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B-36 PEACEMAKER | |
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B-36 PEACEMAKER | |
During the period of time in the worlds history known as the Cold War there was a massive effort made by the two most powerful countries to gain a strategic military advantage over the other. The United States viewed the Soviet Union as a country determined to expand its' domain over most of Europe and the Eastern hemisphere.
The West had developed a super bomber during W.W. II that would allow it to bomb targets deep within German territory from bases in the United States and had developed a small stockpile of atomic weapons during its war with Japan. After Japan surrendered, this airplane and its deadly cargo proved to be the perfect weapon for containing the perceived threat of European conquest by the Soviet Union.
Many military systems were developed during this period and most were cloaked in secrecy and out of the public eye. Nonetheless, millions of soldiers were conscripted and were given the responsibility of maintaining a constant vigil for aggressive actions from the "other side", and were sanctioned to use awesome power to hold that aggression at bay.
Most of the early "Cold Warriors" are gone. Those still with us are now in their 60's and 70's. They are the slow moving, hard-of-hearing people in front of you in the grocery line and on the highways, and many are living alone and drawing welfare checks. They are also our parents and grandparents. What they did for us was no less than to keep us alive so that we might enjoy our world of today. They did this in secrecy so tight that few today are aware of the contribution they and their airplane made for us all. It is the men and women who built, maintained and operated the B-36 Peacemaker Bomber to whom this website is dedicated.
All 383 B-36 aircraft were produced by Consolidated Vultee in Fort Worth, Texas. The B-36 program would have been in Tulsa, Oklahoma except for the efforts of Amon G. Carter, owner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. This article is reprinted here from the CD-ROM book B-36: Saving the Last Peacemaker.
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the Smithsonian Institution's Air & Space Magazine and to an article originally
published in Smithsonian's
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Many valiant solders gave their lives to protect our freedom during the Cold War. This section will describe several Notable Mishaps that occurred during the service life of the B-36 that placed a terrible price on many airmen for their role in maintaining the peace of the world.
NOTE: Former crew members and support personnel are especially urged to share their memories and experiences by posting a note on this website's message board.
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Revised and expanded
Third Edition Now Available
11-25-2006