Remembering the Dragon Lady: The U-2 Spy Plane: Memoirs of the Men Who Made the Legend

by Gerald McIlmoyle

  Memphis, Tennessee

  Wife: Effie, Deceased August 12, 2009.

  My Early Days

  My military career began when I bid goodbye to my family in Jeffersonville, Georgia and enlisted in the Army Air Corp on April 10, 1944 bound for basic training at Keesler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi. For a young eighteen-year-old, it seemed like a long way from home. Following gunnery school at Fort Myers, Florida, I was assigned to the lst Photo Recon Squadron at Smokey Hill Air Base, Salina, Kansas, as a tail gunner on a B-29 crew for eighteen months in World War II. I was promoted at nineteen-years old to Staff Sergeant and joined my crew en route to Okinawa; we arrived the second day after World War II ended. I returned to the US on emergency leave, and at that time many of the troops were returning as well.

  I volunteered to attend jet aircraft mechanic school for ten weeks in 1947 at Chanute Field, Illinois, and I returned to Chanute in 1948 to attend jet engine school. My career goal had been to be an aircraft mechanic. To that end, I volunteered to get all the technical training available to me to support my stripes. While I was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines, I volunteered for a ten-week training course on aircraft electrical systems at Yokota Army Air Base, Japan. Throughout this period of my Air Force career, I was a crew chief, responsible for everything related to a specific aircraft.

  Our F-80 aircraft came dismantled to the Philippines by ship and were delivered by barge to Sangley Point Naval Base. I was in charge of the detail that reassembled the aircraft for the flight to Clark Air Base. Once the planes were put together, our enlisted team taxied them down the runway to “burn the brakes” in. The brakes had to be hot enough to rid them of any grease that would prevent a good hold when applied. (Of course, now only a rated pilot can taxi an aircraft, but times were different then.) Following that project I was promoted to Tech Sergeant in 1950

  After an assignment in Japan as a C-47 crew chief, I was reassigned stateside to MacDill AFB, Florida. I was fortunate to be selected to attend the Boeing Company factory training school for the B-47 at Wichita, Kansas and subsequently was transferred to Hunter AFB, Georgia. With the training completed, I was assigned to Turner AFB, Albany, Georgia when the 508th Strategic Fighter Wing (SFW) became operational.

  I helped start up the 508th SFW in 1952 as the first line chief of the 468th Strategic Fighter Squadron (SFS) with 25 F-84 aircraft at Turner AFB. TSgt Grimes and TSgt Malone were two of my flight chiefs at the time. Chuck Stratton was a young lieutenant fresh out of flying school and he later went to Laughlin AFB too. As line chief I was responsible for everything related to the aircraft to ensure it was ready for a scheduled flight. After I was promoted to Master Sergeant at age 26, I moved to Maintenance Control where I was assigned when the group relocated to the 4080th SRW at Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, Texas, in 1957. At that time, Master Sergeant was the top of the structure for enlisted rank. When the Super Grades, Senior Master Sergeant E-8 and Chief Master Sergeant E-9, came out in 1959, I requested reassignment back to the flight line. It was there I was promoted to both E-8 and E-9, respectively, and became the ranking Non-Commissioned Officer in the aircraft maintenance system. I was responsible for the 4080th OMS U-2 phase inspection section for two years. While I was in OMS, I was promoted to E-9, Chief Master Sergeant, and supervised over 40 men. With my E-9 promotion, I was reassigned back to Maintenance Control and relocated with the 4080th SRW when it moved to Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, Arizona. I'm proud that we never had an unsatisfactory inspection by Quality Control while I was there.

  One day at Laughlin OMS one of my dock chiefs had finished the inspection on a U-2 and was lowering the aircraft to remove the dolly that supported it. Much to his surprise, a ladder that he had not removed from the underside of the U-2 punched a hole in the wing. Since the wing is the fuel tank, it was quite an ordeal to repair the damage. First the engine had to be removed, then the upper part of the wing with a gazillion screws had to come off. It ended up being about a week's worth of work. When our colonel learned about the damage, his very understanding response was, “The wind blew the ladder over just as the chief was lowering the aircraft. He could not stop the process fast enough to prevent damage to the U-2.” The lucky chief escaped without punishment.

