Behemoth B-52: 1 - MIG: 0

HERITAGE MINUTE

Can you believe this behemoth shot down a MiG? Well, it did!----more----

Located at the intersection of North Gate and Stadium Boulevards is a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, tail number 50083. On December twenty-fourth, 1972, the bomber known as “Diamond Lil” became one of two B-52Ds credited with a confirmed MiG kill in the Vietnam conflict. During the bombing mission out of U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield in southern Thailand, the bomber's tail gunner, Airman First Class Albert Moore, shot down a MiG-21 northeast of Hanoi during “Linebacker II” action. It was the last confirmed kill by a tail gunner in wartime using machine guns. In October 1983, the aircraft, donated by the Strategic Air Command, was flown to Peterson Air Force Base by Captain James Rowland, Class of ’78. His classmate, Captain James Stahl, was the radar navigator on that final flight. In December 1983, with the wings and tail removed to allow the plane to travel on roads and under bridges, it was taxied to the Academy. The static display was dedicated by General Bennie L. Davis, Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Air Command, on September seventh, 1984. Incidentally, there are two other aircraft at the Academy with kills. One of the others, an A-10, is located a couple of miles down Stadium Boulevard.

The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation