ative ▁Air ▁Force ▁( C AF ), ▁head qu arter ed ▁at ▁Dallas ▁Executive ▁Airport ▁in ▁Dallas , ▁Texas . ▁The ▁museum ▁opened ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁building ▁in ▁Mer cedes , ▁Texas , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁as ▁a ▁location ▁to ▁house ▁and ▁display ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁artifact s ▁as ▁they ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁don ated ▁to ▁the ▁C AF . ▁Both ▁the ▁C AF ▁and ▁AA H M ▁moved ▁to ▁Har lingen , ▁Texas , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁the ▁AA H M ▁became ▁a ▁separate ▁non - pro fit ▁organization , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁both ▁the ▁AA H M ▁and ▁C AF ▁moved ▁to ▁Mid land , ▁Texas . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁museum ' s ▁collection ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁Dallas ▁in ▁anticip ation ▁of ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁C AF ▁National ▁Air base . ▁ ▁Col lections ▁The ▁museum ' s ▁collection , ▁which ▁numbers ▁nearly ▁ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁artifact s , ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁military ▁av iation ▁culture ▁and ▁other ▁material ▁culture ▁of ▁this ▁era . ▁It ▁has ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁complete ▁collections ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁av iation ▁culture ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁with ▁items ▁that ▁represent ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁axis ▁and ▁al lies ▁that ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁air ▁wars ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁The ▁AA H M ▁collect s ▁items , ▁artifact s