldís largest military aircraft storage and preservation facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-16 Fighting Falcons sit in a field along Miami St. at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Over 4,500 variants of the F-16’s have been produced since 1973. This field of fighters will become drone target planes in the future. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Military aircraft are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)Military aircraft are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is seen chopped up per the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off the 39 aircraft in order to remove the B-52G models from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-4 Phantoms are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Air Force Lockheed MC-130H Hercules’ are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A crew member from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard prepares a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion with tie-downs after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Military aircraft are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knights, far left, and Sikorsky MH-53’s, center, face Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jets, right, in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A field of Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jets are shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5A Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight, tail no.153993, is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. According to the U.S. Marine Corps, this helicopter was the last aircraft out of Vietnam. Known by its mission name, Swift 2-2, this CH-46 lifted the remaining 11 members of the Marine Guard off the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon just before 8:00 a.m. on April 30, 1975. It was the last aircraft to touch and leave the U.S. Embassy as North Vietnamese tanks breached defenses on the outskirts of Saigon as the Vietnam War came to an end. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Crew members from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard secure a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft on it’s storage site after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group employees walk past a Boeing 707 jet at the boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: C-130 Hercules cargo planes are lined up in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Aircraft are undergoing regeneration in the maintenance shelter at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Demilitarization work leads Phil Kovaric, left, and Dennis Varney remove the missle rails from an F4 Phantom slated for destruction at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Preservation servicer Katy Shank sprays a sealing paint on a former NAVY Blue Angel F-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A demilitarization crew member removes components from the cockpit of an F4 Phantom slated for destruction at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Fields of aircraft can be seen through the cockpit of a 1974 Lockheed KC-130R Hercules at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. This aircraft is one of six 6 used KC-130Rs being restored after being sold to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Military aircraft are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A row of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II’s are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A field of F-4 Phantoms are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, tail number 58-0171, nicknamed “Lil Peach II” is seen chopped up per the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off the 39 aircraft in order to remove the B-52G models from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-16 Fighting Falcons sit in a field along Miami St. at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Over 4,500 variants of the F-16’s have been produced since 1973. This field of fighters will become drone target planes in the future. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Military aircraft are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S Marines work atop an F-A-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The Marines are repairing F-A-18’s to return to service at the 309th facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Fields of various military aircraft are seen at dawn behind the wings of a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy Cargo Jet at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5 Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services with a wingspan of over 222 feet and sits over 65 feet high. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A wolf and her pup stand under a B-52G at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off 39 B-52G’s in order to remove them from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy”, flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. This particular B-52G, 58-0224, targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. At the time, bomber was stationed in Guam. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off 39 B-52G’s in order to remove them from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy”, flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. This particular B-52G, 58-0224, targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. At the time, bomber was stationed in Guam. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off 39 B-52G’s in order to remove them from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy”, flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. This particular B-52G, 58-0224, targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. At the time, bomber was stationed in Guam. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off 39 B-52G’s in order to remove them from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy”, flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. This particular B-52G, 58-0224, targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. At the time, bomber was stationed in Guam. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off 39 B-52G’s in order to remove them from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy”, flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. This particular B-52G, 58-0224, targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. At the time, bomber was stationed in Guam. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The side of a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is shown stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 21, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The United States cut the tails off 39 B-52G’s in order to remove them from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy”, flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. This particular B-52G, 58-0224, targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. At the time, bomber was stationed in Guam. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Grumman F-14 Tomcat, bureau no. 159437, tail fin no. VF-101, one of two F-14’s that shot down two Libyan MiG-23’s near the Gulf of Sidra, on Jan. 4, 1989 while conducting exercises off the USS John F. Kennedy is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Hungarian MiG 21with Soviet markings is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The fighter jet belongs to the National Museum of the USAF located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Three vertical stars, which indicate three MiG kills, are painted alongside the service records of a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II while stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Two Polish LiM 5’s,licensed copies of Soviet MiG 17’s, are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The fighter jets belong to the National Museum of the USAF located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Polish LiM 2, a licensed copy of Soviet MiG 15, is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The fighter jet belongs to the National Museum of the USAF located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Preservation servicer Katy Shank sprays a sealing paint on a former NAVY Blue Angel F-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Polish LiM 2, a licensed copy of Soviet MiG 15, is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The fighter jet belongs to the National Museum of the USAF located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Fields of military aircraft can be seen from atop a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jet, as shown in this fisheye lens photograph, at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5A Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: There service records are imprinted on the side of a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II while stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Preservation servicer Katy Shank sprays a sealing paint on a former NAVY Blue Angel F-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A farewell message written by a crew member named “Roddy” and dated Sept. 17, 1982, is shown inside the nose cone of an F4 Phantom stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A boneyard crew tows an General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon prior to the preservation process after its arrival at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The “boneyard” is worldís largest military aircraft storage and preservation facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-4 Phantoms are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jets are stored, as shown with this fisheye lens photograph, at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5A Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S. Navy Lockheed LC-130, known as “321”, which crashed in 1971 during a resupply mission in Antarctica, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. 321 stayed buried in snow up to it’s tail fin in Antarctica for 17 years until crews were able to dig it out, repair it and return it to service. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S. Marines work atop an F/A-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The Marines are repairing F/A-18’s to return to service at the 309th facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Farewell messages written by the final crew are shown throughout the cockpit of a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group employees walk past a Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber at the boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The B1 was developed as a heavy strategic bomber for the United States Air Force and is still in use today. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, right, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, lies in the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The United States cut the tails off the 39 aircraft in order to remove the B-52G models from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy,” flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. The aircraft targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: An Army Sikorsky VH-34s Choctaw helicopter once used to transport President Dwight D. Eisenhower sits in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. President Eisenhower became the first chief executive to be transported by helicopter. Presidents Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy were transported in VH-34 helicopters and VH-34’s served as ‘Army One’ from 1958 through 1963. