Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think what is suppose to be new in the story is how close it came to detonation. What does the book say about that or does it just say the bombs fell? We also dropped bombs on Spain which I like to bring up at cocktail parties.
And the bomb near Florence did detonate but was not nuclear at that time. I'll add it to my smalltalk list
according to my book the bomb in Florence was indeed nuclear, housing and
apartment blocks are now built around that area. After being sued by the family whom lost their house and almost their lives , the government begrudgingly paid the Gregg family.
although nuclear fission did not happen ,
the plane crew was left with the stigma of being the only crew
to ever drop a A-bomb on US soil.
and what is the lifespan of those " redundant safety mechanisms"?
From your own post (which I presume you read):
Quote:
Originally Posted by movedtothecoast
4 days later and 20 ft deep detonators and arming devices were found.
The bomb is never going to detonate.
As far as radiation goes, it is a very simple matter to measure this; it is simple now, and it was simple in 1961. Seriously, do you not believe that the Air Force thought to do this, or that the farmer cannot check the level any time he desires?
I'm curious -- how old are you? Do you have any first-hand knowledge of life in 1961?
Last edited by Hamish Forbes; 09-23-2013 at 04:33 PM..
Was just reading about this! It's unbelievable. I wonder how many people in NC even know about it. Incredible that they left one of the bombs in the ground because it was too much trouble to remove!!
Are you serious? Everybody with a pulse knew about it. Walter Cronkite reported it on the CBS national news. Too much trouble to remove? What kind of people do you think were alive in 1961? They worked like Trojans to find the bomb. The idea is that it embedded itself deeply in the ground. If there was no danger of detonation (and there wasn't) and no evidence of a radiation leak (and there wasn't) then the safest thing to do was to leave it in peace.
Are you serious? Everybody with a pulse knew about it.
I said "I wonder how many people know about it." Not knew about it. I have no idea how many knew back in 1961 nor do I consider it particularly germane to the present discussion. And you don't read so well.
Quote:
The bomb is never going to detonate.
How do you know this?
Quote:
What kind of people do you think were alive in 1961? They worked like Trojans to find the bomb. The idea is that it embedded itself deeply in the ground. If there was no danger of detonation (and there wasn't) and no evidence of a radiation leak (and there wasn't) then the safest thing to do was to leave it in peace.
We can put a man on the moon but we can't dig a thermo-nuclear bomb out of someone's farm in North Carolina? Hmm
I said "I wonder how many people know about it." Not knew about it. I have no idea how many knew back in 1961 nor do I consider it particularly germane to the present discussion. And you don't read so well.
How do you know this?
We can put a man on the moon but we can't dig a thermo-nuclear bomb out of someone's farm in North Carolina? Hmm
I'm sorry -- I forgot that history began the day you were born.
Because the detonators have long-ago been recovered and removed. Do you have any idea at all how these things work?
Why would anyone want to try to dig-up the bomb? -- let it RIP, doing no further harm to anyone. Believe it or not, the people who made these decisions actually knew more than you about nuclear weapons . . .
I would like to make one more comment about this, which will be my last in this thread unless someone has a specific question.
In 1961, we were deeply engaged with the Soviet Union in the cold war. Both sides had the capacity to destroy life as we know it, literally. Although Stalin had died in 1953, his legacy still controlled the Kremlin -- Stalin was probably the most evil being ever to occupy a human body, and is generally put on par with Hitler as a menace to decency.
Consequently, we in the US were afraid of a first strike on us by the Soviets. They were thought to be more likely to do this if they could knock-out our land-based missiles, so that we could not retaliate.
In response, the US Strategic Air Command kept nuclear-armed bombers in the air 24/7. The guys flying the particular plane associated with the accident near Goldsboro (home of Seymour Johnson Air Base) were engaged in this capacity. These were men (and yes, they were all men) who were prepared to face certain death flying said bomb straight to Moscow if need be, so to deter the Soviets from attacking us first.
This strategy worked, and we survived. Thanks to their efforts, and to the efforts of a lot of people just like them, the next generation can come here to post on CD about the location of the nearest Whole Foods, complain about the price of exotic greens, and insult half of the population of North Carolina by laughing at their way of life and calling them "bigoted," "backward," and whatever else is convenient, all the while having accomplished next to nothing themselves beyond shuffling papers at best. And then they move on to insinuate that the men associated with the Goldsboro accident were irresponsible idiots, without having themselves any understanding whatsoever of the specifics of the incident or the context of the times.
So here's your assignment, hypothetically -- the bomb has just been lost, and it's your job to try to find it, disarm it, and dig it up. All you know at this time (the detonators have not been found yet) is that four megatons of trouble are on the loose somewhere under your feet. Does anyone posting here think that he -- or she -- has the guts to have at it? If not, maybe you should be a little more respectful of the men who did.
I would like to make one more comment about this, which will be my last in this thread unless someone has a specific question.
In 1961, we were deeply engaged with the Soviet Union in the cold war. Both sides had the capacity to destroy life as we know it, literally. Although Stalin had died in 1953, his legacy still controlled the Kremlin -- Stalin was probably the most evil being ever to occupy a human body, and is generally put on par with Hitler as a menace to decency.
Consequently, we in the US were afraid of a first strike on us by the Soviets. They were thought to be more likely to do this if they could knock-out our land-based missiles, so that we could not retaliate.
In response, the US Strategic Air Command kept nuclear-armed bombers in the air 24/7. The guys flying the particular plane associated with the accident near Goldsboro (home of Seymour Johnson Air Base) were engaged in this capacity. These were men (and yes, they were all men) who were prepared to face certain death flying said bomb straight to Moscow if need be, so to deter the Soviets from attacking us first.
This strategy worked, and we survived. Thanks to their efforts, and to the efforts of a lot of people just like them, the next generation can come here to post on CD about the location of the nearest Whole Foods, complain about the price of exotic greens, and insult half of the population of North Carolina by laughing at their way of life and calling them "bigoted," "backward," and whatever else is convenient, all the while having accomplished next to nothing themselves beyond shuffling papers at best. And then they move on to insinuate that the men associated with the Goldsboro accident were irresponsible idiots, without having themselves any understanding whatsoever of the specifics of the incident or the context of the times.
So here's your assignment, hypothetically -- the bomb has just been lost, and it's your job to try to find it, disarm it, and dig it up. All you know at this time (the detonators have not been found yet) is that four megatons of trouble are on the loose somewhere under your feet. Does anyone posting here think that he -- or she -- has the guts to have at it? If not, maybe you should be a little more respectful of the men who did.
all I can say is "WOW" Hamish, you really took this to another level.
no need to try and guess where the bomb is, we all know the location , no need to be
so defensive about the pilots, nobody is making fun of them. No need to be so defensive of what
our government might do or hide from us. I understand the need to protect our country at the time.
And yes, I was born way before 1961.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
