December 2009 Roadrunner News

December 1st, 2009
Posted in December 2009 Roadrunner News
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ROADRUNNERS
INTERNATIONALE MONTHLY HOUSE SIX NEWS AND GOSSIP

(Not to be confused with the Stars and Stripes)

December 2009 – 39th Edition

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Roadrunners Internationale website

Area 51 Special Projects website

December 2009 Roadrunner News

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- Museum of Flight
- December 1st, 2009
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Tip-to-Tail Tour: Blackbird
Saturday, Dec. 26 – Saturday, Jan. 2
11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The Museum\’s M-21 Blackbird is unique. The history of this plane and others in the Blackbird family of Mach 3 aircraft are explained by a docent during this tip-to-tail tour.
- Dick Clark
- December 2nd, 2009
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Greetings T.D. and all! In response to T.D.’s comment about no responses to the blog, I read the newsletter with interest as always. I also think that the new “blog” system is a great idea. However, I was taught that when you don’t have anything substantive to add to the discussion, that you should “never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut” I could tell you all about the black bear in my back yard (where black bears don’t exist-according to our state wildlife biologists) but that would be about the limit of anything of any interest or wit that I could share with the group.

Being only an associate member, I can’t share stories of the “daring do” that most of you have in common but I feel privileged to call myself a friend of the organization and never miss an opportunity to “shine a light” on your accomplishments! (even to the annoyance of some listeners:)….right Frank?

Just keep up the good work pounding on the ears of the media to continue to get the stories out, you’re off to a good start!
Warmest Regards to ALL!
Dick Clark
- Thomas N. Farrell
- December 2nd, 2009
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Not sure if I i’m on the subscription list. This is a great way to get information out. We owe thanks to all who put time and effort into this project.
- TD Barnes
- December 2nd, 2009
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Thomas, I just now reviewed your excellent website http://thomasfarrell.com and want to commend you for a job well done in covering your part in the recently declassified A-12 Oxcart program while working for the Central Intelligence Agency. You had a very exciting and worthy career. It shows how well the compartmentalization and secrecy worked when we didn’t meet until the dedication of the A-12 at Langley in September 2007. Of course, that is a common factor within the Roadrunners Internationale association, the secret heroes of the Cold War.
- T.D. Barnes
- December 2nd, 2009
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Tom Casey called today and said Roy Owen passed away Friday, the 27th. There will be a Memorial Services on Monday Dec. 7th at 2:00. The service will be held at Butte Creek Country Club, A few miles south of Chico, turn on Estates Drive from HW 99.

Tom didn’t know the cause of death but he was in a home for the past few months. For those that did not know Roy, I believe his title when the 9th Wing started was Director of Ops Plans and was responsible in preparing the Wing for Combat Ready Status along with the integration of automated planning and Intelligences mission inputs. Not an easy task considering some of the contractors failed to fulfill their DOD contracts in those fields.

Rich and Pat would you forward this information to the Habus. Thank you!

Mort Jarvis
- TD Barnes
- December 4th, 2009
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Roadrunners Internationale mourns the sudden death of one of the first members of the Oxcart team. Sammie Lee Gamble, 72, of Las Vegas, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009. He was born Jan. 1, 1937, to Wayne and Jenni Gamble, in Elkhart, Kansas, and was a 54-year resident of Nevada. Sam worked at EG&G for 40 years. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jenni and Wayne Gamble. Sam is survived by his wife, Phyllis, who he was happily married to for 48 years; two children, Jerry and Lisa Gamble; three grandchildren, David and Kyle Gamble and Chelsea Smith, all of Las Vegas; mother of David and Kyle, Traci Chiarello; and sister, Ardith Thrash and her husband, Robert, of Felt, Okla. Sammie was a member of the EG&G Special Projects team who, starting in 1959, worked with Lockheed and the CIA to prepare the Groom Lake facility for the arrival of the A-12 planes for testing. Sammie participated in the RCS phase of Project Oxcart, working with Roadrunner President T.D. Barnes and members Davey and Denise Haen, Debbie Dye, Wayne Pendleton, and Jim Freedman on Project Oxcart, the MiG Exploitation programs Have Doughnut, Have Drill, Have Ferry, the Have Blue stealth, and other projects that remain classified today. Sam was deeply loved by his family and will be greatly missed. Visitation will be 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, with services following, both at Davis Funeral Home, 2127 W. Charleston Blvd. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Infinity Hospice Care, 7251 W. Charleston Blvd. We extend our condolences to the Gamble family.
- T.D. Barnes
- December 5th, 2009
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Roadrunner president T.D. Barnes reminds the Roadrunners and especially our noncom members that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the chief master sergeant rank forged from the World War II development of advanced war-winning capabilities, faster aircraft, bombers, advanced electronics, radar systems and missiles, that created the U.S. Air Force on Sept. 18, 1947.

