2-24-2011 – The Roadrunners received devastating news this morning that Suzi Amundson Rogers, age 53, suffered a fatal aneurism. Suzi was the daughter of Col. Maynard “AM” Amundson, founder of Roadrunners Internationale and Deputy Commander of the 1129th Special Activities Squadron at Groom Lake during CIA Project OXCART and Kadena during the operational phase codenamed Operation BLACKSHIELD. The demise of Suzi hits the Roadrunner family especially hard as she and her husband, Lt. Col. Jack Rogers, also worked at Groom Lake and remained close to Roadrunners Slip Slater – 1129th commander, Roger Anderson with the 1129th, and RI President TD Barnes whose daughter worked with Suzi. Barnes reports recently contacting Suzi, residing in San Antonio, Texas, concerning the Roadrunner reunion this October where honoring her father and 1129th commanders BGen Robert Holbury and Col. Hugh Slater is the theme. Suzi is survived by 2 sons, 4 brothers, and a sister. Services will most likely be conducted at the Boulder City, Nevada Veterans Cemetery at a date to be announced on the Roadrunner website along with other details as they become available.
2-24-2011 – Final Flight of Hervey Stockman, First American Pilot to Fly a Spy Plane over Leningrad
Hervey Stockman (Col. USAF, retired), 88, a long-time resident of Four Hills in Albuquerque, passed away at The Montebello nursing facility on February 22, 2011. He was preceded in death in May 2008 by his wife of 64 years, Sally. Hervey Stockman, born in Englewood, NJ., leaves behind a legacy of being the first man to pilot a dedicated spy plane over Leningrad. On 4 July 1956, Harvey Stockman flew operational U-2 mission in Art #347 (#6680). Taking the Lockheed U-2 into Communist territory in the middle of the Cold War, Stockman was able to collect data on the USSR while evading MiGs trying to intercept him. Stockman also happened to be the uncle of Giz reader Willy Pell, who has graciously shared some personal anecdotes told to him by Stockman.
Hervey was one of the six pilots who successfully completed conversion onto the U-2 at The Ranch (aka Watertown Strip, later aka Groom Lake) between January and April 1956. They deployed to the UK as part of the CIA’s Detachment A in early May 1956, but moved on to Germany for political reasons six weeks later. On 20 June, Carl Overstreet took off from Wiesbaden on the first operational mission, which flew over East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The flight went well, and served as a test for the new film and ELINT processing and exploitation arrangements that had been set up. On 2 July, pilots Jake Kratt and Glen Dunaway flew two more missions over Eastern Europe, covering a lot more territory.
But the CIA was obliged to return to the White House for permission to fly over the Soviet Union itself. This was because US Air Force chief of staff Gen Nathan Twining was in Moscow as a guest of the USSR in late June. He was invited to view the annual Soviet flypast over Tushino airport, and saw a formation of three Bison long-range bombers. This was the very type that was causing concern to US strategists, who feared that the Soviets had opened up a ‘bomber gap.’
On 3 July there was a top-level discussion in the White House, resulting in Presidentail approval to start flying over the Soviet Union itself. Hervey was the next pilot ‘in the barrel’ for an operational mission, and so he was the one who headed up the Baltic Coast of East Germany and Poland and into the western USSR on the very next day – yes, US Independence Day. The rest, as they say, is history.
According to the CIA, Stockman began his career flying combat missions as an Air Force pilot in World War II. He left Princeton University to be a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He flew P-51 Mustangs out of England, including interdiction and air-superiority over Normandy on D-Day. After the war he went to school for industrial design and became an automotive designer for GM, attending Pratt Institute to become a designer in the Cadillac division of General Motors. But after the Cold War ramped up in the 50s, Hervey returned to active duty in the USAF, sampling the radiation debris from nuclear tests in the Pacific.
When he returned to active duty, Lockheed was finishing up work on the first purpose-built spy plane, the U-2, an aircraft capable of flying at at altitude of up to 70,000 feet while maintaining subsonic speeds. It can embark on missions lasting over eight hours. However, because of its light weight and glider-esque design, the U-2 is extremely difficult to pilot.
