http://articles.petoskeynews.com/2009-10-05/lake-michigan_24016911
PETOSKEY NEWS
38 years ago, B-52 crash claimed nine lives near former
Big Rock Point
October 05, 2009|
By Brandon Hubbard Saturday Staff writer
Each summer, hundreds of travelers stop at the Lake Michigan Shores
roadside park north of Charlevoix on U.S. 31, pausing to take in the breathtaking
scenery, enjoy a picnic at the tables or rest during their journey.
But the postcard-perfect park also has an untold story many travelers
might not know if they miss the plaque situated here.
One of several stones lining the boundary of the parking lot, a large
granite boulder sits at one end of the park with a bronze marker affixed.
"In Memoriam," it states, "the following B-52 crew members gave their lives
during a training mission, January 7, 1971."
To the inquisitive, the plaque immediately brings questions, like how
a B-52 made its way to Northern Michigan for a bombing run, what brought
it down, and who was among the crew that perished?
"What's happening? There is a huge explosion in the sky north of our
house. You wouldn't believe it," said Mrs. Phil Martin and daughter Nita,
15, to Petoskey News-Review reporters at the time. The Martins were among
the first to report an explosion over Lake Michigan, after Nita called
for her mom's attention after seeing something go past the north window
of their home on Cherry Street.
Afterward, a huge, bright fireball appeared and dropped behind the trees
and hill. The circular shape of Little Traverse Bay acted like an amphitheater
for hours as witnesses described seeing light as vibrant as a sunset.
By the morning, a more morose story had played out.
Despite high winds and zero visibility, what the Martins saw was the
enormous, eight-engine B-52C Stratosphere bomber ignite in mid-air, before
crashing into Lake Michigan, burning excess fuel and debris on the surface
for several hours.
The Air Force's Strategic Air Command later confirmed that one of its
aircraft from Westover Air Force Base, Mass., on a simulated bombing run,
had crashed near Bay Shore.
Why were they here?
B-52 bombers began arriving in Northern Michigan in 1963, when the U.S.
Air Force moved a radar station from Ironwood, Mich. and built the 100-airmen
staffed Bay Shore radar site on a hill overlooking Little Traverse Bay.
The open water of Little Traverse Bay made an ideal location for the
electronic scoring system for mock-bombings. Planes from as far England
traveled to complete their training missions, and as many as 400 runs and
1,000 "bomb drops" were done in a week at the station.
But on this day, one of the most impressive air vessels ever used was
scattered in a 1,200-by-600 foot zone that had depths of more than 200
feet to the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Because of the intensity of the crash, combined with the frigid water
temperatures, the Coast Guard declared its "rescue" mission a "recovery"
mission within two days.
In the following weeks, the Coast Guard icebreaker Woodbine and cutter
Sundew that were initially dispatched returned to their homes, and a private
10-man diving team from Ocean Systems, Inc. of Reston, Va., was called
to take over the recovery.
In the end, a record winter sheeting the lake with ice nightly and 15-foot
swells proved to be too much, even after a month of searching. Among the
little debris ever found, according to reports, was a portion of the fuselage,
a life vest and papers from the aircraft.
The nine men who were killed and who are now immortalized on the stone
in Bay Shore are:
Lt. Col. William Lemmon, 38, Porterville, Calif., Navigator
Lt. Col. John M. Somonfy Jr., 39, Lewiston, Mont., Navigator Instructor
Maj. Donald F. Rosseau, 37, Morgantown, West Va., Electronic Warfare
Officer
Maj. Gerald W. Black, 32, Flushing, N.Y., Pilot
Capt. John E. Weaver, 27, St. Louis, Navigator
Capt. Joel G. Hirsh, 26, Western Springs, Ill., Navigator
1st Lt. Douglas Bachman, 25, Highland Park, N.J., Electronic Warfare
Officer
1st Lt. Dennis Ferguson, 25, North Ridgeland, Ohio, Co-pilot
Tech. Sgt. Jerry M. Achey, 33, Ocean City, Wash., Gunner
Editor's note: Information culled from Petoskey News-Review reports
written by Fran Martin, Jim Horn and Jim Doherty.
Did you see the accident?
Eyewitness details from the crash, now nearly 40 years later, are hard
to come by. Saturday would be interested in hearing readers' accounts of
the accident; contact writer Brandon Hubbard at bhubbard@petoskeynews.com.
Information about the crash as reported by Wikipedia:
"January 7, 1971: An unarmed USAF B-52C-45-BO, 54-2666, of the 9th BW,
Westover AFB, Massachusetts, crashed into Lake Michigan near Charlevoix
during a practice bomb run, exploding on impact. Only a small amount of
wreckage, two life vests, and some spilled fuel was found in Little Traverse
Bay. The bomber went down six nautical miles from the Bay Shore Air Force
Radar Site and close to the Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant. Nine crew KWF."
This is a back-up copy. A link to the original article has been inserted
into this issue of ART IN SOCIETY, a non-commercial online art journal
that accepts no paid ads.
Go back to Art
in Society # 14, Contents
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