Exactly 50 years ago on Dec. 1, 1959, 625 Airmen were promoted and pinned as the first-ever chief master sergeants. Called the Charter Chiefs, these Airmen secured their place in history as the first to wear the rank of chief master sergeant. Of the original promotees, less than 100 are still alive today. It was not until after the Korean War that Air Force officials realized the enlisted corps suffered from stagnation in rank. Master sergeant, or E-7, was the highest enlisted rank a person could achieve. It was then that Congress enacted the Career Compensation Act of 1958 that enabled the uniformed services to create two new ranks, senior master sergeant, or E-8, and chief master sergeant, or E-9. Only 1 percent of the master sergeants from the highly technical fields are promoted to chief master sergeant. In the 1970s, Air Staff officials made "Chief" the official term of address for an E-9. Roadrunners Internationale joins in saluting all the Chiefs within its ranks who participated in CIA Project OXCART, and Operation Blackshield. Depicted above are Chief Meinzen and Barnes participating in Pearl Harbor Day at Nellis AFB on December 7, 2009. Chief Meinzen was the keynote speaker at a dinner hosted at the Officer’s Club for Nevada’s Pearl Harbor survivors. Credit is given to Roadrunner James Bard for also contributing recognition to this significant day in the history of our armed forces.
- T.D. Barnes
- December 10th, 2009
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Roadrunners internationale is proud to accept in its membership during the month of December: Mr. Richard L. Cohn, Director of the Nevada Intelligence Center and president of AFIO/Las Vegas Chapter Association for Intelligence Officers, Dr. Thomas W. McGarity, retired EG&G Special Projects and Los Alamos scientist, and Irene E. Willhite, Curator of the Alabama Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville and home of A-12 Article 127.
- TD Barnes
- December 12th, 2009
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When I posted the notice of the passing of my Groom Lake friend and associate of half a century ago I thought I had done all I could do and was prepared to move on. Today I learned this was not to be. You see - today I attended the memorial for Sammie Gamble and learned that there was much I knew about my friend that was not known to anyone else, not Phyllis, his wonderful wife of 52 years, not his daughter and son, Lisa and Jerry, not his grandchildren, nor his friends that included a few who had worked with Sammie at the Area - Groom Lake. Most had no idea that he had worked for the CIA during Project OXCART, or the Air Force Foregn Technology Division, Tactical Air Command, Navy, SAC, or NRO at the Area during the MiG exploitation Projects Have Doughnut, Have Drill, and Have Ferry, these being a declassified fraction of the other still classified projects in which Sammie played a major role during the Cold War, Vietnam War, and the wars thereafter. No one knew of the months of Sammie and the rest of us being literally bombarded with spy satellite coverage by the Soviet Union who had learned of our secret facility, or the security briefings alerting us to the threat of spies monitoring our every move and that of our families. None knew that two years ago the CIA declassified Sammie's identity in relation to the declassified Oxcart project and that he could now tell his family about those blank years early in his and Phyllis' 52 year marriage - where he went and what he did when he left home on Monday morning and returned Friday night. So today I again said goodbye to a buddy with whom I shared a bond known only to those who have shared a foxhole in war, realizing that my job was not done. I hope that those reading this blog will help me as I record for the Gamble family and all the other families and friends the legacy of those participating in the declassified activities of which we shared foxholes during the Cold War. T.D. Barnes, President Roadrunners Internationale
- Dan F
- December 14th, 2009
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Mr. Ferrell,
I commend you for gifting to us your story and experiences from such an important part of American history.

Most people don’t realized the true history and critical nature of the Oxcart Program. We are still learning about the human aspects as well as the technical achievements that were developed so many decades ago.

People generally think the Blackbirds were just fast and that\’s what made them unbeatable. But, we know of many other technical features that provided the edge over vulnerability. Things like avionics, alloys, advance plastic components, aerodynamic shape, and special elements use as fuel additives gave these birds the advantage.

It was special people too, who developed, built, and maintained the systems, program operations, and logistics. For sure it was a special team of patriots.

From my experiences I have come to realize that the future will reveal more of what has been told in the story of the greatest aviation achievements in human history.

