Tillamook Air Museum “Re-Christen” B-52 Stratofortress Cockpit Display, Special Guests on April 1st

The Tillamook Air Museum invites all   for the Ribbon Cutting, Christening and open cockpit of the Tillamook Air Museum’s newest exhibit, a B-52G Stratofortress cockpit on Saturday April 1st from 11 am-12:30. A Veteran of the Cold War, Vietnam War, and Gulf War, this bomber served America with pride for over 30 years! Our special guest for the event is Sherry Lowe. In 1964, Sherry was bestowed the title of “Miss Bangor” (Maine). As a part of her crown, Sherry was tasked with Christening a B-52 Stratofortress at Dow Air Force Base in Maine, the “City of Bangor.” Coincidentally, this is the same B-52 that the Museum has been working hard to restore this past year. Now 59 years later, Sherry is joining us at the Museum to “re-christen” her airplane, “Osiris” (the name given the aircraft during the Gulf War era). Come on out and join in on  the fun, climb through our B-52 Stratofortress cockpit, get your picture taken inside, and talk to Veterans who served aboard this magnificent aircraft! For more information on this event, contact the Museum at 503-842-1130 or email us at Info@Tillamookair.com

FREE tickets – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/b-52g-cockpit-exhibit-grand-opening-tickets-548019108907

The Museum’s B-52G Stratofortress was built in Wichita, Kansas and delivered to the United States Air Force on September 23, 1960. The Museum’s B-52, developed as a Cold War Strategic bomber, served the United States with pride in several wings of the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command. In February 1963, the airplane was transferred to the Air Force’s 397^th Bombardment Wing at Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Maine. On May 16, 1964, the city of Bangor (Maine) was given honorary ownership of the airplane and the B-52 was christened the “City of Bangor” by Miss Bangor, Sheryllee Kay Jones (now Sherry Lowe) who ceremoniously broke a bottle of champagne on the nose of the airplane. On April 5, 1968, the B-52 and another aircraft, an Air Force KC-135 left Dow Air Force Base, the last two aircraft to leave the closing base (now Bangor International Airport). The Airplane was then transferred to the 2^nd Bombardment Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, before being transferred, again, back to Maine in April 1972 at Loring Air Force Base (in northeastern Maine, near Limestone). On May 31, 1972, the airplane was transferred to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, as part of “Operation Bullet Shot” (a build-up of B-52 aircraft to combat the threat of the North Vietnamese). Although records at the moment are scarce, while at Andersen Air Force Base, the airplane seems to have also participated in “Linebacker ll,” the bombing campaign that took place over North Vietnam from December 18-29, 1972. Following its service at Andersen, the airplane would go on to be stationed at a variety of other Air Force stations throughout the country, including in Texas, California, North Dakota, and Washington. Along the way, the airplane was also given several more names, including “City of Bangor,”  Soiee”, “Armed & Ready/Make my day,” “Heavy Metal,” “Boodrow,” & lastly “Osiris” (the Egyptian god of the dead). In 1991, with the build-up of tensions surrounding Iraq’s invasion of its neighbor Kuwait, the Museum’s B-52 was put into action.

Here in the first Gulf War, the Museum’s B-52 Stratofortress flew 14 combat missions over enemy territory, based out of both Moron, Spain and Fairford, England. One such mission that we have records for, totaling 16.3 hours, occurred on February 6, 1991, when the Museum’s B-52 (along with five other B-52’s) carried out a night time bombing run over a major Iraqi Air Force Base just south of Baghdad, Al-Iskandariyah. On another mission during the Gulf War,  on February 23, 1991, the B-52 performed a high altitude (38,000 ft) bombing run over Northern Kuwait and targeted Iraqi minefields in preparation of American troops on the ground. On this particular mission the airplane carried 52 Mk. 82 bombs (500lbs. each!) with which to destroy these minefields. In total, the Museum’s B-52 flew 216.7 hours during the first Gulf War (on 14 sorties). Shortly after the Gulf War, on November 12, 1991, the airplane was retired to the Aircraft Storage & Disposition Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona (known as the “Boneyard”) where it was cut into five pieces to satisfy terms of disarmament agreements (treaties) that had been made between the United States and the Soviet Union. The airplane’s cockpit was, fortunately, saved when a Museum in St. George Utah, known as the Southern Utah Aviation Museum (now defunct) retrieved the cockpit and began restoration of the piece for display at their museum. When the museum went belly-up, the cockpit was sold to Doug Scroggins of Scroggins Aviation Mockup & Effects (one of the leaders in supplying Hollywood with aviation mockups). Sadly, after Scroggins Aviation took possession of the piece, the cockpit was vandalized with spray paint. To remove the spray paint, the airplane was power washed (which unfortunately ruined the airplane’s paint job). Scroggins Aviation subsequently loaned the B-52 to the Tillamook Air Museum where it arrived on September 8, 2021.

The cockpit is currently under active restoration and revitalization by staff at the Museum who plan on repainting the cockpit in Gulf War (desert camouflage) colors to celebrate and honor its service in the first Gulf War.

The mission and goal of the Tillamook Air Museum is to interpret, preserve, educate, and honor the history of Naval Air Station Tillamook, Hangar B, and all aspects of civil and military aviation. We work to preserve artifacts, photographs, and documents for all future generations and to honor the memory of the men and women who have contributed to this history. The Museum has dozens of exhibits and artifacts, planes and photographs and of course, Hangar B – the structure itself is well-worth a visit.  For more information go to www.tillamookair.com