  From The Beginning

  I was with the 4080th SRW from the beginning for seven years as an aircraft maintenance supervisor on the flight line in OMS and Maintenance Control. Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, Texas, was home to me and my family, and we enjoyed the congenial relationship with the local citizens. Several of my TDYs were as line chief with Project HASP, the atmosphere sampling flights. Twice a week, our wing flew missions to the North Pole and the South Pole sampling the upper atmosphere for radioactive material following the nuclear tests after World War II.

  My planes flew from Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico. On one of those missions, we lost contact with our pilot. Fearing the worst, Local Air Sea Rescue planes were launched to search for the U-2 and pilot. The mobile officer continued to call out, but there was no response from the pilot. Finally, in desperation he said, “If you read me, hit the tone button twice.” In return we heard a loud and clear “beep beep.” We were all excited and grateful knowing “Our Guy” was safe. The wire in his helmet had broken and he could hear everything transmitted to him, but he could not send outgoing messages.

  Too Close for Comfort

  On a TDY at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, I went out to recover the pogos after a U-2 took off. As we picked up the first of the two pogos, I looked up to see a big C-124 Globemaster on final approach to land. The U-2s do not require much runway for take off. Thankfully our bird was already out of sight when the C-124 approached. We were grateful our old Jeep did not fail as we picked up the last of the pogos and shot off the side of the runway just as the C-124 zipped by with a blast of airstream. Way too close for comfort.

  I enjoyed a great career in the US Air Force and still claim friends I have known since those early days. I retired at age 38 in 1964 with twenty years military service. My second career was with the US Postal Service where I worked for 27 years before retiring in 1992.

  Donald E. (Donnie) Brown

  Westwood, Massachusetts

  Wife: Ann

  Vietnam

  It took a night of heavy mortaring in 1964 at Bien Hoa Air Base by the Viet Cong (VC), when twenty B-57 planes were destroyed, for the upper echelon to decide to issue us weapons for our own protection. A short time later, I was playing cards one evening with some of the food service personnel when the VC opened fire on us again. We grabbed our weapons and ran immediately to our assigned emergency bunker location. One food service fellow followed the rest of us, but he realized he didn't have his weapon. He ran back to the hooch (tent) and retrieved his gun. When he arrived at our bunker for the second time, he didn't have any ammunition for his gun. As scared as we all were, we had to laugh at the situation. Back he went to his hooch again. By the time he had returned with his bullets, the shelling had stopped. After that incident, our weapons went where we went. That was a long and scary night.

  Alaska

  In November 1961 when we were deployed to Eielson AFB, Fairbanks, Alaska, a mission was scheduled following detailed flight planning. Weather was always a major factor in the dead of winter in Alaska. Flight operations planners had determined the aircraft would not have sufficient fuel to return to our base so they planned to land at Elmendorf AFB, at Anchorage to refuel. After the launch, we prepared to fly out to recover the U-2 in a KC-97 refueler. All of our equipment was loaded, and we boarded the aircraft. Before takeoff, we were all fitted for parachutes, but our tech rep had a hard time getting fitted over his parka and many layers of clothing. The aircraft took off smoothly. An hour into the flight, the number one engine simply stopped, but the pilot restarted it within minutes. A short time later, number four engine went out, but it was restarted successfully. By now we were all quite nervous. While I was up front talking to the crew, smoke engulfed the cockpit. We were scared thinking we were
going to have to “hit the silk” (parachute out). Our well-padded tech rep panicked and tried to get into his chute. It was humorous to watch; he put the chute on, took it off, put his parka on and started for the door. The only things visible were his flailing arms and it took him only fifteen seconds to get to this point. The source of the smoke was soon discovered to be an oily rag on the heater and the smoke diminished. We had a good laugh at the expense of the tech rep. After all that, the plane was directed to return to home base. What a long and crazy day.

