While serving as an Intercept Director at the 788th ACWRON near Waverly, Iowa in the 1950s, we received word of an unusual mission. Some SAC B-47s from Smokey Hill (now Whiteman) AFB were returning from 90-day rotation to England and we were to flight follow them through our area of responsibility. A B-47 pilot came to our site to give us radio frequencies and otherwise coordinate with us. We were surprised that SAC wanted any help and he was surprised that we had more than a handful of people and one small sail. He said they had been told that ADC radar didn`t have anything that could help them so they were on their own. Understandable.

I got on the weapon and established radio contact with Ace High flight after they came through the ADIZ west of Detroit. I got them ID`d and said "Ace High Lead, I have your aircraft and three chicks." He responded "Negative, Butterfly, leader and two chicks." It was nighttime; I asked him to turn off his interior lights and look out to starboard. He may have done that, but they were a happy-go-lucky bunch one hour from home, and I got a quick "Negative." We had 4 good skin paints, so I had my crew chief alert the Control Center. No scramble was ordered. I told my crew chief to watch that flight closely. About the time they crossed Green Three the starboard-most bird left the flight and headed west. I ordered my chief to track him and coordinate with adjoining sites to track him until he landed. I requested his aircraft type, tail number, and the pilot`s name.

He landed at Offutt AFB; was a T-33A, and the pilot was someone named Curtis LeMay. We didn`t violate him.

Gene Oathout