7397-R4_MSA_Dec2020_MaineSnowmobiler

“FINALMISSION The North Woods” The Story Behind the Elephant Mountain B-52 Site Joseph R. Wax

places to visit when out on the trails. Locally, that spot is referred to as “the B-52 site,” where a B-52 aircraft crashed on January 24, 1963. Perhaps you’ve already had the chance to experience this hallowed sanctuary nes- tled in a quiet forest clear- ing, miles from town and preserved for years by the efforts of the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club. If you have visited, then you likely were as unprepared as I was on my first trip almost 25 years ago, for the power- fully moving encounter that awaits. The time spent walk- ing the site left an indelible memory, drawing me back

numerous times over the ensuing years. Each subse- quent trip raised more and more questions. “Why was a B-52 flying over north- ern Maine in the dead of winter?” What caused the crash? Who were the men aboard that day and what happened to them? What were they like? Did they have families- wives? children? How were they affected by this event? Time passed, filled with work and family, and days turned to years. Yet, throughout the decades, my thoughts frequently returned to Elephant Mountain and the questions that remained

regarding a long ago, frigid midwinter day in Maine’s north woods. For better or worse, I had finally reached the point in my life where attention could be directed to long-delayed tasks. One of those pursuits was finding the elusive answers to the unsolved mysteries of the B-52 site. The notion of achieving this goal soon became daunt- ing. Despite the passage of time, so little information was available even with the explosion of the internet. The resources of local and regional Maine public librar- ies and period newspapers were quickly exhausted after learning the men’s names and that only two of the nine crew aboard survived the plane crash. “Hits” on mul- tiple web searches revealed the same redundant sites, with the respective “facts” often in conflict with each

other. It became apparent that another approach was in order – I would have to find and reach out to those directly involved with the events of that fateful day. Could they be located almost 60 years after the event? How would my unsolicited inquiries be taken by those whose lives and families were shattered in an instant? Would my letters receive angry responses for ripping open wounds long since healed, or would they, hope- fully, be welcomed? Fortunately, seven of the nine flyers’ families were able to be located and con- tacted, six of which were enthusiastically encourag- ing and supportive of the endeavor! Additional assis- tance came from retired Air Force personnel involved with the mission. Across the country, they opened their hearts and homes to

The town of Greenville and its environs is a well-re- garded mecca for snowmo- bilers, featuring incredible vistas of the north woods’ mountains and lakes, and a destination at the top of many folks’ bucket list of

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