Today, June 23, 2012, I attended the dedication ceremony for the Historical Marker commemorating the December 12, 1966 crash of the B-58A Hustler 60-1119 76 assigned to 305
th BW, known as the “Pink Panther”. Three United States Air Force personnel lost their lives that fateful day,
Major Richard F. Blakeslee, pilot; Captain Floyd E. Acker, Nav/Bomardier; and Captain. Clarence D. Lunt.
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| B-58 Huslter, "Pink Panther" |
With an application from Becky Riddle, the Kentucky Historical Marker Program Coordinator, Chris Bennett and Alan Reed were able to push the project forward. It was the dream of Major Richard Blakelee’s son, Rob to have a historical marker placed at the site of the crash.
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| Rob Blakeslee |
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Becky Riddle, Kentucky Historical Society
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Darrell Hovius, an English Professor at the University of Cincinnati was a 14 year boy home watching “Big Valley” on the family TV, when simultaneously he heard the crash and the electric power went out. The family thought the Russians had attacked. Remember this was during the Cold War.
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| Darrell Hovius |
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| Rev Don Scilly |
Reverend Don Scilly shared a moving remembrance of the crash day. Much more personal information about officers who died, the airplane, and the historical marker project can be found at www.b58memorial.com. Honor guard for the dedication was provided by the VFW post 6097.
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| VFW Post 6097 |
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| Historical Marker B58 "Pink Panther" |
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| Crash site 1966 |
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B-58 Hustler, 60-1119 76 crashed about 1.3 miles west of McKinney, Lincoln County, Kentucky.
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| Alvin Hamm, Valerie Thompson, Don Scheffler |
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I am proud to say that two of my own cousins, Alvin Hamm and Don Scheffler are members of the Kentucky Patriot Guard Riders who road today for this dedication. More about the mission of the riders can be found at http://pgrofky.com/
I was pleased to observe the dedication ceremony and applaud all those responsible.
All photographs are my own.
