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Post by pat perry on Feb 23, 2015 4:06:27 GMT 9
A message from Bobski: Pat P.
OK guys, I'm trying to help out Doug Barbier. See his query below. If you have any info please respond to him at: dcbrb@yahoo.com Good luck Doug! Bobski Guys,
I am trying to find out when the Scramble board was installed on the south-west corner of the Selfridge ramp (across from the old Fire Station) and when it was removed?
Also trying to find a photo of it - or, lacking that, any one - preferably with an F-106 also in the view - but I cannot be picky, since I have nothing right now.
I have only seen a couple (Castle?) Most of the ADC units had one at the edge of their ramps "back in the day" but very few seem to survive (if any) today. They were large boards with numbers that could be illuminated by the ODC to scramble alert jets from the ramp during exercises or higher alert states. All the lights going on was a "flush", one or two lights coming on was the signal for those individual jets to scramble.
Always searching for the arcane.....
Doug
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Post by pat perry on Mar 1, 2015 2:37:36 GMT 9
Here's another email From Doug Barbier looking for some input from you fixers and fliers who may have first hand knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis. You can comment here or email Doug at dcbrb@yahoo.com . Pat P.
Guys,
It appears as if nobody has ever compiled a comprehensive listing of exactly what our military response was during the Cuban Crisis. I have a fairly clear idea of what the ADC squadrons did as far as dispersals but have found recently that a lot of what seemed to have happened was only part of the story. Units dispersals ranged from a 4-ship, to the entire unit, to no movement at all. I have virtually no information on the TAC, SAC or USN responses beyond the fact that the 19th Bomb Wing at Homestead departed for Wurtsmith and the 4th TFW from Seymour-Johnson deployed to Florida with the F-105B. The 31st TFW at Homestead certainly loaded up their F-100Ds with nape & rockets and were also ready to seriously "up the ante", but did any other TAC units get involved? How about the 401st TFW at England AFB?
What about ANG participation - were any Guard units activated? I know that the guys in Michigan were told to "stand by" and were busy getting jets ready, but were never formally activated.
And beyond the 3-5 squadrons that the Navy loaned to NORAD, what exactly was their aviation response?
Any information you have on the subject will be very much appreciated.
Doug
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Post by pat perry on Mar 1, 2015 2:53:26 GMT 9
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
Senior Staff
FORUM CHAPLAIN
Commander South Texas outpost of the County Sligo Squadron
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Retired: USAF NBA: Spurs NFL: Niners MLB: Giants NHL: Penguins
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Mar 1, 2015 13:03:20 GMT 9
I was in the 5th FIS at Minot when the USSR put some missiles on a ship and sent them to Cuba.
We went on a higher alert level, but not much changed.
I continued to work my regular schedule, as did everyone else.
In ADC we were always supposed to be prepared for 24/7/365 operations, and that was why we had ORIs.
We didn't deploy any Sixes, nor did anything come to Minot.
Well, maybe some F-89Js from Hector Field at Fargo, but they always did that, so no big deal.
As I recall, we did put more Genie aircraft on standby alert, other than the ones already carrying them.
Our primary function, along with all the other ADC and ANG Interceptor Squadrons along the Northern Tier,was to shoot down Soviet bombers, should they come over the top.
The RCAF had the same mission.
However, as we were on a SAC base, as of that Summer, they were more alert at the gate and on the SAC flightline.
Their B-52s and KC-135s were at a higher alert status, and may have had some airborne alert.
From our perspective in ADC, SAC was always acting like WW3 had begun, so no big deal.
What they did at the other Northern Tier bases, I don't know, but probably those closer to an ocean were at a higher alert level than we were at Minot.
Jim Too
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f89j1905
F-106 Skilled
Currently: Offline
Posts: 148
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Joined: January 2011
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Post by f89j1905 on Mar 1, 2015 14:56:27 GMT 9
At Duluth, SAC showed up with 7 B-47's and told us to get our F-89J's off of THEIR ramp! We had '89's parked everywhere. I have no idea where the 11th FIS F-106's went but we in the storage site were told to deliver 8 more Genies to the Alert Barn and retreive the 8 empty trailers already there.
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