Only once did they put me on a nuclear loading team, but more than once I saw how they brought those B-61’s up those elevators to practice loading with.
Back in the Seventies, they still had armed Marines around the perimeter of the plane that was taking part in the loading exercise, and I saw a guy get clocked once as he ran through the perimeter.
Don’t know if they even do that now. I always assumed it was a dummy that we tested with, but...nobody ever said it was or wasn’t.
The thing that left an impression on me was it’s nearly retro-art deco look. It was glossy aluminum, with that shape and those tail fins. It looked like a Buck Rogers version of what a nuclear weapon would look like.
Anyway, thanks for serving as you did.
“Back in the Seventies, they still had armed Marines around the perimeter of the plane that was taking part in the loading exercise, and I saw a guy get clocked once as he ran through the perimeter.”
One of the first things I was told by a shop mate was to clear the way quickly when the marines drilled!