We Were Crewdogs VII - The. B-52 Factor: The B-52 Factor

As powerful as he was, eventually the Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command (CICSAC) went away, as did the Strategic Air Command (SAC) itself. But not so the mighty B-52 Stratofortress. The giant eight-engine bomber, first flown in 1955 and revered backbone of our national defense during the Cold War, still remains a viable weapon system in today’s United States Air Force’s inventory. It shall be for years to come. But the aircraft itself is useless without the men who built, guarded, maintained, and flew the plane affectionately known as the Big Ugly Fat Fellow (BUFF) by many. Okay, maybe the final “F” really stands for something else for all those who really know her, but you get the point.

This book is the seventh volume of stories primarily about the aircrews who flew the plane but is dedicated to all those who ever came in contact with one. Despite a half-dozen efforts to recruit someone to take lead on a book about the maintainers of the aircraft, no one has been willing to come forward and take on the task, so I will continue to publish stories about the aircrews. I was never a maintenance officer; I was a flyer. I only really know and can vouch for things affecting the lives and events of the aircrew (Crewdogs) who flew her. There are a few story exceptions in this volume, but those stories included help add to the understanding of what we did, and deserve to be heard.