Because of his experience flying fighter planes (more than 65 missions), the Air Force considered Stockman a suitable candidate to carry out the first U-2 mission in Soviet territory. When Stockman embarked from West Germany on July 4, 1956, he took the U-2 over the Belarus border, passing through Poland and East Germany in the process. Once in Belarus, Stockman piloted the plane over bomber bases and naval shipyards in Minsk and Leningrad before turning the plane around and heading back to safe skies. In the process, the Soviets were able to track Stockman, but the MiG fighters were not able to locate and intercept the U-2.
Here’s what Pell had to say about Stockman’s flight:
The first U2 flight took place on the 4th or July which was also his birthday. He bore no U.S. markings or identification, and was ordered to eat a cyanide pill if he had to eject. The Russians had him on radar the whole length of the Soviet Union but the U-2 was too high to hit. When he landed, his fuel tank was crushed from wind (the U-2 was basically made of tinfoil), and it leaked gas all over the runway. The runway crew tried to drag him out of the plane before it caught fire and he would not move until he filled out his flight log. “I just flew the length of the Soviet Union,” he said, “I’m not concerned about a leaky gas tank.”
Between 1956 and 1958, he served in the first cadre of U-2 pilots in Europe and was the first American to fly over Russia on July 4, 1956. Ten years later, in Vietnam, Hervey flew F-4 Phantoms out of Da Nang, primarily in support of tactical air strikes. On June 11, 1967, he and Ron Webb, his back-seater, were captured by the North Vietnamese after their aircraft collided with another American plane over Hanoi. He was held in solitary confinement for 18 months and made friends with John McCain:
He was tortured every day by a guy they named, “Big Ug.” Since he was the commanding officer, he was tortured the most. For 18 months he lived in solitary confinement and as he says, “lost his humanity.” Eventually he was put back in a normal cell and some young private nursed him back to life. To remember how to read and write they made books out of t-shirts and underwear. To entertain the men he had contests to see which pilot had the highest ejection, the lowest ejection, the fastest ejection and the slowest ejection. They communicated these stats through morse code on the plumbing.
After 5 years as a POW, Hervey returned to his beloved Sally in April 1973. When he got back to the states he held no grudge against the Vietnamese. He said something like, “It was a war, what do you expect?” I think the only person he despised was Jane Fonda.
After he was released from the prison camp, he finished out his military career working for NATO and the Air Force. Following his last tour of duty in AFTEC at Kirkland AFB, he retired in 1978 with the rank of colonel to enjoy family, friends, and golf. His skill and courage have been recognized through numerous awards and commendations, including the Silver Star (twice), the Legion of Merit (twice), and the Distinguished Flying Cross (twice).Meanwhile, the Lockheed U-2 was used in CIA missions until the mid-70s and is still in use by the Air Force today.
He is survived by two brothers, Henry (Locust Valley, NY) and John (Morristown, NJ); and his sister, Pamela Proctor (Rowayton, CT). His son, Hervey, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Dyson, live in Delray Beach, FL and Baltimore, MD. He has three grandchildren, Allison, Robert, and Charles.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated for Hervey on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 3:00 pm at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church 811 Guymas Pl. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108. Private burial, with military honors, will take place at Santa Fe National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Hervey’s name to El Rancho de las Golondrinas (www.golondrinas.org) or the charity of your choice.
Please visit our online guestbook for Hervey at RememberTheirStory.com FRENCH 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE (505) 275-3500
Sarah Arkell Stockman (Sally), a longtime resident of Four Hills, Albuquerque, died in the early afternoon of May 7, 2008, from lung cancer. Her husband, Hervey, was at her bedside. Her last days were under the gentle care of the staff at Lovelace Hospital and the love of her extended family. All who knew her adored her. Sally was born on January 16, 1923 in Canajoharie, NY. She went to Sarah Lawrence and continued her education through avid reading. Sally enjoyed sports throughout her life. She had a longtime attachment to the game of golf as a participant and spectator. She had a deep affection for sports commentators on both sides of the pond. Our house was alive with talk of golf, baseball, and, begrudgingly, basketball. Sally had busy hands. She painted landscapes and produced award-winning embroidery in mixed media found in shops along our travels. She looked forward to her weekly bridge games. Sally loved dogs, particularly Keeshounds, a breed that she was given in Philadelphia nearly forty years ago. Philanthropy became a major activity in the last decade of her life. Sally established the Stockman Family Foundation and its support of art conservation. She delighted in the success of the foundation and the letters of thanks from the recipients, including many New Mexico art museums and conservation programs. From a small beginning, the foundation has become one of the larger art conservation supporters in the country. Sally is survived by her husband, Hervey, her son, Hervey Jr. “Peter” (Baltimore) and wife, Dyson; and three grandchildren: Allison (Washington DC), Robert (Baltimore), and Charles (Seattle).
