B–52 Down! The Night the Bombs Fell From the Sky

by Linda Harris Sittig

January 1964: America is embroiled in the Cold War. Tensions erupt following the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the United States and Soviet Union both possess massive nuclear arsenals, poised to engage in mutually assured destruction. For the United States, this means that massive aircraft armed with nuclear weapons are constantly circling allied airspace, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. A B-52 Stratofortress, icon of American airpower, suffers engine failure while on patrol and must return for repairs. A retrieval crew expects a short flight from Massachusetts to bring the aircraft to its base in Georgia. But within an hour of departure, the flight collides with a colossal blizzard. Wind shear rips off the tail, sending the aircraft into a spiral. The crew must eject—at 30,000 feet, in a blinding blizzard, in the middle of the night. Crew members land miles away from each other in the mountains of western Maryland, facing near zero temperatures, up to four feet of snow, and difficult terrain. They have only their parachutes and simple survival kits. Phones ring in pre-dawn hours to alert military authorities and emergency responders, spurring a town-wide effort to find the downed crew in bleak conditions. But the situation is more dire with the aircraft’s payload of live nuclear bombs on board—a payload with more than 1,000 times the destructive potential than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in WWII. Crews must race to prevent the loss of life of the crew and the unthinkable detonation of nuclear weapons or radiation leaks on American soil. This is the story of a community-wide effort to band together and overcome incredible odds to help crew and country in the wake of a B-52 down.

Genres: History

Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2021

About the author

At age twelve, Linda became the hula hoop champion of her class and then discovered historical fiction through the works of Anya Seton. From that day on, Linda gave up spinning hoops in favor of spinning stories. She is the author of a historical series, "Threads of Courage," with three novels, Cut From Strong Cloth, Last Curtain Call, and Counting Crows. In addition, she has a non-fiction book, B-52 DOWN, about a B-52 bomber that crashed in Maryland with two nuclear bombs on board. Her newest book, Opening Closed Doors, is a children's book about the desegregation of public libraries.

Linda writes about strong female protagonists in emotional settings of the past, particularly in her monthly blog, where she pays tribute to women who led extraordinary lives but did not necessarily achieve lasting fame: www.strongwomeninhistory.com.

Her motto: Every woman deserves to have her story told.

Linda Sittig lives in the North Carolina Piedmont with her husband, where the Blue Ridge Mountains are the first to greet the dawn.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exceptional book! Not only was the research top notch, but the telling of the story completely drew me in! I couldn’t put the book down until I’d finished it! ❤️ Thank you Linda Sittig!!

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well researched popular local-history account of a sad incident in USAF history. The main themes are the courage and dedication of the men on that flight, the trauma felt by their wives and families (we have come a long way in casualty notifications and family support since then), and the instinctive volunteer spirit of local people who faced severe weather to rescue survivors.

I found this interesting because I live in the area and have heard some isolated stories about it. I even recall a ceremony not too long ago, perhaps when the latest plaque was installed in 2019. One friend recalls seeing debris on his family's farm. I happened to be in Frostburg, MD, last Thanksgiving during the small business day. I saw this book in the local bookstore and decided to buy it. The author mentions that she was in that bookstore in 2017, autographing copies of another book, when she was approached by a local who asked her to write a book about this incident.

The one complaint I have or perhaps it is better noted as a recommendation is for there to be a detailed map to follow the narrative. I cobbled together a Bing Map and adjusted names but it isn't the same. I have travelled on some of the paved roads over the years and been to the state park but do not consider myself very familiar with the terrain. What I envision as the western slope of Savage Mountain doesn't match with where the Bing map shows the body of Major Payne, for example. I can understand if the reason for no map is to avoid lots of tourists trampling over private property. Perhaps I will wait for another tour group offering on the next anniversary.

[Megann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story

This story was very interesting from beginning to end! I had never heard of this event before reading this book. I have traveled through this area numerous times and had no idea! This was written well, and has been well researched.

[Danni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Allegany County so I've heard about this night all my life and I've visited the memorials. In fact, my great grandmother owned property where a piece of the tail fell.
When I saw this book at the library, I just HAD to read it, and I'm glad I did!

[Craig Beyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet, this is a sad story of a B-52 crash in terrible weather and the after effects, including the amazing support and diligence of the people near the crash site.

[Greg Sheremeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about a little know incident that occurred in Western Maryland back in 1964. A B-52 crashed in to one of the mountains carrying Hydrogen bombs.