This photograph captures a delegation of civic dignitaries and U.S. Air Force officers gathered before a California Air National Guard Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter, circa April 1960. The C-97, a military derivative of the Boeing Stratocruiser airliner, served Air National Guard units as a heavy-lift transport throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Events such as this, pairing local leaders with Guard aircrews, were common public relations occasions used to showcase Air National Guard capabilities and strengthen community ties during the Cold War era. Project: 218665