“I arrived @ the Ranch in Feb 62 as maintenance officer and
part of the support fleet consisting of 2 F101B’s modified for Boom Refueling ,
one T33 , one H-43 and one C180 used in the Bay of Pigs. The maintenance techs
had no F-101 experience.
I was the only one w/F-101 experience (Maintenance &
Flying). Colonel Bob Holbury, Doug Nelson & Ray Haupt went to SC for 25 hrs
of F-101 time. They brought Harold Burgeson, their instructor back w/them. I
reviewed ejection procedures before the FCF.
I set up major maintenance support at Ogden for the F101′s,
T-33 and H-43. Warner Robins was used for the C-130. The F-101′s had flown 192
straight sorties when Doug Nelson aborted the day (30-40) Congressman was in to
see a flight. JFK flew into Indian Springs & then to the Area to see the
A-12.
Nellis did not have a rescue copter so we brought ours to
Indian Springs for support. We saw him deplane from Air Force One. Gen Lemay
flew in on a C-135 to see an Article during a short stop on his way to Alaska
for Fishing. I boomed the Base the 1st time they were working w/Ski. Scared the
fuel folks – ask Harry.
One day the fellow who ran the Snack Bar broke down on the back
road from Alamo. I was flying a T-33 & it took 2 passes to get him out from
under the hood to wave. I called Security & monitored him until they
arrived. That was good for a 6 Pak.
A B-58 from Carswell flew thru the Area when I was on a 101
flight. The Tower, the A/C, & I intercepted, identified, and got his
attention with a burner pull-up from underneath across his nose. He was met by
Security when he landed in Texas.
Two National Guard F-100′s made low pass when the Article was
out. The Tower identified, coordinated tracking, and had them met when they
landed at Luke. Col Holbury & Charlie Whire landed about 30 minutes behind
the 100′s. After being locked up on landing and then debriefed by a Full
Colonel & a Spook, they almost forgot their names.
Early on we were scheduled for a Saturday AM flight. We were
told to stay inside until a Russian Sputnik, scheduled to launch at 0730 hours,
was established in orbit so we could have a window. At 0700 we were cleared to
go outside because the Sputnik aborted. Not bad Intel!!
I was first chase on Ken Collins flight when he ejected from
Article 123. We flew a lot of flights w/an empty back seat. I always had an
open Invitation 4 Pax. George, our Fire Chief, kept saying he wanted to fly.
One day I was going on a chase mission and had one engine
started when he dove up, jumped out of his truck w/a parachute and helmet, and
said he wanted to go. The Ground Crew got him strapped in & then I had to
hurry 4 TO. As we taxied out, I asked if he was checked out on the Seat. He
answered, ” We weren’t planning on using it, were we”. I briefed him on the
Pins & seat operation on the way to TO. He enjoyed a 21/2 hr Chase,
Refueling Mission.
- On the Lighter side , I believe Tues was the REECO day for
watering down the Dust.. We were in the middle of a Rain Storm when our ADF
went off the Air. The Driver of the Water Truck hit the station because he
could not see in the Rain.
- Early on, we had a movie for entertainment. Capt Courages w/
Freddy Bartholomew contributed to the Build-up of House 6.
-Some Poles, on top of Baldy, were set up by our H43. The H43
would hold the Pole upright while the people on the ground dropped the Bolts in
place –@ 10,000ft.
- The day JFK was assassinated, I was on the Lake digging out a
sunken 101. (No comment on cause of Burial) I do not remember who came out to
tell us of the assassination. We were told to go home & we would be called
“if” we were going to continue the Program. Lyndon B was not briefed on the
Program & had to approve the continuation.
