Page 28

A Hostage to Fortune

Ernest K.Gann, noted author, sailor, filmmaker and artist was a guest of the 380th Bomb Wing at Plattsburgh AFB, NY on May 14 and 15, 1982. Responding to an invitation by LTC Dick Iversen, 528th Bomb Squadron commander, Mr. Gann was here to to be the guest speaker at a Dining-In on May 15 and fly in the FB-111A. After having received egress training the previous day, Gann, who was 71 at the time and had been flying for 47 years, was ready to climb aboard a 380th BW's FB-111A. For this flight, LTC Hank Williamson was assigned as Gann's IP in FB-111A 68-0262 while LTC Dick Iversen and Major Don Lee flew aircraft 68-0248 named "A Hostage to Fortune" after the autobiography by Ernest Gann. The two-ship mission was to be a routine formation flight around the local area, followed by some low level, and air refueling."It's a wonderful airplane to fly, very efficient, relatively easy to fly, even I can get it around the sky without too much help. That's the best testimony of the airplane, and to say nothing about Colonel Williamson, who was my fearless leader. In fact, he deserves at least another DFC for surviving the flight." said Gann after landing. LTC Hank Williamson, from the 528th Bomb Squadron, gave Mr. Gann his "check ride" after he got the feel of things at the 380th AMS's FB simulator with the assistance of the 4007th CCTS personnel. Mr. Gann said, "The airplane is really a docile flying machine." He added that Plattsburgh AFB was the most beautiful Air Force base he ever had been on.LTC Hank Williamson remembers well that flight! "I did in fact gave Mr. Gann a memorable flight, but not without reason." said Williamson. Mr. Gann published an article in the August 1971 issue of True magazine about the fighter version, F-111A, after flying it at Cannon AFB, NM. "I wanted to show him how we flew the plane in SAC, and how great the bird was to fly." added Williamson. "During the low-level part of the flight (200' and hard-ride), I pulled up the thermal shield that blocks the pilots from seeing out of the front of the windscreen. He almost came unglued! We were in between the Adirondack Mountains at around 600 knots. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed showing off the capabilities of the One-Eleven. Later, after exiting Low-Level, we flew over Lake Champlain and streaked Tradewells Bay at 25' and around 450 knots before landing at the base. It was a great flight and one I'm sure he remembered!" said Williamson in conclusion.

Missing in action, not in hearts

Some wounds won't heal until all of the men and women who fought for this country during the Vietnam War are accounted for and brought back home. Until then, the pledge to never forget the Prisoners of War and the Missing in Action burns on. Three men at Pease AFB, NH have kept that pledge to never forget by making some permanent, visible changes to the aircraft they flew and took care of. In 1989, POW/MIA names from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine were painted in the crew chief blocks of the FB-111A. 1stLt. Harold Berens, bomber branch assistant officer in charge, explained that the project started when he was talking to Capt. Robert J.Ott, instructor pilot from the 393rd Bombardment Squadron. The two officers were discussing recent POW/MIA ceremonies and parade, and how they felt good about the events that had taken place. They wanted to do their share in remembering those men so they came up with the idea of displaying the names on the FBs. Both felt it was a perfect way to say that Pease had not forgotten.The idea was to put the POW/MIA's name in the crew chief block. With two blocks on the aircraft, one on each side of the cockpit, there was room for two names. By doing that, they were able to use all Air Force names with one third of the names coming from the other services. The third men to join the project was TSgt. Willie French from the 509th FMS corrosion control shop whom was actively involved in the POW/MIA program. After researching Air Force Regulation 66-2, which outlined what can be done to a crew chief's block, they found out that changes were determined locally and they received immediate approval from Col. Orin L.Godsey, 509th Bombardment Wing commander and other appropriate officials. The blocks contained the names of the pilot, navigator, crew chief and assistant crew chiefs as well as the MIA's name.According to TSgt. French, the first block to be designed was too big and looked awkward. The second design used the size of the original block using one-half inch letters but the names could not be seen clearly. The third and final try proved to be successful. The block was made a little bigger with one inch letters and one inch spacing between lines was used. The aircraft were painted as soon as they had 'down time', which is when an airplane is grounded for maintenance or other problems. In December 1989, nine aircraft were painted with the rest of the FBs completed by early spring.One aircraft had an extra special meaning for Captain Ott and Sergeant French. Navy Cmdr.J.P.Dunn, MIA since Feb.14,1968, was one of the names painted on Captain Ott's aircraft, No 514. Commander Dunn's name had been on his bracelet since he was in high school. Commander Dunn was a Lieutenant when he was shot down over China and was given his rank in normal progression out of respect. The other name on Captain Ott's aircraft was TSgt Jack McCrary, MIA since Dec.29,1967. The name was taken from Sergeant French bracelet.

