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1/10/2007
Got a good story about the KC-97s going to the Azores. Seems
that one of them lost an engine after passing the point
of no return, and then had another get a bad case of the
flu so they went into Lages with one out and one sicky,
a good addition to the history. I am real pleased with the
way this project is going. I am hopeful that when we are
finished it will not only be a fitting tribute to the 307th
but will also convey the true happenings and how things
were back then. I really get upset at "revisionist
historians" who try and paint a different picture than
the way it really was. In my other projects I have tried
to be accurate and not pull punches.
12/11/06
I got a very nice surprise the other day. I got a letter
from Mary (Bowling) Ashton. She sent me a nice letter and
a copy of the dedication ceremony program. It outlined the
whole smear, and who was attending along with the time line
for the ceremony. A GREAT BIG help. It was like fate out
of the blue because I was just getting to that area in my
longhand draft and was wondering how I was going to write
it. We are running into a problem with the history however.
July, August and September are missing from the microfilm,
so I had to fill in with some generic things that happened
in SAC and around the world. The problem that is arising
is that we need more personal anecdotes from the flight
crews. I know that most of the flying was the routine stuff,
but we are going to need some of that. I am going to begin
another email campaign after the holidays to try and drum
up some flying stories.
10/7/06
Yesterday was a red letter day in our research. Thanks to
Dave Avery of Kansas we now have the date of the Navy jet
going into the hanger at Lincoln. A week or so ago he emailed
me and said he was going to Lincoln, would he like to have
me stop by the Historical Society and have a look see. I
said sure have at it. Well time passed and no word from
Dave. Then yesterday I get this email headed "scan-1,
scan-2". Well my download is not the fastest in the
world. It took a few moments to see that the Newspaper headlines
dealt with the accident. After a few minutes there it was
everything we needed except the date. A quick follow up
email to Dave and his reply with the date of December
18, 1955. I immediately emailed him THANKS and
the fact that I was recommending him for the DRC (Distinguished
Research Cross).
8/15/06
I got an interesting package of goodies from Dick Grammes
yesterday. He gave me details of when he "pranged"
a KC-97 in July 1958. Most interesting as usual the microfilm
for that month is missing. Seems that in months where there
was a accident or major incident the microfilm for that
month is missing. Perhaps they were deleted for security
reasons at Maxwell. I don't understand why but an interesting
pattern has developed along those lines. Grammes
also opens a can of worms. He mentioned an incident that
I have heard about before. This time a crew is mentioned.
Seems that the crew returned from a night
mission and were parking at the refueling pits. Either a
crewman or crew chief accidently walked into one of the
props. Others that have mentioned the incident thought it
happened in Nov 1956.
8/10/06
Don
Hickman sent me some 8mm movie film that he acquired after
the crash on Feb 3, 1963. Seems there was a pilot from Dyess
AFB there and he was out on the runway area taking movies
of departing B-47s. He got the crash on film. Shows the
whole thing including Dick West punching out and the B-47
disappearing into a cloud of snow. Some incredible footage.
I have had it transferred to DVD and will
send him a copy of the DVD. I am of the opinion
that the footage should be in the 307th Achives
7/28/06
Here's the poop that I have on the N V Meeks Trophy. After
the accident Mrs Meeks was presented the DFC by Gen John
D Ryan on March 13, 1963. The 307th BW established the N.V.
Meeks Memorial Trophy in his honor. It would
be presented to the crew that completed 50-8 requirements
in the timeliest fashion. The award would been given every
six months to that outstanding crew. The name of the crew
and Squadron Co would be engraved on the Trophy
The first crew to win the award was S-97: Maj. Alfred Hunt
(AC), Capt. Roger Beamer (CP) and Capt. Richmond Boykin
(Nav). They were presented the Trophy on Aug 15, 1963 at
a formal Dining Inn. The only other awarding
of the trophy that I have any info on was on August 15,
1964 when it was awarded to Maj Glen Hesler's crew.
It is mentioned in the Feb 5 1965 issue of the JET
SCOOP that Col. A.W. Holderness presented the Trophy to
Mrs. Meeks for her keeping as a result of the impending
307th deactivation. That is all I have
on the trophy.
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