  Harold A. (Brownie) Brownback

  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

  Wife: Mandy

  I was a Staff Sergeant at Forbes AFB, Kansas when I was assigned to the Black Knight Project in October 1950. En route to Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, I detoured for jet engine training to Chanute AFB, Illinois. I was assigned to the 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Lockbourn until April 1956 when I was reassigned to Turner AFB, Georgia. At Turner I was ordered to the 811th Air Bomber Group and later reassigned to the 508th PD Maintenance Squadron, SAC. In May 1956 I went to the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and transferred with the Wing to Laughlin AFB in May 1957.

  We became a close-knit unit at Laughlin and everyone worked well together in support of the U-2 aircraft. I was an engine technician in field maintenance, and supervised a crew in engine change and test run of the aircraft.

  Considering the difficulty finding housing, we were extremely happy in Del Rio. The local citizens were friendly and we became acquainted with quite a few people there. Our daughter, Judy Colleen, was born in the downtown hospital in August 1957.

  Harold Brownback, 1956.

  Harold and Mandy Brownback, 2005.

  In July 1958 I was transferred to England. Although our assignment with the 4080th SRW was rather short, we left with a lot of fond memories. We made a number of friends there and we continue to keep in touch with them today.

  Swinton Burroughs

  Indialantic, Florida

  Wife: Betty

  Reconnaissance

  It had its beginnings for me in 1954 when I was assigned to an RB-47 wing at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio. No more P-51s, P-47s, F-82s, F-80s – just big cameras in big aircraft. In 1956 I was informed that I was being assigned to the Black Knight program. Black Knight? What was that? Where was that? What was the mission?

  Enough with the questions. Here are your orders. Get a flight to Baltimore. There, call this phone number and “they” will provide transportation to the Glenn L. Martin aircraft plant. “They” also gave me a briefing on a new aircraft “they” were building, a high-altitude craft. It was derived from the British Canberra which itself was no slouch on reaching higher altitudes. The first test flight was a couple weeks away.

  During the daily training sessions on what was inside this craft (what made it go, how to maintain it) the other trainees and I were given tours of the plant to see how it was being put together. We were astonished to see workers smoking in the cockpit and around the assembly areas. Martin's view was that those guys would sneak a smoke every so often and the cigarette butts would end up in critical parts of the plane. By allowing them to smoke, ash trays were kept handy and the employees would police up the area at the end of their shifts. On one tour I asked to see their Engineering Department. Years earlier I thought I might become an aero engineer. They showed me an area with about 500 engineers all appearing to be chained to their worktables. I spoke with one of them whose sole job was to do all the calculations for the design of the small nose landing gear doors of another aircraft Martin was doing. He marveled that I could “tolerate” being in the Air Force and being told what to do all the time. “All in one's perspective,” I told myself.

  With the training completed my group at Lockbourne was transferred to the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Turner AFB, Albany, Georgia. Once there we became the 4025th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) complete with pilots, maintenance team, Squadron Commander Colonel Mulloney, and finally, some black and white RB-57Ds.

  Early training flights out of Turner had the usual glitches. One was a recurring problem for Bill Shuman whose radio communications gear developed a glitch each flight at altitude. Maintenance responded each time with “ground check-OK.” Colonel Mulloney said that wouldn't cut it and Maintenance responded that maybe Bill didn't know how to operate the radio. An infuriated Colonel Mulloney told Maintenance to NEVER say one of his pilots didn't know how to operate his equipment.

  Some time later Tech Reps reported that Martin found the problem—aluminum wiring that had apparently cracked at some time during installation; upon reaching cold temperatures at high altitude, the wiring shrank causing a gap in the wire. Upon returning to low altitude, the wire expanded and closed the gap, thus the “ground check – OK.”

  Swinton Burroughs at the 2002 4080th SRW Reunion wearing a plaid blazer that each of the group acquired during 1957 TDY to Japan to distinguish themselves from locals at Yokota AB.