509th BMW aircraft and crew listing. Aircraft #, Pilot, POW, Navigator, POW and Crew Chief.

393rd BMS - Red Flight.
67-7193 LtCol. B.Berklund, Maj J.F. Overlock (16-08-68) LtCol. J.Eggers,  Maj.H.D.Stephenson(29/3/72) SSgt. D.Pechal
67-7196 Capt. F.Logan,  Lt.D. J.Wax (20/12/65) Capt. G.Castillo,  Maj. B.C.Wrye (12/8/66) Sgt. M.Cogil
68-0270 Capt. G.Barber,  SPC4 Q.E. Muleaway (29/1/68) Capt. M.Ray,  Capt. A.L.Page (6/8/67) SSgt. R.Bushey
68-0287 Capt. J.Olden,  Capt. R.O.Ganley (24/11/69) Capt. L.Hose,  Maj. G.R.Helmich (12/11/69) Sgt. D.Hickling
68-0288 Capt. M.Skinner,  LtCol. S.J.Burnett (7/3/71) Lt. M.Noelte,  SSgt. F.N.Badolati (29/1/66) SSgt. N.Stebbins
69-6503 Capt. A.Guillemot,  Sgt. W.R.Pearson (6/4/72) Capt. J.Slavoski,  SFC R.J.Sullivan (12/7/67) SSgt. T.Finch
69-6504 Capt. T.C.Blake,  Lt. M.A.Avore (18/7/65) Capt. G.Schuman,  SPC4 J.H.R.Brooks (13/5/69) Sgt. M.Pahel
69-6508 Capt. M.Sherman,  Capt. P.E.Getchell (13/1/69) Capt. J.Harrington,  SPC4 R.C.Dority (3/11/70) SSgt. M.Murphy
69-6509 Col. O.Godsey,  SSgt. C.D.Alloway (7/6/70) Col. F.Schwarz,  SMS. P.J.Stickney (31/5/66) Sgt. J.Pineault
69-6512 LtCol. C.Wallace,  PFC B.C.Dyer (27/4/67) Maj. J.Henderson,  Lt. W.L.Hall (10/6/65) Sgt. M.Koehler
69-6514 Capt. B.Ott,  CDR J.P.Dunn (14/2/68) Capt. J.Atkins,  Tsgt. J.McCrary (29/12/67) Sgt. J.Swain

715th BMS - Blue Flight
67-7195 Maj. D.Casey,  SSgt. E.J.Darcy (29/12/67) Capt. D.Jack,  Lt. J.E.Duffy (4/4/70) Sgt. M.Sampey
68-0272 Capt. J.Ciabattoni,  Capt. W.S.Sanders (30/6/70) Capt. T.Sykes,  TSgt.A.J.Avery (6/4/72) SSgt. E.Friedrich
68-0273 Capt. S.Chesnut,   Maj. E.P.Boresik (31/5/68) Capt. T.Novak,  Lt. C.L.Bifolchi (8/1/68) Sgt. W.Roberts
68-0276 Capt. C.Seibach,  Capt. C.R.Churchill (3/5/70) Capt. M.Dates,  Capt. R.M.Elliot (14/2/68) SSgt. B.Shafer
68-0281 LtCol. C.Rasmussen,  SSgt. F.T.Garside (23/3/61) LtCol. T.Krull,  Lt. R.D.Hauer (5/9/70) Sgt. T.Guilford
68-0284 Capt. K.Gentile,  Capt. D.H.Holmes (15/3/66) Capt.R.Radford,  Lt. L.L.Kaster (6/8/64) Sgt. G.Russell
69-6506 Capt. P.Caszatt,  Maj. H.E.Mac Cann (28/3/68) Capt. P.Cannizzo, C apt.J.A.Magnusson (4/4/65) Sgt. B.Falk
69-6507 Maj. R.Ferguson,  A1C K.D.Mc Kenny (15/5/65) Capt.B.Walters,  MSgt. A.V.McLaughlin (20/12/72) SSgt. M.Donelli
69-6510 Capt. G.Kramlinger,  Lt. J.R.Harvey (28/11/72) Capt. J.Kirk,  Maj. D.M.Russell (5/12/67) Sgt. J.Bainter
69-6513 Capt. B.Naylor,  LtJG. T.H.Hanley (1/1/68) Capt. S.Luxion,  Pvt J.N.Huntley (27/9/69) SSgt. R.Ouelette

Memorial

In memory to those who lost their lives flying the "FB".