Thank You!
Dan Freeman Tsgt, USAF (Ret) web site- http://mach3ti.com
- TD Barnes
- December 14th, 2009
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Thank you, Dan for this and previous contributions you have made towards getting our story told. Without inputs such as yours it will not be done as each participant in the projects at Groom Lake holds, in most cases, the only knowledge of his part in making the projects a success. We took no notes and didn't talk in those days. The projects at Groom Lake were classified and compartmentalized and shared only with those having a need to know, thus individual participation such as yours is the only way the full legacy of the few projects just now being declassified can be told. Thank you for your participation and we hope to publish many more of your accounts of what happened in utmost secrecy half a century ago.
- Joe Donoghue
- December 15th, 2009
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Roadrunner and former CIA Joe Donoghue was copied on this email from Lin Xu, a Chinese researcher in aerial photography and aviation archeology and passed it on to Webmaster T.D. Barnes to share with our members and visitors. It concerns a long-lost Tagboard that chose to land in China.
Lin said, “The photos below are of the wreckage of a D-21B at the Chinese Aviation Museum – it is said that before this year’s renovation, it was piled outside in dirt and for a long time the museum does not know what it was (see photo enclosed). When I was at the museum last January it was so cold I only spend 20 minutes and I missed it myself. The wreckage has since been moved inside.
A memoir by a Chinese general claims that it fell down by itself in forests, largely intact, due to internal failures.”
Donoghue reports that previous U.S. claim was that this one was lost in a heavily defended area and implied that it was shot down. That does not look like the case. He said that Gen. Chen also commented about it.
- Brenda Lear
- December 15th, 2009
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It is with great sadness that I report, the 14th of December 2009, my beloved husband Bill Lear, Jr. took his last breath. He went peacefully in his hangar with myself, his daughter Saskia, niece Marisa and loved R.N. Donna all by his side. It was always his wish to die in the hangar. He went out in style! At his request there will not be any services, just a celebration party of his life, by invitation and to be announced in the new year. Wishing you, and yours a peaceful and happy holiday season. Brenda Lear
- James Bard
- December 15th, 2009
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Air Force Museum Gets No. 2: Retired Lt. Gen. John Hudson, former commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center, has been named to fill the newly created position of deputy director of the National Museum of the United States Air Force on the grounds of Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. In this role, Hudson, a 1973 Air Force Academy graduate who retired from active duty service in October, will assist with planning, organizing, and directing not only NMUSAF’s operation, but the entire Air Force museum system, according to Wright-Patterson officials. His duties will also include the responsibility, as delegated by the Air Force Secretary, for the preservation of the service’s “material culture.” Creation of the deputy director position reflects the continuing growth of the NMUSAF and its “inestimable value” to the Air Force, the officials said. (Wright-Patterson report)
- T.D. Barnes
- December 17th, 2009
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For those who have wondered what our quarters looked like at Groom Lake in the 1960s, wonder no more. In August 1961 the essential facilities at Area 51 were completed. Three surplus U.S. Navy hangars from the Hawthorne, Nevada Naval Base were obtained, dismantled, and erected on the north side of the base, just north of the three original hangars. They were designated as Hangars 4, 5, and 6. A fourth, Hangar 7, was also built. One hundred and forty surplus U.S. Navy housing units were transported to the base and made ready for occupancy. The original U-2 hangars now served as maintenance and machine shops. Facilities in the main cantonment area included workshops and buildings for storage and administration, a commissary, control tower, fire station, and housing. Each residential building housed 4 people. We each had a private room and shared a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. I'm including some new views of the Groom Lake facility after a heavy rain storm during CIA Project OXCART that was declassified on 19 September 2007, the 60th anniversary of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- T.D. Barnes
- December 17th, 2009
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FALSE EMERGENCY LANDINGS AT GROOM LAKE