  In August 1956 a TDY for six RB-57s was cobbled together for a classified operation at Yokota Air Base, Japan, with Colonel Mulloney as Detachment Commander. Maintenance people stopped at Hickam AFB, Hawaii to service and prepare the birds for the next leg to Yokota. Only one aircraft had a problem that had us all shaking our heads. Keith Lindsay reported an opposite reaction to what he expected on the horizontal stabilizer trim. How could this malfunction have escaped the notice of other pilots on other flights? If the trim was hooked up in reverse, had it been that way since it left Martin in Baltimore? There was no record of maintenance ever done on the system. Regardless of all possibilities, we reversed the wiring and on the leg to Yokota, Keith reported all was well.

  At Yokota the skunk-like appearance of the RB-57s attracted some attention, but guards around our parking area kept out the curious, except for one. A Lieutenant Colonel thought because he was in the same Air Force, he was entitled to know what these birds were all about. Early one evening he ignored the guard's order to vacate the area. A shot fired over his head quickly made a believer of him, but the next morning he stirred up a hornet's nest with the Inspector General's office, the Base Commander and the Base Provost Marshal. He was asserting his right to look closely at the RB-57s. Colonel Mulloney and Colonel Johnson, from SAC Headquarters, brought this whole episode to quick closure. Rumor had it the curious Lieutenant Colonel was promptly transferred to another base.

  Somewhere along the way news reports said the Chinese had issued the 256th (or some such number) “serious warning” to the US regarding overflights. We heard this occurred frequently.

  On one night flight Bob Chalmers returned to the Yokota area and was reporting difficulty in maintaining proper balance between his left and right wings. A sump pump automatically pumped fuel between the left and right wings whenever fuel consumption was greater in one wing than the other; but the pilot could control this situation. In Chalmers’ case, nothing worked so he elected to land immediately. The Martin Tech Rep, Michael Vince, went with me and the ground crew to the now parked plane. We could hardly believe what we saw. The largest honeycomb panel on the bottom leading edge of the left wing had split away from the forward edge of the wing and was curled backwards, leaving the fuel cell looking like Niagara Falls. The jet fuel was cascading to the ramp below. It kept the fire trucks busy washing down the ramp, and the next day we moved the plane to a hangar. After a lot of conference calls, Martin decided to send a replacement panel, another tech rep, drawings and special tools, and design for trusses to support the wing while replacing the panel. In effect, we did depot work under field conditions.

  What caused the panel to separate was a reason for alarm on all the RB-57s. It seemed an air leak into the honeycomb allowed the comb to exhale when the plane went to altitude, then to suck in air and moisture when descending. The moisture built up with each flight until so much had accumulated in the comb that it then froze at low temperatures while at high altitudes. With each freezing, the expanding ice caused skin and comb to s
eparate. Inspections of wing panels became routine to try to detect any separation.

  In the Spring of 1957 replacements arrived and we headed home. Back at Albany we learned that the Wing was moving to Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, Texas. A C-123 carried a group of us to Del Rio to check on housing. There had been a seven-year drought in Southwest Texas and the area looked bleak. There was one live bush at the entrance to the Officers’ Club. It had flourished due to the Club rule to empty whatever remained in a drinking glass, ice and drink, on that bush.

  A month later I drove my family to Del Rio and, amazingly, the drought had broken. All kinds of cactus and sage were blooming. When the rains first came, the water couldn't even penetrate the “caliche” soil. Rain had accumulated into a tidal wave that eventually reached US Highway 90 just in front of the main entrance to the base. On each side of the entrance road was a shallow swale that paralleled Highway 90. Local reports were that a car with three women passed the entrance road just as the tidal wave rolled across the highway and in moments the car was washed into the swale. Two of the women drowned.

  Once the RB-57s were on base the U-2 began arriving from Lockheed Skunk Works with their pilots and ground crew. We used the hangar at the south end of the ramp for the RB-57s. It was only a matter of time before a rivalry developed between the U-2 folks and the RB-57 folks.