Okay, I know it's not time for the Friday Flyby. But I'm feeling rather shagged out after a long perch. (And no, I feel fine, I don't want to go on the cart. I am not a big baby. Pointless Python references end...)
Couldn't think of anything to post about, then I saw that picture above and figured I'd do a pictorial post. I like those. Hope you do!
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| Ready for action |
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| Bombs Away!! |
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| Standing room only? |
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| Why yes, that is an F-16 in the foreground! |
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| Yup, they'll carry a "fair" size load... |
They've been imitated -
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| The George C. Scott B-52 Impression |
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| Not everyone gets a window seat... |
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| Some do... |
This bird has starred in a movie, with famous "crew dogs" on board.
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| Approach to target |
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| Nuke-lee-ar combat, toe tah toe with the Rooskis... |
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| Darth Vader? No, James Earl Jones |
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| What one might call a "non-standard weapons delivery"... |
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| Fill 'er up! |
This post is dedicated to the men and women of SAC.
Now I'll be humming "When Johnny comes marching home..." all night. Thanks! Great shots.
ReplyDeleteHeh.
DeleteHadn't thought of that. Now it's stuck in my head too.
Damn!
All I know about Buffs was the two guys who volunteered for them were the two most popular guys in my UPT class (after they volunteered).
ReplyDeleteClearing a couple of spots for fighters. I so get that.
DeleteJuvat as in 80th TFS? (I guess that would the 80th FS these days.) I worked Juvat F-4Ds back in the day.
And fortune does favor the bold!
That would be correct. In the 80th in 1980 and a member of the World Renowned Juvat Boys Choir.
DeleteSmall world. I was in the Wolf Pack from September of 1978 to June of 1982. So you're a Phantom type, awesome. I was in Radar Cal nearly the whole time except for a six month stint in QA. I've tweaked many a Juvat Phantom's Weapon Control System.
DeleteNice. As for that SAC emblem... there's also this patch. Which comes from an EIP post in the wayback, which read, in part:
ReplyDeleteI had an e-mail conversation with a gentleman by the name of Ron who dropped in to EIP looking for something rather specific, and something I didn’t have. Further research on Ron’s part turned up a web site (page, actually) about Strategic Air Command humor…which Ron was kind enough to forward to me and which I’ll share with you, Gentle Reader.
Example: "Hearts and Minds."
During the Viet Nam War, President Johnson proclaimed that his administration's goal was to "Win the Hearts and Minds" of the Vietnamese people, especially those sympathetic to communist North Viet Nam. SAC B-52's were then showering the country with bombs, and this resulted in the slogan being expanded to, "When you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow." The airman eventually realized that SAC was applying the same philosophy to them by not permitting them to transfer from the command. That resulted in this unique patch.
Ron was looking for an illustration similar to the patch above. There were entrepreneurial millenary shops all over the Far East back in the day that would whip up patches like this in little or no time…and in mass quantities, too. Every GI worth his salt had at least two or three of ‘em. When I was in Wakkanai our custom patch was a variation on the Old Crow ELINT theme that featured the Crow with his usual lightning bolts in one winged hand, two bottles of Sapporo beer under the other wing, and “Xs” for eyes. The emblem was in keeping with our collective reputation for consuming insane amounts of Sapporo (THE beer of choice) when not intercepting Soviet electronic emanations. I’m hoping there’s a pic of my hat, jacket, and/or other such item lurking somewhere in the archives…coz I can’t find one on the ‘net.
The referenced "Hearts and Minds" patch is at the link, above.
Heh.
DeleteYep, they carry a lot, and they don't even have the "big belly" mod the D models had. You remember one of their Viet Nam mottos? "Peace is our Profession. (War is just a hobby)"
ReplyDeleteAt the gate going into Offutt that I used everyday, we had that sign. The mailed fist emblem and underneath "Peace is Our Profession". One Monday morning I noticed that some wag had hung a cardboard sign underneath the first, stating that "War is Our Hobby."
DeleteWord on the street was that a visiting crew dog had put the sign there. No one was caught, no one was punished. The word was put out that the CINCSAC (a four star) was "not happy". But the colonel who delivered that message gave us a wink when he said that. Message was, "guys don't do that, it gets the civilians overly excited, but the general thought it was funny too, he just can't admit that". I loved SAC.
In the 90's almost every day 2 of them would mock bomb Jefferies Energy Center and my barn on the way north to Nebraska
ReplyDeleteSometimes jets, a couple of time Warthogs over the house. A very few times B1's awesome! Now just blacked out helicopters at night heading to Nebraska, whats up with that
Two BUFFs over the barn everyday? That must have got your attention!
DeleteB-1s (Bones) very awesome.
Yeah, what's up with the blacked out helos? Unless it's the Army practicing using their night vision equipment?
Yes, the BUFF's got my attention. Fairly low, seemed to slow down then lots of exhaust smoke as they powered away.
DeleteThey were slow so easy to see. The B1's and the fighters went way to fast. Had to be looking at the horizon as they came over otherwise you were just reacting to the noise.
Yeah, those 8 engines smoked a lot.
DeleteLove the BUFF though as a ground pounder my preference is for something a bit smaller. FAC, TAC and Napalm!!!
ReplyDeleteUm, yeah. Ya got that right Six. A B-52 strike is not something you call in for CAS. Though they certainly get the enemy's attention. Ever see an Arc Light strike? You do not want to be on the receiving end!
DeleteI saw these beautiful birds at Grand Forks AFB back in the 80's There is a Buff on display down in Orlando at the airport which used to be a SAC base.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, what used to be McCoy AFB. I've seen pictures of that bird, it's a B-52D tail number 56-0687.
DeleteThey also put a BUFF on static display at one of the gates into Offutt in Nebraska, while I was still stationed there. Along with a KC-135 tanker.
Then there was the time I had one take off right over my head as we were headed north on Ft Crook Rd. Which runs right under the western end of the runway. Though there are signs warning you of low flying aircraft, nothing prepares you for a BUFF taking off right over your head!
I always referred to a B-52 as just BUFF. That was till met one nose to nose. Now when ever I see one it's Mr. BUFF!
ReplyDeleteMr. BUFF, I like that. One certainly has to respect them!
DeleteGreat pics, and quite the history! :-)
ReplyDeleteThere are days I find a picture...
DeleteIt piques my interest, so I look...
Then I find another, and before you know it...
I have a new post.
I'm a visual kind of guy.