- A lot of interesting Chase Flights;
!st Flt of Lou
1st Flt of Bill Parks
Flt w/1xJ58 & then w/2x J58′s
Due to lack of Instruments, early on weather set in & it
was necessary to Escort Lou in from Alamo & drops him off for landing. I
went around, landed, & flamed out on the Roll out. That is when Lou said
you Chase Guys have the Dangerous Jobs.
Another item I forgot was the T-33 Tanker Flight to
Wright-Patterson. Back Seat removed, (#) 5 gal cans of SK-1 strapped in, &
a Flight where I was not allowed to leave the Aircraft until I delivered the
Fuel to WP. That is not a non-stopper.
- Ops came up w/a 101 Profile @ 50,000 ft. Another Let Don try
it .To keep from going Supersonic or Stalling was about a 5kt difference. I
kept lowering the Altitude. It was comfortable @ 41,000ft so even SAC Pilots
could handle it.
- At lunch 1 day, Cols Holbury & Nelson told me about a
Movie they saw on a X/C to DC. I said that confirms what Bomber Pilots do X/C.
I had to leave the Mess Hall to keep from discussing my comment.
- Col Holbury liked to fly Formation. I would always fly his
Wing. 1 day he said he would like to fly my Wing .I told him I could not do it.
In answer to Y, I told him my mother told me to fly low, slow, keep the nose hi
in the turns & don’t let Cols get behind you. Our last Formation Flt.
- When Underground Test “SUDAN” vented, we were required to
Evacuate & commute thru Alamo for a couple of weeks. When we were permitted
to go thru the Test Site, w were checked before entering, require to drive
closed up no air or open Windows. When we got to the other side, we were again
checked, washed down, & checked again before continuing w/air.
When we 1st arrived, our Wives had only a DC no. to call to get
in touch . Shortly, they were briefed on location & given Ph Nos.
- It was hard for my Wife who had four sons 4 Company because
she never knew where I was located. Nellis has an accident, 123, & I do not
get home for 4+ wks. Every time Nellis had an Accident, She wandered until I
checked in.
QUOTE
The death of Hervey Stockman and correspondence in the last newsletter regarding the Greek pilots who might have trained on the U-2 in 1956 prompts me to offer a few comments.
Hervey was one of the six pilots who successfully completed conversion onto the U-2 at The Ranch (aka Watertown Strip, later aka Groom Lake) between January and April 1956. They deployed to the UK as part of the CIA’s Detachment A in early May 1956, but moved on to Germany for political reasons six weeks later. On 20 June, Carl Overstreet took off from Wiesbaden on the first operational mission, which flew over East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The flight went well, and served as a test for the new film and ELINT processing and exploitation arrangements that had been set up. On 2 July, pilots Jake Kratt and Glen Dunaway flew two more missions over Eastern Europe, covering a lot more territory.
But the CIA was obliged to return to the White House for permission to fly over the Soviet Union itself. This was because US Air Force chief of staff Gen Nathan Twining was in Moscow as a guest of the USSR in late June. He was invited to view the annual Soviet flypast over Tushino airport, and saw a formation of three Bison long-range bombers. This was the very type that was causing concern to US strategists, who feared that the Soviets had opened up a ‘bomber gap.’
On 3 July there was a top-level discussion in the White House, resulting in Presidentail approval to start flying over the Soviet Union itself. Hervey was the next pilot ‘in the barrel’ for an operational mission, and so he was the one who headed up the Baltic Coast of East Germany and Poland and into the western USSR on the very next day – yes, US Independence Day. The rest, as they say, is history.
Regarding the Greek pilots. The CIA had already been using ‘mercenaries’ from Greece and Poland to fly covert missions over Eastern Europe in C-47s, dropping agents who might gather intelligence or stir rebellion in the Soviet-controlled territories. Headquarters evidently thought it would be a good idea to also have ‘deniable’ pilots available for U-2 missions. But as previously related in these pages by Bob Murphy and Lou Setter, their language and flying skills were judged inadequate by the instructor group at The Ranch.
