Chapbook: Draft

 I have finished the draft for the chapbook.

Chapter 1: The Design of B-52H

In 1948, after the World War Two ended, the world entered the era of the cold war.  In response to the escalating tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, the United States Air Force seek for a new long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons and to replace the B-29.

This is the journey of the B-52 began. Engineers from Boeing worked very hard over the blueprints, sketches, and calculations. They experimented with new materials, such as aluminium alloys and composite materials, to make the aircraft lighter and more durable.

As the design phase neared completion, the project faced a lot of difficulties and obstacles. Budget cuts threatened to cancel the program, and the design team also facing different technical challenges, such as landing gear failure.

Despite the challenges, the engineers worked tirelessly to overcome the difficulties one by one. Months turned into years as the B-52 slowly took shape on the assembly line and successfully finished her maiden flight in 1954. 

The final B-52H, named “the Spirit of Minot”, was delivered to the United States Air Force in 1962, 8 years after her older sister’s first flight with a total of 744 B-52s were built.

In the following years, the B-52 became the icon of the American’s strong air, serving faithfully in different conflicts around the globe. From the Cold War to Vietnam War, from the Operation of Deserts Storm till now, it still plays an important role in the USAF fleet. Because of the

 

Chapter 2: Vietnam War

It was 1965, and the Vietnam War broke out. The United States, determined to tear down the communist, deployed chemical weapons into the frontline. It was the first combat mission for the nuclear bomb capable bomber.

The bomber fleet flew a total of nearly 114,000 sorties over the Vietnam War, and over 7.5 million tons of bombs were dropped into the southeast Asian country.

Callsign Pine One, a B-52D, once flew on a mission with another 2 aircrafts in 1970.

They were out into the skies of Anderson Air Force Base, in Guam, during the midnight, and ready to raid the area that the communists were controlling.

After 6 hours, the three bombers flying in formation were 1 minutes out from their targeted area. 33,000 feet above ground, they opened their bomb bay door, and started the countdown.

‘Ten, nine…’ the navigator from Pine One was counting down through the intercom, ‘… three, two, one! Bombs away!’

The fuselage of the bombers shook as the chemical bombs were dropped out from the bomb bay. After 50 seconds, as the bombs strike the surface of the ground, the navigator shouted ‘impact!’

The sky brightened up as the sun came out from the horizon, the crew set a new heading on their instruments that brought them home safely.

 

Chapter 3: The Desert Storm

Gulf War started in 1990, when Saddam Hussein led a well-equipped Iraqi army into Kuwait, a major supplier of oil to the United States. It was a threat to the Saudi, and of course, the Iraqi forces violated the regulation of the United Nations.

There were a couple of operations by the United States and its allies. They raided the Iraqi forces with fighter jets.

The Spirit of Minot, joined in the Gulf War as her first combat mission. She had been in training and standby missions during the Cold War.

She was in Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, when the war broke out. The crew started to load the bombs into the bomb bay and got ready for the first sortie.

She flew over 17 hours with receiving gas from refuelling tanker three times during flight until she reached to the middle east, where she dropped all of her ‘cargos’ over the territory. After striking the Iraqi Air Force Base in Kuwait, the Spirit of Minot returned to the States with another 17 hours of flight.

She then had another mission to bomb another airport and surrounding facilities. When the bomb bay door opened, she could see a four-ship Iraqi fighter jets were struggling to survive and were taxiing to the runway. By the time the bombs impacted onto the surface, the fighter jets started their rolling. Pieces of flames broke out when one of the bombs strikes through the lead ship.

Flying through the burning city, she could hear the god of war sings, and the people cried.

And Operation of Desert Strom was her last mission before retiring from the fleet.

 

Chapter Four: retirement?

The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), signed in 1991, was a nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.

As a long range strategic nuclear bomber, the fleet size of B-52s gradually reduce and most of the airframe were sent to storage, including the last B-52H, the Spirit of Minot.

She was sent to the graveyard in the late 1990s. The mechanics dismantled the giant bomber, and all the parts must go through tests and inspections before long term storage.

 She thought this might be her fate, but an accident in 2008 changed her life. A B-52H crashed shortly after departure in Anderson AFB, Guam. The fleet has to be grounded for inspection, and there is an opening for the fleet. The mechanics decided to put the Spirit of Minot back to the services since she had a better condition than the others.

In 2012, after 4 years of maintenance, she was back into service. She was sent to Pacific Asia for intimidation missions. She also participated in numerous exercises with pacific countries, such as Japan, Australia.

In 2020, the USAF decided to extent the B-52Hs’ service lives to 2060. At the age of 56, the Spirit of Minot was chosen to be the testbed for the future upgrades for the same variant bomber. She never thought about to work a century for the country. She will be retrofitted with newer and environmentally friendly engines, and newer electronic controls, so that her crew would find it easier to fly with the Big Ugly Fat Fellow.

Now she is in the hanger of Barksdale, reflecting on all the missions she had flew, and wishing one day she could witness the peace from all over the world.

 

In skies so vast, the B-52 soars,

With wings of steel, and engines roars.

But beneath its might, a plea we find,

For peace to reign, in hearts and mind.

 

Amidst the clouds, a message clear,

To end the wars, to dry each tear.

For in the face of strife and pain,

Love and peace must always reign.

 

So let us dream of skies so blue,

Where B-52s fly, with peace in view.

And may the world, in harmony,

Find a future where all are free.