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S. Marines play spades during a break at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The Marines are repairing F-A-18’s to return to service at the 309th facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S. Navy Lockheed LC-130, known as “321”, which crashed in 1971 during a resupply mission in Antarctica, is shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. 321 stayed buried in snow up to it’s tail fin in Antarctica for 17 years until crews were able to dig it out, repair it and return it to service. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Preservation servicer Katy Shank sprays a sealing paint on a former NAVY Blue Angel F-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A ladder leads to the cockpit from the cargo area of a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jet at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Some aircraft at the boneyard are reclaimed to keep existing fleets in service. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Crew members from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard secure a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft at its storage site after its arrival at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday, May 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jets are stored, as shown with this fisheye lens photograph, at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5A Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Demilitarization work leads Phil Kovaric, right, and Dennis Varney remove the missle rails from an F4 Phantom slated for destruction at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Preservation servicer Scott Carlson sprays a sealing paint on a former NAVY Blue Angel F-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: One of the few civilian aircraft on site, a Boeing 707, serial no.TWA N28714, sits in the aircraft battle damage repair area at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. On August 29, 1969, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), including former Palestinian National Council member Leila Khaled, hijacked the aircraft, call sign TWA 840, believing that then-Israeli ambassador to the United States Yitzhak Rabin was aboard. When discovered he was not on the aircraft, the hijackers flew to Syria and released all but 2 Israeli passengers. The hijackers proceeded to explode a bomb in the cockpit after the hostages had disembarked. Extensive repairs put the aircraft back into serve until 1980. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Polish LiM, a licensed copy of a Soviet MiG 17, is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The fighter jet belongs to the National Museum of the USAF located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A field of Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jets are shown at sunrise at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5A Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-16 Fighting Falcons covered in sealing paint sit in a field along Miami St. at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, May 21, 2015. Over 4,500 variants of the F-16’s have been produced since 1973. This field of fighters will become drone target planes in the future. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on May 14, 2015, an Army Sikorsky VH-34s Choctaw helicopter, which was used to transport President Dwight D. Eisenhower, sits in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Eisenhower became the first chief executive to be transported by helicopter and the VH-34’s served as “Army One” from 1958 through 1963 for Eisenhower and President John F. Kennedy. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S. Marines work atop an F/A-18 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The Marines are repairing F/A-18’s to return to service at the 309th facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Thursday, May 14, 2015, the sun sets over C-130 cargo planes at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Force’s aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Thursday, May 14, 2015, C-130 Hercules cargo planes are lined up in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Over 2,300 variants of the C-130 have been produced since 1954. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Heat ripples rise off the desert floor as seen through a barb-wired fence as a pickup drives past stored military aircraft at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight, tail no. 153993, is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. According to the U.S. Marine Corps, this helicopter was the last aircraft out of Vietnam. Known by its mission name, Swift 2-2, this CH-46 lifted the remaining 11 members of the Marine Guard off the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon just before 8:00 a.m. on April 30, 1975. It was the last aircraft to touch and leave the U.S. embassy as North Vietnamese tanks breached defenses on the outskirts of Saigon as the Vietnam War came to an end. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Friday, May 15, 2015, crew from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard prepare to remove engine fluid from a Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter after its arrival at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The OH-58 has been in continuous use by the U.S. Army since 1969 and seen combat in every conflict since Vietnam. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Friday, May 15, 2015, crew from from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard prepare a pair of Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters for storage after their arrival at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Force’s aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility. AMARG provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Thursday, May 14, 2015, the remains of a Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, serial no. 55-3129, are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The aircraft is the original “Weightless Wonder” of NASA according to the planes’ records. NASA used the aircraft to train the Mercury 7 astronauts on zero-gravity flights, and it was nicknamed the “Vomit Comet” for its effect on pilots and passengers alike. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A field of Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jets are seen through a window from another C-5 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The C-5A Galaxy is the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. The C-5 has a wingspan of over 222 feet and stands over 65 feet high has been used by the Air Force continually since 1969. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: F-16 Fighting Falcons sit in a field along Miami St. at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Over 4,500 variants of the F-16’s have been produced since 1973. This field of fighters will become drone target planes in the future. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: The 39th and final B-52G Stratofortress, tail number 58-0224, right, accountable under the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia, lies in the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The United States cut the tails off the 39 aircraft in order to remove the B-52G models from treaty accountability, as they still count as nuclear-capable delivery platforms with their tails attached. The tails are angled at 30 degrees so Russian satellites can view compliance. Tail number 58-0224, nicknamed “Sweet Tracy,” flew combat missions over North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, which began Dec. 18, 1972 and lasted 11 nights. The aircraft targeted the Yen Vien Railroad Yards and the Hanoi Railroad Repair Yards. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: U.S. Marines play spades during a break at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The Marines are repairing F-A-18’s to return to service at the 309th facility. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A demilitarization crew member removes components from the cockpit of an F-4 Phantom slated for destruction at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, May 21, 2015. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Thursday, May 14, 2015, the remains of a Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, serial no. 55-3129, are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The aircraft is the original “Weightless Wonder” of NASA according to the planes’ records. NASA used the aircraft to train the Mercury 7 astronauts on zero-gravity flights, and it was nicknamed the “Vomit Comet” for its effect on pilots and passengers alike. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Two Polish LiM 5’s,licensed copies of Soviet MiG 17’s, are stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The fighter jets belong to the National Museum of the USAF located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A U.S. Coast Guard C-27J is undergoing regeneration in the maintenance shelter at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard as shown in this fisheye lens photograph, Thursday, May 21, 2015, in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A field of U.S. Air Force Cessna T-37 Tweet aircraft are shown at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A Grumman F-14 Tomcat, bureau no. 159437, left, one of two F-14’s that shot down two Libyan MiG-23’s near the Gulf of Sidra, on Jan. 4, 1989 while conducting exercises off the USS John F. Kennedy is stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard, Thursday, May 14, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Forceís aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A crew member from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard prepares a U.S. Navy Lockheed P-3C Orion with tie-downs after it’s arrival, Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: A field of Lockheed C-5 Galaxy cargo jets are illuminated at sunrise at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard Friday, May 15, 2015 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The C-5A Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. The C-5 has been used by the Air Force continually since 1969. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Thursday, May 14, 2015, the sun sets over C-130 cargo planes at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. The 309th is the United States Air Force’s aircraft and missile storage and maintenance facility and provides long and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: Various military aircraft, including F-15’s, C-130’s and F-4’s are arranged behind the wing of a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy Cargo Jet at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday, May 15, 2015. With a wingspan over 222 feet, the C-5A Galaxy the largest aircraft in the U.S. armed services. (AP Photo/Matt York)