LtCol. Robert S. Montgomery, USAF, a/c 68-0253, 340th BG, 7/10/70 at Carswell AFB, TX.
LtCol. Charles G. Robinson, USAF, a/c 68-0253, 340th BG, 7/10/70 at Carswell AFB, TX.
LtCol. Bruce D. Stocks, USAF, a/c 68-0283, 8/1/72.
Maj. Billy C. Gentry, USAF, a/c 68-0283, 8/1/72.
Capt. Edward R. Riley, USAF, a/c 68-0266, 509th BW, 14/2/77 at Pease AFB, NH.
Capt. Jeremiah E. Sheehan, USAF, a/c 68-0266, 509th BW, 14/2/77 at Pease AFB, NH.
Capt. Phillip B. Donovan, USAF, a/c 68-0261, 509th BW, 18/9/79 on Nellis AFB ranges, NV.
Capt. William J. Full, USAF, a/c 68-0261, 509th BW, 18/9/79 on Nellis AFB ranges, NV.
Maj. Thomas M. Mullen, USAF, a/c 68-0268, 380th BW, 6/10/80 off the Maine coast.
Capt. Gary A. Davis, USAF, a/c 68-0268, 380th BW, 6/10/80 off the Maine coast.

FltLt. Anthony Short and SqnLdr. Stephen Hobbs died when their F-111G A8-291, crashed on a small island in South China Sea during the night of April 18, 1999.

"War of Bells"

Another chapter in the "War of Bells" was completed on February 4, 1980 when two bell snatchers on TDY at Pease AFB, N.H. succeeded in returning the prizes to "their rightful owners".The War of Bells began in 1977 between Pease AFB and Plattsburgh AFB, and according to bomb squadron officers, bell snatching was a tradition between the bases. Although one of the bells was engraved to a tactical fighter wing at Nellis AFB, Nev., from Kadena AB, Okinawa, nobody knew where the bells actually came from, how they got in this area or how long they had been around! Pease had the bells displayed in its Officer's Club for a number of years. In the spring of 1977, a couple of 380th BW's people "borrowed" them and brought them to Plattsburgh AFB. They remained in the Plattsburgh Officer's Club in a tamper-proof area, until the spring of 1979, when a couple of Pease bomber personnel "borrowed" them back while there on temporary duty. And so, naturally, when Captains John Plantikow and Steve Harman were on temporary duty at Pease AFB, they dutifully "borrowed" them back. This time, however, the bells were a bit of a challenge. Pease had them welded to a rock which was cemented to a 3,000 pound rock. Retrieving the bells seemed to be no problem for Captains Plantikow and Harman, though. They just twisted them loose with their three foot torque wrench and left. "We smuggled a three foot pipe wrench into the club at lunch, and then after going to a late supper, hid until the mess closed." said Captain Plantikow. "After a suitable wait, we walked into the bar, and 'torqued' the bells off the iron rods that were sunken into the large, ugly granite mount. We got them off base around midnight, and Ed McKim drove over from Plattsburgh to get them out of New Hampshire before the next duty day began. At the daily briefing the next morning, Col. Swart (509 vice or CC ?) asked me if I'd slept well the night before. He had been our DO at Plattsburgh before being exiled to Pease, and I still don't know why he picked on me and Steve that morning." added Captain Plantikow about the rest of the events. The bells were now bolted over the Officer's Club bar at Plattsburgh, on a bell hook, up high. Bomb squadron and Officer's Club people knew Pease would be back for them, of course."It's humorous," said Lt.Col. Raymund O'Mara, 528th Bomb Squadron commander. "We enjoy seeing how long it takes for each base to get the bells back and what strategy they use to keep them there. The rock Pease had the bells soldered to had a plaque on it which read, 'Presented to the 509th Bomb Wing from the 380th Bomb Wing'. Why would the 380th BW present a rock to the 509th BW ?" added Colonel O'Mara.On February 16, the two bell snatchers, Captain Plantikow and Harman from the 528th BMS were ceremoniously awarded the Distinguished Bell Snatch Award. The Plattsburgh bomb squadrons celebrated "the return of the bells" at the Officer's Club on March 7. The celebration also honored the masterful strategies of Col. Joe Williams, assistant deputy commander for operations, and the heroic bell borrowers for a "job well done".

Heart gift on Valentine's day.

By Ed Jackson.