Security Breached

In July 1957 a civilian pilot was detained when he made an emergency landing at the Watertown airstrip. Edward K. Current Jr., a Douglas Aircraft Company employee, had been on a cross country training flight when he became lost, ran low on fuel, and decided to land at Groom Lake. He was held overnight and questioned. Nevada Test Organization (NTO) security officials reported the incident to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), which administered the air closure over the Test Site. The following day, the NTO Office of Test Information issued a press release to the news media, describing the incident. The statement noted that the "Watertown landing strip is in the Groom lake area at the northeast corner of the Nevada Test Site." In June 1958 an area comprised of 38,400 acres of land surrounding the
Watertown base was officially withdrawn from public access under Public Land
Order 1662. This rectangular addition to the Nevada Test Site was designated
"Area 51." The airspace over Groom Lake became part of a new Restricted Area called R-4808N (replacing the former Prohibited Area P-275), that covered both the Nevada Test Site and Area 51. It prohibited overflights below 60,000 feet. In January 1962 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expanded the restricted airspace above Groom to 22 by 20 nautical miles. The lakebed now lies at the center of a 440-square-mile box at the heart of the Nellis Air Force
Range. Eventually, the airspace was restricted continuously, at all altitudes. A flight of three F-105 Thunderchiefs, led by British exchange pilot Anthony "Bugs" Bendell, was on a practice nuclear weapon delivery sortie about 80 miles north of Nellis AFB when one aircraft experienced an oil pressure malfunction. One F-105 returned to Nellis while Bendell led the stricken craft to the airfield at Groom Lake. After making a pass over the field with no response to distress calls, Bendell advised the student pilot to land.
At this point, two F-101 Voodoos intercepted Bendell and forced him to land
also. As the Air Force Red Flag exercises increased in attendance participating pilots begin to declare emergencies in a guise to obtain permission to land in the restricted airspace "box" at Groom Lake. The emergency landings ceased after one of the pilots was retained for a prolonged period for debriefings and the plane held even longer to send a message to the Air Force that such security breaches would no longer be tolerated.
- admin
- December 22nd, 2009
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2 December 2009 – CIA A-12 Project OXCART pilot Frank Murray welcomed back to his high school in San Diego where he addressed the Saints Scholars with a Power Point presentation of the OXCART Story. Murray described the occasion as a honor and treat to address students at his school where he graduated 60 years ago with the class of 48 sixty years ago. The Scholars are the top grade point average students of the Senior/Junior classes at St Augustine. This was the youngest group Murray has addressed with his presentation normally given to AF ROTC cadets, Daedalians, Lions Club, etc. Murray was treated to a luncheon following the presentation. In the photo below are: top left Murray, Ed Hearn, the Saints’ President/Principal. Bottom left are Ed Hearn, Frank Murray, and former class mate Fred Rios. The rest of the photos were taken during the presentation or on the school grounds.

Click here to learn more about Lt. Colonel Frank Murray:
- Museum of Flight
- December 23rd, 2009
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Tip-to-Tail Tour: Blackbird
Saturday, Dec. 26 – Saturday, Jan. 2
11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The Museum’s M-21 Blackbird is unique. The history of this plane and others in the Blackbird family of Mach 3 aircraft are explained by a docent during this tip-to-tail tour.
- admin
- December 23rd, 2009
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The photos below show two different SA-2 missiles that were shot at USAF SR-71 Blackbird pilot Tony Bevacqua and Jerry Crew (RSO) on July 26, 1968 while flying aircraft # 976 on a surveillance mission over the Hanoi area. This was the first time that this happened to a USAF SR-71. They air refueled over Thailand and repeated their flight over the exact same route a second time, this time with no incident. Having completed their mission, they refueled again and returned to Kadena AB, Okinawa. The A-12 Blackbird (CIA) were shot at a number of times. Of all the USAF and CIA Blackbird missions flown, only the plane being flown by CIA pilot Dennis Sullivan sustained a hit. On landing at Kadena, Okinawa a small piece of missile shrapnel was discovered embedded in the plane flown by Sullivan. Because of the altitute flown and the Mach 3 speed, no Blackbird was ever shot down. Note the missile contrails in the photos.
- hard armor
- December 23rd, 2009
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I have to say that this is favorite blogs. Excellent job moderating. And interesting articles. Rarely does a site causes me to bring it up in coversation. I hope everyone enjoys the holidays.
- Carter
- December 26th, 2009
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I just watched the October panel discussion on C-Span3. What a terrific, informative panel. Thanks!

You might consider giving this excellent web site a bit of a makeover. Courier is not an easy font to read on the screen. Also, larger left and right margins would make it easier to enlarge the type. Finally, white type on a black screen is very hard to read–actually, I think there is a protocol somewhere that says white type on a black background should not be used because it presents problems for people with vision problems.

I\’l be sure to recommend this site to my aviation friends.

All Best Wishes for the New Year.
- JChuck Cossin
- December 27th, 2009
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Mr Barnes,

I saw you and your fellow servicemen on CSPAN. I was fascinated. You all, made me proud to be a older citizen and an AMERICAN.
I pray the younger generation has a tenth of your generation’s (my generation also), ambition and determination.
God Bless All of You !

Chuck Cossin (in Michigan)

PS: You have a great web site.
- jeff
- December 27th, 2009
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I enjoyed the program with George Knapp interviewing the Area 51 pilots. It was real good. CSPAN-3 played it 2 times today.
Jeff
Louisiana
- Ray Harkin
- December 27th, 2009
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I recently saw a panel discussion with former pilots of the A12 program, on the History Channel. It really caught my eye, and I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for taking time to work with this type of program, and its amazing to meet these men, hear the stories, and enjoyed their humor.