I have told the story of the early U-2 overflights in my book, and also mentioned the Greek pilots. Since writing 50 YEARS OF THE U-2, I have learned that the Greek pilots were recruited as early as June 1955. Eight of them completed the USAF’s T-33 jet conversion course in late December 1955, but only four of them moved on to The Ranch.
UNQUOTE
2-24-2011 – Final Flight of Hervey Stockman, First American Pilot to Fly a Spy Plane over Leningrad
Hervey Stockman (Col. USAF, retired), 88, a long-time resident of Four Hills in Albuquerque, passed away at The Montebello nursing facility on February 22, 2011. He was preceded in death in May 2008 by his wife of 64 years, Sally. Hervey Stockman, born in Englewood, NJ., leaves behind a legacy of being the first man to pilot a dedicated spy plane over Leningrad. On 4 July 1956, Harvey Stockman flew operational U-2 mission in Art #347 (#6680). Taking the Lockheed U-2 into Communist territory in the middle of the Cold War, Stockman was able to collect data on the USSR while evading MiGs trying to intercept him. Stockman also happened to be the uncle of Giz reader Willy Pell, who has graciously shared some personal anecdotes told to him by Stockman.
Hervey was one of the six pilots who successfully completed conversion onto the U-2 at The Ranch (aka Watertown Strip, later aka Groom Lake) between January and April 1956. They deployed to the UK as part of the CIA’s Detachment A in early May 1956, but moved on to Germany for political reasons six weeks later. On 20 June, Carl Overstreet took off from Wiesbaden on the first operational mission, which flew over East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The flight went well, and served as a test for the new film and ELINT processing and exploitation arrangements that had been set up. On 2 July, pilots Jake Kratt and Glen Dunaway flew two more missions over Eastern Europe, covering a lot more territory.
But the CIA was obliged to return to the White House for permission to fly over the Soviet Union itself. This was because US Air Force chief of staff Gen Nathan Twining was in Moscow as a guest of the USSR in late June. He was invited to view the annual Soviet flypast over Tushino airport, and saw a formation of three Bison long-range bombers. This was the very type that was causing concern to US strategists, who feared that the Soviets had opened up a ‘bomber gap.’
On 3 July there was a top-level discussion in the White House, resulting in Presidentail approval to start flying over the Soviet Union itself. Hervey was the next pilot ‘in the barrel’ for an operational mission, and so he was the one who headed up the Baltic Coast of East Germany and Poland and into the western USSR on the very next day – yes, US Independence Day. The rest, as they say, is history.
According to the CIA, Stockman began his career flying combat missions as an Air Force pilot in World War II. He left Princeton University to be a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He flew P-51 Mustangs out of England, including interdiction and air-superiority over Normandy on D-Day. After the war he went to school for industrial design and became an automotive designer for GM, attending Pratt Institute to become a designer in the Cadillac division of General Motors. But after the Cold War ramped up in the 50s, Hervey returned to active duty in the USAF, sampling the radiation debris from nuclear tests in the Pacific.
When he returned to active duty, Lockheed was finishing up work on the first purpose-built spy plane, the U-2, an aircraft capable of flying at at altitude of up to 70,000 feet while maintaining subsonic speeds. It can embark on missions lasting over eight hours. However, because of its light weight and glider-esque design, the U-2 is extremely difficult to pilot.
Because of his experience flying fighter planes (more than 65 missions), the Air Force considered Stockman a suitable candidate to carry out the first U-2 mission in Soviet territory. When Stockman embarked from West Germany on July 4, 1956, he took the U-2 over the Belarus border, passing through Poland and East Germany in the process. Once in Belarus, Stockman piloted the plane over bomber bases and naval shipyards in Minsk and Leningrad before turning the plane around and heading back to safe skies. In the process, the Soviets were able to track Stockman, but the MiG fighters were not able to locate and intercept the U-2.
