I just got back from an outstanding "Cold War in Flames" Symposium
organized by SAC Museum Curator Sarah McFarland and former SAC RB-47
crewmember, Association of Old Crows program organizer, and friend of
the SACMARC, Robb Hoover. It was an excellent opportunity to get an
insider's view of the history of Strategic Reconnaissance, especially
the 10 specific incidents of shootdowns of U.S. reconnaissance aircraft
over or near Soviet/Communist territory. Notable special guests were
Colonels (then Captains) John R. McKone and Freeman B. Olmstead, who
were the sole surviving crew members of an RB-47 shot down over the
Barents Sea in international waters by the Soviets in July of 1960,
captured, and held in Moscow's Lubyanca prison in solitary confinement
for 7 months before being released.
Their story is chronicled in the book "Little Toy Dog:"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0525147594/qid=905637369/sr=1-2/002-5494511-1533208
or
http://www.west.net/~books/sbooksW.htm
Ms. McFarland was obviously very busy, so during a lull after the
symposium was over, I just quickly introduced myself. She remembered me
and our project (proposed temporary exhibit about amateur radio
contributions to SAC communications). She said that Wayne Schmidt and
her had read my recent letter (thanking Mr. Schmidt for his time over
the phone attempting to schedule to 1998 AF QSO Party at the Museum and
requesting a place at the Museum for the 1999 AF QSO Party). She stated
that both of them were very receptive to the idea of an exhibit in
principle, and would get back with us as soon as the workload of
starting up the Museum and getting it running smoothly subsided. She
did reiterate her concern, stated over the phone when we talked last
(earlier this year, just after she had taken over from Fred Poyner),
about the Museum not wanting to assemble a large permanent collection of
military radios. I reassured her that I understood her concern, and
that any such artifacts could be a small number of temporary loans from
private collectors and the Leo Meyerson radio collection at the Western
Heritage Museum that would be returned once the exhibit was over.
So, SACMARC members should be reassured that the Museum definitely
hasn't forgotten about us, we just need to be patient and wait for "our
turn" after the higher-priority items like Museum start-up and the
current schedule of events get attended to.
73, Paul, K3FU
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