Those planes are all bombers, the B29 was used during WWII and the B36 come on line after WWII. B52s produced in the early ‘50s and were used in Vietnam. Had to look some of that up. Those were some huge planes.
There was a good bit of nuclear testing done in the South Pacific in the ‘50s. He could have been involved in some of that. Probably also testing elsewhere.
I was really young back then but our brother told me recently that when they would come back to base the plane would be so hot that it took days to get rid of the radiation and that was just to a safer level. He said they would wash and wash the planes. Of course I knew as a kid that he flew on bombers but I had no idea the danger involved until much, much later. I really, really admire him and all the other airmen involved. They did their jobs without dishonoring this country afterwards. Oh, he was a Korean War veteran.