Here’s what Pell had to say about Stockman’s flight:
The first U2 flight took place on the 4th or July which was also his birthday. He bore no U.S. markings or identification, and was ordered to eat a cyanide pill if he had to eject. The Russians had him on radar the whole length of the Soviet Union but the U-2 was too high to hit. When he landed, his fuel tank was crushed from wind (the U-2 was basically made of tinfoil), and it leaked gas all over the runway. The runway crew tried to drag him out of the plane before it caught fire and he would not move until he filled out his flight log. “I just flew the length of the Soviet Union,” he said, “I’m not concerned about a leaky gas tank.”
Between 1956 and 1958, he served in the first cadre of U-2 pilots in Europe and was the first American to fly over Russia on July 4, 1956. Ten years later, in Vietnam, Hervey flew F-4 Phantoms out of Da Nang, primarily in support of tactical air strikes. On June 11, 1967, he and Ron Webb, his back-seater, were captured by the North Vietnamese after their aircraft collided with another American plane over Hanoi. He was held in solitary confinement for 18 months and made friends with John McCain:
He was tortured every day by a guy they named, “Big Ug.” Since he was the commanding officer, he was tortured the most. For 18 months he lived in solitary confinement and as he says, “lost his humanity.” Eventually he was put back in a normal cell and some young private nursed him back to life. To remember how to read and write they made books out of t-shirts and underwear. To entertain the men he had contests to see which pilot had the highest ejection, the lowest ejection, the fastest ejection and the slowest ejection. They communicated these stats through morse code on the plumbing.
After 5 years as a POW, Hervey returned to his beloved Sally in April 1973. When he got back to the states he held no grudge against the Vietnamese. He said something like, “It was a war, what do you expect?” I think the only person he despised was Jane Fonda.
After he was released from the prison camp, he finished out his military career working for NATO and the Air Force. Following his last tour of duty in AFTEC at Kirkland AFB, he retired in 1978 with the rank of colonel to enjoy family, friends, and golf. His skill and courage have been recognized through numerous awards and commendations, including the Silver Star (twice), the Legion of Merit (twice), and the Distinguished Flying Cross (twice).Meanwhile, the Lockheed U-2 was used in CIA missions until the mid-70s and is still in use by the Air Force today.
He is survived by two brothers, Henry (Locust Valley, NY) and John (Morristown, NJ); and his sister, Pamela Proctor (Rowayton, CT). His son, Hervey, Jr. and daughter-in-law, Dyson, live in Delray Beach, FL and Baltimore, MD. He has three grandchildren, Allison, Robert, and Charles.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated for Hervey on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 3:00 pm at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church 811 Guymas Pl. NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108. Private burial, with military honors, will take place at Santa Fe National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Hervey’s name to El Rancho de las Golondrinas (www.golondrinas.org) or the charity of your choice.
Please visit our online guestbook for Hervey at RememberTheirStory.com FRENCH 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE (505) 275-3500
Last month Hervey’s memories of Groom Lake were posted at:http://area51specialprojects.com/area51sp_blog/?p=195#
Rest in peace, Hervey Stockman.
SALLY STOCKMAN
Sarah Arkell Stockman (Sally), a longtime resident of Four Hills, Albuquerque, died in the early afternoon of May 7, 2008, from lung cancer. Her husband, Hervey, was at her bedside. Her last days were under the gentle care of the staff at Lovelace Hospital and the love of her extended family. All who knew her adored her. Sally was born on January 16, 1923 in Canajoharie, NY. She went to Sarah Lawrence and continued her education through avid reading. Sally enjoyed sports throughout her life. She had a longtime attachment to the game of golf as a participant and spectator. She had a deep affection for sports commentators on both sides of the pond. Our house was alive with talk of golf, baseball, and, begrudgingly, basketball. Sally had busy hands. She painted landscapes and produced award-winning embroidery in mixed media found in shops along our travels. She looked forward to her weekly bridge games. Sally loved dogs, particularly Keeshounds, a breed that she was given in Philadelphia nearly forty years ago. Philanthropy became a major activity in the last decade of her life. Sally established the Stockman Family Foundation and its support of art conservation. She delighted in the success of the foundation and the letters of thanks from the recipients, including many New Mexico art museums and conservation programs. From a small beginning, the foundation has become one of the larger art conservation supporters in the country. Sally is survived by her husband, Hervey, her son, Hervey Jr. “Peter” (Baltimore) and wife, Dyson; and three grandchildren: Allison (Washington DC), Robert (Baltimore), and Charles (Seattle).
