Dr. Jack ReVelle disarmed two hydrogen bombs that accidentally fell near Goldsboro during the Cold War. But a military career of cleaning up nuclear accidents may have cut his life short.
Thanks for this story. I was 5 years old and living at Seymour Johnson AFB when this happened. My dad was a B-52 navigator and lost several friends in that accident.
Great story about a dedicated, honorable man! The VA sucks! They fight vets for every nickel. I am a Nam vet and had severe agent orange exposure. I have a Bronze Star, Army Commendation medal, liver cancer, type II diabetes and a heart condition thanks to agent orange. Had to fight the VA for every nickel!
I was a nuclear weapons specialist in the USAF from 1964 to 1968. I worked on Mark 53 bombs for several years. These were updated versions of the Mark 39 weapon involved in the broken arrow. We would disassemble them enough to get at some components that had a half life of only several years. These had to be replaced.
I hope I don't come down with Myelodysplastic syndrome as Jack did. My doctor says I am anemic, so this article sure gave me something to think about.
In 1965 SAC lost another armed B52 off the coast of Spain. That plane was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro. The Air Force had a difficult time finding the weapons and one may still be on the bottom of the ocean. The incident occurred while refueling. The pilot advised me that the tanker just blew up. There were three pilots on the bomber one of whom was not in an ejection seat. The crew member sitting next to him punched out of the plane and he just dived out the hole at about 40,000 feet. His name was Michael Rooney and he and I shared a bathroom in the BOQ. He survived the jump and was picked up in the ocean uninjured. So there are at least two bailouts that survived. I was a JAG officer at the time and talked to several crew members. I heard Lt. Rooney talk about this more than once. Last saw him in 1967 at Ben Hoa Viet Nam where he was an artillery spotter flying a single engine piper cub. SAC always gets the last word.
An obituary for the man who saved North Carolina from nuclear disaster
This article alone is worth the subscription.
Fascinating
Thanks for this story. I was 5 years old and living at Seymour Johnson AFB when this happened. My dad was a B-52 navigator and lost several friends in that accident.
Excellent work.
Great story!
Fantastic story. Thanks for sharing it!
Great story about a dedicated, honorable man! The VA sucks! They fight vets for every nickel. I am a Nam vet and had severe agent orange exposure. I have a Bronze Star, Army Commendation medal, liver cancer, type II diabetes and a heart condition thanks to agent orange. Had to fight the VA for every nickel!
Fabulous..thank you beyond words for getting this Story about this Hero few knew about.
You’re killing it bud. I love your writing style. Thank you for putting pieces like this out into the world.
Thank you for telling this story and for telling it so well. No doubt there are many heroes like Jack out there who we may never learn about.
Jeremy, you do amazing work. Thank you.
Now I can't wait for the movie. Yup, another thursday morning missing 30 mins from work.
great story. thank you
What an interesting story! Thankful for people like Jack. I hope the movie gets made.
I was a nuclear weapons specialist in the USAF from 1964 to 1968. I worked on Mark 53 bombs for several years. These were updated versions of the Mark 39 weapon involved in the broken arrow. We would disassemble them enough to get at some components that had a half life of only several years. These had to be replaced.
I hope I don't come down with Myelodysplastic syndrome as Jack did. My doctor says I am anemic, so this article sure gave me something to think about.
In 1965 SAC lost another armed B52 off the coast of Spain. That plane was stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro. The Air Force had a difficult time finding the weapons and one may still be on the bottom of the ocean. The incident occurred while refueling. The pilot advised me that the tanker just blew up. There were three pilots on the bomber one of whom was not in an ejection seat. The crew member sitting next to him punched out of the plane and he just dived out the hole at about 40,000 feet. His name was Michael Rooney and he and I shared a bathroom in the BOQ. He survived the jump and was picked up in the ocean uninjured. So there are at least two bailouts that survived. I was a JAG officer at the time and talked to several crew members. I heard Lt. Rooney talk about this more than once. Last saw him in 1967 at Ben Hoa Viet Nam where he was an artillery spotter flying a single engine piper cub. SAC always gets the last word.