: In this photo taken on Thursday, May 14, 2015, C-130 Hercules cargo planes are lined up in a field at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz. Over 2,300 variants of the C-130 have been produced since 1954. (AP Photo/Matt York)

It is the world’s largest airplane repository and preservation facility, providing long- and short-term aircraft storage, parts reclamation and disposal for all types of planes.

As sunrise illuminates the facility’s 2,600 acres, the relics it holds evoke thoughts of missions past:

— An Army One helicopter that transported President Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s.
— An old TWA jet that was once hijacked and bombed.
— An aircraft that spent 16 years preserved entirely under Antarctic snow before returning to flight and ending up in the sweltering desert heat.

Notably, the last aircraft to leave Saigon as it fell to North Vietnamese forces sits alongside disassembled Cold War bombers. The B-52s have their tails removed — one of the terms of a post-Cold War treaty with Russia to provide proof the bombers were indeed decommissioned.

The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group was established in 1946 as the 4105th Army Air Force Unit to house planes after World War II.

It quickly expanded to aircraft from all military branches due to Tucson’s low humidity, minimal rainfall and high altitude, all of which ward off rust and corrosion. The hard soil makes it possible to move and secure aircraft without the need for pavement.

Today, the boneyard serves as both a testament to U.S. air prowess and a means to keep the country and its allies in flight through reclamation and restoration.

One Comment

Robin Layton
May 28, 2015 @ 02:56:34

Thank you for a wonderful gallery. Maryland is my home state, so I follow the Baltimore Sun. The Martinsburg ANG plane photos really touched me… I have a personal connection to the 167th and 157th. And I live in Arizona now, so this was a triple treat. Amazing work!

The ‘bones’ of 4,000 planes in Arizona

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