THE F-101s OF GROOM LAKE BY DON DONOHUE
Chief Tac Ops & Tng – 475 TFW
“I arrived @ the Ranch in Feb 62 as maintenance officer and
part of the support fleet consisting of 2 F101B’s modified for Boom Refueling ,
one T33 , one H-43 and one C180 used in the Bay of Pigs. The maintenance techs
had no F-101 experience.
I was the only one w/F-101 experience (Maintenance &
Flying). Colonel Bob Holbury, Doug Nelson & Ray Haupt went to SC for 25 hrs
of F-101 time. They brought Harold Burgeson, their instructor back w/them. I
reviewed ejection procedures before the FCF.
I set up major maintenance support at Ogden for the F101′s,
T-33 and H-43. Warner Robins was used for the C-130. The F-101′s had flown 192
straight sorties when Doug Nelson aborted the day (30-40) Congressman was in to
see a flight. JFK flew into Indian Springs & then to the Area to see the
A-12.
Nellis did not have a rescue copter so we brought ours to
Indian Springs for support. We saw him deplane from Air Force One. Gen Lemay
flew in on a C-135 to see an Article during a short stop on his way to Alaska
for Fishing. I boomed the Base the 1st time they were working w/Ski. Scared the
fuel folks – ask Harry.
One day the fellow who ran the Snack Bar broke down on the back
road from Alamo. I was flying a T-33 & it took 2 passes to get him out from
under the hood to wave. I called Security & monitored him until they
arrived. That was good for a 6 Pak.
A B-58 from Carswell flew thru the Area when I was on a 101
flight. The Tower, the A/C, & I intercepted, identified, and got his
attention with a burner pull-up from underneath across his nose. He was met by
Security when he landed in Texas.
Two National Guard F-100′s made low pass when the Article was
out. The Tower identified, coordinated tracking, and had them met when they
landed at Luke. Col Holbury & Charlie Whire landed about 30 minutes behind
the 100′s. After being locked up on landing and then debriefed by a Full
Colonel & a Spook, they almost forgot their names.
Early on we were scheduled for a Saturday AM flight. We were
told to stay inside until a Russian Sputnik, scheduled to launch at 0730 hours,
was established in orbit so we could have a window. At 0700 we were cleared to
go outside because the Sputnik aborted. Not bad Intel!!
I was first chase on Ken Collins flight when he ejected from
Article 123. We flew a lot of flights w/an empty back seat. I always had an
open Invitation 4 Pax. George, our Fire Chief, kept saying he wanted to fly.
One day I was going on a chase mission and had one engine
started when he dove up, jumped out of his truck w/a parachute and helmet, and
said he wanted to go. The Ground Crew got him strapped in & then I had to
hurry 4 TO. As we taxied out, I asked if he was checked out on the Seat. He
answered, ” We weren’t planning on using it, were we”. I briefed him on the
Pins & seat operation on the way to TO. He enjoyed a 21/2 hr Chase,
Refueling Mission.
- On the Lighter side , I believe Tues was the REECO day for
watering down the Dust.. We were in the middle of a Rain Storm when our ADF
went off the Air. The Driver of the Water Truck hit the station because he
could not see in the Rain.
- Early on, we had a movie for entertainment. Capt Courages w/
Freddy Bartholomew contributed to the Build-up of House 6.
-Some Poles, on top of Baldy, were set up by our H43. The H43
would hold the Pole upright while the people on the ground dropped the Bolts in
place –@ 10,000ft.
- The day JFK was assassinated, I was on the Lake digging out a
sunken 101. (No comment on cause of Burial) I do not remember who came out to
tell us of the assassination. We were told to go home & we would be called
“if” we were going to continue the Program. Lyndon B was not briefed on the
Program & had to approve the continuation.
- A lot of interesting Chase Flights;
!st Flt of Lou
1st Flt of Bill Parks
Flt w/1xJ58 & then w/2x J58′s
Due to lack of Instruments, early on weather set in & it
was necessary to Escort Lou in from Alamo & drops him off for landing. I
went around, landed, & flamed out on the Roll out. That is when Lou said
you Chase Guys have the Dangerous Jobs.
