Photo 3-CWA-12

Comments

Just to the right of this quiet farm is the site of a nuclear weapon mishap that occurred on January 23, 1961. A B-52 bomber carrying two fully functional nuclear bombs broke up in mid air and dropped the bombs. Neither one exploded although one had armed 3 of the 4 safety devices necessary to explode. One bomb was recovered intact hanging from a tree by its parachute. The other struck the ground at 700 mph and buried into the field. Much of it was recovered but nuclear material remains to this day buried 180 feet deep.

The US Army Corps of Engineers purchased a 400 ft diameter plot of land over the site. Today, that plot of land is covered in trees and can easily be seen on the satellite map in the lower right corner. The pin marks the spot of land. Here is a link to an article about the incident:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_Go...

Your Comment

Do you have a connection to this photograph? Maybe you grew up here or know someone who did? What has changed in the years since this photo was taken? Tell us!