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BUFF... Pretty awesome piece of hardware. The "youngest" B-52 will be 60 years old in Oct of 2022 (assuming it's still in service).
And here I thought you shot a horsefly!
Yeah, my grandpa worked on them. He retired in freaking 1974 from Tinker before I was even born. Geez, he died at age 82, 20 years ago.
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Magnificent aircraft. I've read about a grandfather, father and son flying the same aircraft.
Col. Sprague, Daniel's grandfather, was commissioned by ROTC. He went to Maxwell AFB, Ala., for additional training, where he met Daniel's grandmother, Marion. He attended pilot training in Texas. During his career he flew the F-86 Saber, the B-47 and then "the mighty B-52," flying every model from the A to H.
Sprague flew combat missions in Vietnam. As a result of one of those missions over North Vietnam, he became a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Sprague returned from Vietnam and was assigned to Minot AFB in the early 1970s "where he became the squadron commander of the 23rd Bomber Barons." Sprague then was assigned to Mather AFB, Calif., where he became the wing commander.
Don Welch, Daniel's father, was commissioned by ROTC, and assigned to Mather. While there he met Diane Sprague, the Wing Commander's daughter. Shortly after they were married, in the early 1980s, they were assigned to Guam where Daniel was born.
Three Generations of B-52 Airmen
When Capt. Daniel Welch, 23rd Bomb Squadron Pilot, arrived at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., in January 2011, he became part of the same squadron his grandfather commanded in the 1970s, the 23d Bomb
www.minot.af.mil
Col. Sprague, Daniel's grandfather, was commissioned by ROTC. He went to Maxwell AFB, Ala., for additional training, where he met Daniel's grandmother, Marion. He attended pilot training in Texas. During his career he flew the F-86 Saber, the B-47 and then "the mighty B-52," flying every model from the A to H.
Sprague flew combat missions in Vietnam. As a result of one of those missions over North Vietnam, he became a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Sprague returned from Vietnam and was assigned to Minot AFB in the early 1970s "where he became the squadron commander of the 23rd Bomber Barons." Sprague then was assigned to Mather AFB, Calif., where he became the wing commander.
Don Welch, Daniel's father, was commissioned by ROTC, and assigned to Mather. While there he met Diane Sprague, the Wing Commander's daughter. Shortly after they were married, in the early 1980s, they were assigned to Guam where Daniel was born.
I saw one up close at the atomic energy museum in Albuquerque. That's a big girl!
I have always to go in there but several years ago it was closed.
