http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1236
National Museum of the US Air Force
Rescue of Bat 21
Posted 3/25/2011
In one of the most difficult rescues of the war, Lt. Col. Iceal "Gene" Hambleton was recovered from enemy territory after 11 1/2 days on the ground. This was the largest rescue operation in USAF history.
On April 2, 1972, 53-year-old navigator Lt. Col. Hambleton was the only crewmember to safely eject after his EB-66 (call sign Bat 21) was hit by a surface-to-air missile. He landed in the middle of the spearhead of the enemy's massive Easter Offensive.
Several courageous attempts were made to recover Hambleton. After the loss of numerous aircraft and personnel, a new plan was devised. Authorities planned a ground recovery, but they needed Hambleton to move away from his hiding spot to a nearby river.
Knowing Hambleton was an avid golfer, authorities gave him directional and distance information by naming specific holes at different golf courses. One forward air controller, Capt. Harold Icke, spent countless hours orbiting near Hambleton and communicating by radio throughout the ordeal.
After "playing" nine holes and nearing collapse from hunger and exhaustion, Hambleton had moved to a location where U.S. Navy SEAL LT Tom Norris and South Vietnamese SEAL Petty Officer Nguyen Van Kiet safely recovered him.
JOURNAL ARCHIVE: 05/17/07 4:28 PM
After that dream about the dinosaurs eating the tree I was in, which was actually probably a giraffe or elephant when I was lost in Africa
[JOURNAL ARCHIVE 17 May 2007 excerpt ends]
JOURNAL ARCHIVE: From: Kerry Burgess
To: Kerry Burgess
Sent: Thu, February 16, 2006 11:25:38 AM
Subject: Re: Communist Interrogations
Kerry Burgess wrote:
I was thinking the other day, as whoever listens to me in the bathroom knows, about a situation 20 years ago when I was face-to-face with the Soviet Navy.
Ah, I remember now, it was after Bush was talking about how he thought the oceans would protect us. I thought out loud that he should have been with me in 1985 off the coast of Texas. And then that reminded me of something I read about Bush filling the role of a Soviet bomber during a training exercise with his fighter squadron. Doesn't make sense.
Anyway, I was thinking about how we had our names on our uniforms. We were close enough to them that they could probably read our names with telephoto lenses. I wonder if they would use that information to try to recruit spies, similar to the Walker spy ring that was going on back then.
[JOURNAL ARCHIVE 16 February 2006 excerpt ends]
[ Bill Gates-Microsoft-Corbis-Nazi the cowardly International Terrorist Organization violently against the United States of America actively instigate insurrection and subversive activity against the United States of America with all Bill Gates-Microsoft-Corbis-Nazi staff partners contributors employees contractors lawyers managers of any capacity as severely treasonous criminal accomplices and that are active unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States that actively make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in the United States and in the Severely Treasonous and Criminally Rebellious State of Washington by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings ]
1988 film "Bat*21" DVD video: [ RACKETEER INFLUENCED AND CORRUPT ORGANIZATIONS US Title 18 ]
00:11:21
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: Bird Dog, this is Bat twenty one. I can't go any further. Good vantage from this position.
US Air Force Captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: Copy, Bat two one.
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: What about the others? Anybody else make it out?
US Air Force Captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: Uh, none reported. We're still looking. Just stay calm.
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: I'll try.
US Air Force Captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: Don't worry, Bat two one. We'll get you out. But it's not going to happen today. All choppers busy evac'ing fire base at Quang Tri. The company of grunts overrun by Charlie. Jolly Greens will pick you up in the morning.
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: Say again your last transmission.
US Air Force Captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: Repeat. Jolly Greens will pick you up in the morning. There will be no pickup today. Copy, Bat twenty one?
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: I copy, Bird Dog.
US Air Force Captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: Okay, listen, Bat two one. I'm running low on juice. Have to return to base.
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: Bird Dog, thanks for your help.
US Air Force Captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: That's what I'm here for.
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: Bird Dog, are you going to be back?
US Air Force Captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: That's the plan. Bird Dog signing off. Keep your head down. See you later.
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton: Bat twenty one, out.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7720049.stm
BBC
Page last updated at 18:14 GMT, Monday, 10 November 2008
Mystery of lost US nuclear bomb
By Gordon Corera
BBC News security correspondent, northern Greenland
The United States abandoned a nuclear weapon beneath the ice in northern Greenland following a crash in 1968, a BBC investigation has found.
Its unique vantage point - perched at the top of the world - has meant that Thule Air Base has been of immense strategic importance to the US since it was built in the early 1950s, allowing a radar to scan the skies for missiles coming over the North Pole.
The Pentagon believed the Soviet Union would take out the base as a prelude to a nuclear strike against the US and so in 1960 began flying "Chrome Dome" missions. Nuclear-armed B52 bombers continuously circled over Thule - and could head straight to Moscow if they witnessed its destruction.
Greenland is a self-governing province of Denmark but the carrying of nuclear weapons over Danish territory was kept secret.
'Darker story'
But on 21 January 1968, one of those missions went wrong.
1988 film "Bat*21" DVD video:
00:14:06
US Air Force staff sergeant (E-5) Harley Rumbaugh: How was your flight, sir?
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: Same old shit, bad movies and terrible food.
US Air Force staff sergeant (E-5) Harley Rumbaugh: Don't you - don't you think you're pushing it a little, Captain? You've almost doubled the base record.
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: Doubled the base record? Jeez. I'll pin a medal on my chest. Would you check my right aileron? It's been sticking a bit, okay? Whew.
US Air Force staff sergeant (E-5) Harley Rumbaugh: Yeah, I got to replace it, sir.
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: How long will that take?
US Air Force staff sergeant (E-5) Harley Rumbaugh: Well, I can borrow one from, uh, four five three.
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: That's Andersen's ship.
US Air Force staff sergeant (E-5) Harley Rumbaugh: The way he flies, Captain, he'll never miss it, sir.
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: I like your initiative, Sergeant. Keep it up.
US Air Force colonel George Walker: We've pulled our share of pilots out of there but never a fifty three year old lieutenant colonel.
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: A fifty three year old lieutenant colonel?
US Air Force colonel George Walker: That's right. The navigator on that E.B.
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: They just gave me crew codes and no names and ranks.
US Air Force colonel George Walker: Well, I am told that Hambleton is one of our top people. He's an electronics countermeasures expert. I am told that the communists will have a dossier on him that thick. So in the morning when we get our birds back we're going to go in and get him. The Seventh Air Force does not want Charlie getting their hands on him.
US Air Force captain Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark: We'll get him tomorrow then, sir.
US Air Force colonel George Walker: In the meantime, I want you to go back out there tonight.