I just had to send a thanks to everybody involved in those programs, and enlightening us on what was in our past. I have serious concerns now, that all that bravery and effort will be lost, and govenment directions now is a serious threat to all of us.

Enough said..Thanks.Ray Harkness

Ray A. Harkness
Investigative and Security Services
Licensed State of New York, State of Florida
Emails to: raharkness@earthlink.net

(NEW YORK OFFICE) (NY Lic#11000049667)
6558 Fourth Section Rd, #144, Brockport, NY, 14420
Ph: 585-734-5519 Fax: 646-587-5714
(FLORIDA OFFICE) (Fl Lic# A 2500146)
PO Box 66686
St. Pete Beach, Florida, 33736
Ph: 727-374-7291 Fax: 646-587-5714
web: harknessinvestigations.com
- Carter Kaplan
- December 27th, 2009
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Hi TD:

My volume was down so I didn’t hear the music at first. Later I turned it up for one of the videos, and when I clicked back to the main page I was pleasantly surprised when I heard it. I though it was fine–a pleasant and appropriate selection. As a matter of fact, it made me wonder about adding music to my own site. Music enhances the visitors sense of “space” and location, I think.

Thank you for the New Year wishes! Same to you. “2010″ has a science fiction ring to it.

All Very Best,

Carter Kaplan

http://www.carterkaplan.blogspot.com
- Chris Cox
- December 27th, 2009
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I have just viewed C-Span 3 documentary on the A-12. Thank you.

A good friend, a Mohawk Vietnam pilot, recently told me a radio communication he overheard while flying near Fort Rutger, AL in the early 60’s. An emergency radio transmission was directed to the Pensacola Naval Air station. The ATC responded with ” what is the nature of the emergency, altitude, air-speed, and location. the pilot’s reply…”Flameout, aircraft classified, altitude classified, air speed classified, over central Arkansas, and I’ll be there in about 6 minutes”.

What a great website.

Chris Cox
- Matt Whitacre
- December 28th, 2009
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I just wanted to thank you boys for all you did for our Country and your dedication to the programs for which you worked. We enjoy the freedom we have today because of you and folks like you. The program on C-Span only touched the surface of so many stories and events that took place and I know the reward of the brotherhood and fellowship that you all share.

Best wishes to all of you.

Matt Whitacre (MGySgt USMC Ret)
Bloomington, IN

Retired Huey crew chief and maintenance chief. Now working civil service for NAVAIR as a Deputy Program Manager for Logistics for Navy and Marine Helo crew served weapons.

Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Indiana.
- Maureen Stephan
- December 30th, 2009
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Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for your website – it is very informative, and I am really enjoying going through the amazing information you have made available!

My Dad is Jerry McIlmoyle, one of the U-2 pilots during the Cuban Missile Crisis. My husband and I, along with our two daughters, were down in Florida last week to spend Christmas with him and my mom. Because I do our McIlmoyle family genealogy, I am always asking (bugging) my mom and dad to tell me stories/give me any letters or pictures they might have about our family. This time, my mom gave me the attached letter that my dad had written to her on October 29th, 1962 – 2 days after Rudy Anderson was shot down.

I cannot hardly read it without crying, knowing what he and my mom must have been going through, wondering whether another world war was going to start at any moment. I don’t know if this letter is of interest to you, but it does show the perspective and heartfelt emotions of a person who was so close to the critical events in our Nation’s history.

Thank you again for your website!

Sincerely,

Maureen Stephan (nee McIlmoyle)
- T.D. Barnes
- December 30th, 2009
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FINAL FLIGHT
31 December 2009 02:39:42 hrs GWT – We enter into the new year mourning our CIA brothers and sister Elizabeth Hanson 30 from Rockford, IL., killed in Afghanistan today. We also mourn our Canadian brothers and the journalist accompanying them also killed today while on patrol.
- Jon.Jnr
- December 31st, 2009
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Nice site – Wishing you and yours a very happy and prosperous new year !
- Charles Christian
- December 31st, 2009
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Regarding Jerry McIlmoyle posting;

That week of the Cuban Missile Crisis was unforgettable.

I was overseas with the agency at the time and the message came to us some days before Kennedy\’s announcement alerting us. We got ready for WWIII. I was on a short list of those to be evacuated out of the country to support the key personnel who would also be evacuated.

We were not all as security minded as we should have been as some told their wives to go stock up on dry goods and canned goods. Not that it would have been much comfort to them being left behind to what ever came to them.

It was a day like at was June 25, 1950 with the invasion of S. Korea, I was also overseas and thinking it was the start of WWIII.