Another item I forgot was the T-33 Tanker Flight to
Wright-Patterson. Back Seat removed, (#) 5 gal cans of SK-1 strapped in, &
a Flight where I was not allowed to leave the Aircraft until I delivered the
Fuel to WP. That is not a non-stopper.
- Ops came up w/a 101 Profile @ 50,000 ft. Another Let Don try
it .To keep from going Supersonic or Stalling was about a 5kt difference. I
kept lowering the Altitude. It was comfortable @ 41,000ft so even SAC Pilots
could handle it.
- At lunch 1 day, Cols Holbury & Nelson told me about a
Movie they saw on a X/C to DC. I said that confirms what Bomber Pilots do X/C.
I had to leave the Mess Hall to keep from discussing my comment.
- Col Holbury liked to fly Formation. I would always fly his
Wing. 1 day he said he would like to fly my Wing .I told him I could not do it.
In answer to Y, I told him my mother told me to fly low, slow, keep the nose hi
in the turns & don’t let Cols get behind you. Our last Formation Flt.
- When Underground Test “SUDAN” vented, we were required to
Evacuate & commute thru Alamo for a couple of weeks. When we were permitted
to go thru the Test Site, w were checked before entering, require to drive
closed up no air or open Windows. When we got to the other side, we were again
checked, washed down, & checked again before continuing w/air.
When we 1st arrived, our Wives had only a DC no. to call to get
in touch . Shortly, they were briefed on location & given Ph Nos.
- It was hard for my Wife who had four sons 4 Company because
she never knew where I was located. Nellis has an accident, 123, & I do not
get home for 4+ wks. Every time Nellis had an Accident, She wandered until I
checked in.
QUOTE
The death of Hervey Stockman and correspondence in the last newsletter regarding the Greek pilots who might have trained on the U-2 in 1956 prompts me to offer a few comments.
Hervey was one of the six pilots who successfully completed conversion onto the U-2 at The Ranch (aka Watertown Strip, later aka Groom Lake) between January and April 1956. They deployed to the UK as part of the CIA’s Detachment A in early May 1956, but moved on to Germany for political reasons six weeks later. On 20 June, Carl Overstreet took off from Wiesbaden on the first operational mission, which flew over East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The flight went well, and served as a test for the new film and ELINT processing and exploitation arrangements that had been set up. On 2 July, pilots Jake Kratt and Glen Dunaway flew two more missions over Eastern Europe, covering a lot more territory.
But the CIA was obliged to return to the White House for permission to fly over the Soviet Union itself. This was because US Air Force chief of staff Gen Nathan Twining was in Moscow as a guest of the USSR in late June. He was invited to view the annual Soviet flypast over Tushino airport, and saw a formation of three Bison long-range bombers. This was the very type that was causing concern to US strategists, who feared that the Soviets had opened up a ‘bomber gap.’
On 3 July there was a top-level discussion in the White House, resulting in Presidentail approval to start flying over the Soviet Union itself. Hervey was the next pilot ‘in the barrel’ for an operational mission, and so he was the one who headed up the Baltic Coast of East Germany and Poland and into the western USSR on the very next day – yes, US Independence Day. The rest, as they say, is history.
Regarding the Greek pilots. The CIA had already been using ‘mercenaries’ from Greece and Poland to fly covert missions over Eastern Europe in C-47s, dropping agents who might gather intelligence or stir rebellion in the Soviet-controlled territories. Headquarters evidently thought it would be a good idea to also have ‘deniable’ pilots available for U-2 missions. But as previously related in these pages by Bob Murphy and Lou Setter, their language and flying skills were judged inadequate by the instructor group at The Ranch.
I have told the story of the early U-2 overflights in my book, and also mentioned the Greek pilots. Since writing 50 YEARS OF THE U-2, I have learned that the Greek pilots were recruited as early as June 1955. Eight of them completed the USAF’s T-33 jet conversion course in late December 1955, but only four of them moved on to The Ranch.
UNQUOTE
Chris Pocock
author, 50 YEARS OF THE U-2
http://www.schifferbooks.com