Today, the bomber is located near the north gate of the United States Air Force Academy, near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(http://www.check-six.com/lib/Drinks/toast_2_the_Diamond_Lil.htm)
Today, the bomber is located near the north gate of the United States Air Force Academy, near Colorado Springs, Colorado.
(http://www.check-six.com/lib/Drinks/toast_2_the_Diamond_Lil.htm)
Bagged him a Russki pilot, eh?
ping
Another reason to read the pages of Free Republic! Great articles to show those young aspiring aerospace warriors amongst us!
I knew a former Tail-gunner Vietnam veteran, and he told me that he felt that the position was outmoded and should have been abolished. Maybe if he had been more optimistic, he could have had results like mentioned here in this article.
There is one other B-52 that downed a MiG. B-52D 56-0676, located on static display at Fairchild AFB, Spokane, Washington. It participated in the Operation Linebacker II and is credited as a MiG Killer on 18 December 1972 when Tail gunner SSgt Samuel O. Turner downed a MiG-21.
Like “Diamond Lil”, it’s painted black. It also has a red star near the tail, signifying the kill. However, it is not sitting on posts, but is on the ground on it’s wheels.
As one that was stationed at RTNAF U-Tapao, 635th Combat Support Group, during that timeframe, yes indeed, the story was known from fence to fence.
The B-52D’s only armament was a turret in the tail, complete with windows, consisting of FOUR Browning .50 caliber machine guns!
The Twelve Day Air War, also known as Operation Linebacker II, kept me very busy. In a previous post, I mentioned the helicopter dropping crushed popcorn packing to simulate snow, on the roof of the USO.