On February 14, 1986, an FB-111A from the 509th BW at Pease AFB, NH. flew a life-saving human heart from Oklahoma to Connecticut for a heart transplant. Capt. David Lefforge, pilot and Capt. Steven Bruger, navigator, both assigned to the 393rd BS, delivered the life-saving Valentine present to a heart patient at Hartford Hospital.It all started in the evening of February 14. Two FB-111s and a KC-135A from the 509th BW departed Pease shortly after dark on a normal training mission, with night refueling scheduled over Virginia and Tennessee. The tanker had a night celestial navigation leg with a return to Pease for night approaches and touch and go landings. The FBs were scheduled for a night air refueling then low level IR training and bomb run at TFR altitudes over West Virginia, Virginia and into Tennessee. This was going to be a typical simulated SIOP/EWO training mission. But that is not what happened! Shortly after all airplanes completed flying the SID, Command Post called with a mission change. There was a man who needed a heart transplant in Windsor Locks, CT. and a heart that matched him was found in Oklahoma, OK. The USAF was called on after it was realized it would be impossible for a private jet to transport the life-saving heart from Oklahoma to Connecticut fast enough and prevent damage to the organ. A human heart must be no longer than four hours from the donor to implantation for it to be successful.We were then told to refuel the FB-111s enroute to Tinker AFB, OK and top them off, then the FBs were to fly at high speed to get the heart from Oklahoma to Connecticut. All three airplanes coordinated the best place to refuel for them to continue on to Tinker AFB, and how much fuel would be needed for the mission to be successful. The tanker crew planned to give the FB-111s all the fuel they wanted and if needed, would drop into the Tennessee ANG base in Knoxville, TN for fuel (the Tennessee ANG had KC-135Es at Knoxville at the time). Lt Col Brent Chapman, KC-135 pilot, called Boston ARTCC and told them of our mission change and that we were looking at a good place for two random air refuelings (one enroute to OK and the second one enroute to CT) to keep the FB-111s on a straight course to Tinker AFB and then direct to Windsor Locks, CT. We ended up refueling the FBs over Pennsylvania while continuing on a SW course, using an RZIP rendezvous. Once both FB-111s were full, they lit the burners and accelerated to .99 Mach and later landed at Tinker AFB where one crew received the human heart in an igloo-shaped container. The navigator held the cooler on his lap because the cockpit was the only area of the plane where the correct pressure could be maintained.The two FBs were on the ground for about 5 minutes with their engines running. The clock began ticking as soon as as the heart was removed from the donor, there was only a 4 hour window between the time it was removed and the time it had to be in the receiving patient's body and beating! The FB-111s took just over two hours to fly from OK back to CT. The FBs took off from Tinker AFB with a clearance directly back to us, we were now over Kentucky, and Capt. Leone Atsalis set up a perfect point parallel rendezvous and I began topping off the FB carrying the heart first, then the second one, and they were off to Windsor Locks at .99 Mach. We, in the tanker still had more than enough fuel to return to Pease, so we did not need to divert into Knoxville. We called to let them know we did not need them and thanked the Tennessee ANG for standing by for us. The FB-111s landed in Windsor Locks right at the 2 hour point for the human heart and the man received it with some time to spare, thanks to the speed and range of the FB-111A, with a little help from the KC-135A. The 46-year old man who received the heart lived for a good number of years after this mission.

(Editor's notes: MSgt Edward Jackson was the Instructor Boom Operator during this mission. Other crew member of the KC-135A were Lt Col. Brent Chapman (pilot), Capt. Leone Atsalis (co-pilot), 2Lt Steven Tucker (nav), and Amn Daniel Wells (boomer). KC-135A s/n was 62-3509 "Spirit of the Seacoast ". Second FB-111A was crewed by Lt Col Peter Greenwalt (pilot) and Capt. Charles Sherlin (nav). The FB-111s and KC-135 crew all received the Air Force Achievment Medal for their accomplishment during this life-saving mission.)

FB-111.net

The website dedicated to the FB-111A

FBs in museums and 'Gate Guards'

A Hostage to Fortune

Missing in action, not in hearts

Memorial

"War of Bells"

Heart gift on Valentine's day.

FB-111.net

The website dedicated to the FB-111A

FBs in museums and 'Gate Guards'

FB-111A on display

67-0159

68-0239

68-0245

68-0245

68-0248

68-0267

68-0267

68-0275

68-0275

68-0284

68-0286

68-0287

68-0287

69-6507

69-6509

A Hostage to Fortune

Missing in action, not in hearts

Memorial

"War of Bells"

Heart gift on Valentine's day.