The Mefford Field Anachronisms

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Wartime Heinkel 177 A-5 With SC1000 Bomb

Preface

Before WWII the City of Tulare, California established Mefford Field airport northeast of U.S. 99 (California State Route 99) & South K Street (Avenue 200), the city in 1940 leasing it to Rankin Aeronautical Academy Inc. (RAAI) founded by aerobatic pilot, barnstormer, air racer & flight instructor John Gilbert "Tex" Rankin (1894 – 1947) under a U.S. War Department contract to train Level 1 United States Army Air Corps flight cadets flying Stearman PT-17s, civilian airport operations resuming after the war. Presumably also in 1940 a low height, wide door arched wood frame & corrugated metal hangar with adjoining stucco-clad T-shaped operations building was constructed, the hangar large enough to shelter a squadron of PT-17s, the sole surviving structure of WWII RAAI operations.

On August 5, 1958. USAF Operations Chief Major General Maurice Preston flew Boeing DB-17G serial 44-85738, Vega Aircraft Burbank Construction No. 8647-VE, to Mefford Field for donation to American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 56 as “Preston’s Pride” residing alone on a teardrop-shaped land spit adjacent to Tex Drive & northbound 99 on-ramp in 2018 undergoing significant restoration work by volunteers. After decades of loneliness on June 20, 1993 AMVETS took charge of a purported MacDonald GF-4C-25-MC Phantom II serial 64-0912 ("Phantom" hereon, no record of "GF-4" variants on Internet) loaned by the National Museum of the United States Air Force parked 40 feet south of Preston’s Pride in full SEAC regalia both fenced-off & security lighted at night from vandals neither capable of becoming airworthy ever again.

In the Twilight Zone Of Flight NO Warbird Is Ever-Never Airworthy, Exhibit 1 The Miraculous Restorations Of "The Mefford Twins" Plus One.

Midnight, Sunday November 13, 2022 two highballing northbound big rig truckers on Highway 99 approaching Avenue 200 noticed flickering violet lights, believed power transformer shorts stunned the big riggers gazed upon Preston’s Pride & Phantom - "The Mefford Twins" - some seconds later glowing bright blue-violet overwhelming security lighting, barreling along in disbelief passing the Mefford hangar second later they’d spied a third larger airplane parked yards north of it faintly glowing blue-violet but with one of its engines on fire. Hurriedly AND simultaneously the truckers 911’d Tulare County fire & police dispatching whilst pulling off the road, far off & blocked by roadside fencing they could do nothing other than drop warning flares down road alerting following traffic of the fire danger.

The aircraft engine fire continued burning but didn’t spread beyond its mounting, hot metal, burning oil, grease & tubing dripping on smoldering wet grass from previous night’s rain, all by design maybe her fuel tanks also were empty, other vehicles stopping behind the flares within minutes witnessing the bizarre spectacle of a fire that should have already engulfed the airplane! First emergency vehicles on the scene were two California Highway Patrol (CHP hereon) units dozen full minutes into the burn closely followed by dozen Tulare City & County Fire & Police Department (PD & Sheriff) ones on Tex Drive north & southbound in front of the burning airplane, no roadside fence other than “Airfield Operations Area No Authorized Persons Or Vehicles Beyond This Point” signs encumbered vehicles from approaching it but within seconds ghastly discoveries were made escalating the event into a full-fledged crime scene – or something else!

“It’s an old airplane…there’s bodies on the ground!” a fireman yelled, “One’s moving!” starboard behind the mainwing, “They’ve got flight suits on…” yelled another, “…not Air Force or Navy, nothing I’d seen before!” Second later another fireman shouted: “There’s a body inside the nose, cut up from shrapnel, bullet holes all around, looks like he’s dead!”

EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians EMT hereon) arriving minutes after the CHP units immediately tended to the injured airman; “He’s wearing a World War Two German Luftwaffe uniform, look at the ‘Eagle Swastika’…” an EMT exclaimed whilst pulling off the Mae West, “…is this a ‘reenactment’ gone bad or what?!” Removing the airman's uniform blouse & trousers shrapnel wounds peppered his legs & torso none life threatening though requiring bleeding control; "...man’s speaking foreign language…” whilst was groaning “…anybody here figure out what?!” leaning over to hear one Tulare City PD officer said was German, “He’s complaining about the pain, glad I’d taken it (German) while in high school!”, can you get his name asked the tending EMT, “Wie heißt du…Name bitte!” eyes half shut the airman replied: “Mein Name ist Joachim Klaus-Martin, Unterfeldwebel, wo bin ich?” acting on training the EMT asked him to translate that he’ll be taken care of: “Wenn Sie in ein Krankenhaus gebracht werden, erhalten Sie einen Übersetzer für Sie, um Unterstützung bei de Behandlung zu erhalten!”

Whilst tending to the wounded airman firefighters extinguished the engine fire, spot lights quickly erected all around the "Mefford Luftwaffe Bomber" (MLB) by Tulare law enforcement folks cursory inspection of it commenced; “There’s no more bodies outside…” a Tulare County Sheriff’s deputy proclaimed, “…if any inside (the aircraft's fuselage) somebody experienced crawling around dark tight spaces with live explosives strewn around gonna have to go in!” two other Sheriff’s deputies meantime flashlighting into a straight longitudinal opening underneath the aircraft's fuselage made a shocking discovery: “There’s bombs on hangers inside, BIG bombs, they could be live!” one loudly proclaimed. Flabbergasted by the discovery the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Site Commanding Officer (TCS-SCO hereon) , a Captain assigned operational authority & control over emergency operations in accordance with California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services (Cal OES hereon) protocols by the Tulare County Sheriff, at 12:20 a.m. declared a Mefford Field Airport Bomb Threat Emergency; “Ain’t no ‘X-Files’ or ‘Outer Limits’, ‘Twilight Zone’ for sure!” a Tulare City PD officer quipped to his beat partner pointing at the lighted-up aircraft rudder sail Swastika on the MLB.

…To Be Continued…

[apophenia]

I like it ... and am hoping that you continue the story 

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

With potentially live bombs aboard the MLB getting road traffic off California State Route 99 was paramount, CHP & Tulare City PD units within minutes after the Bomb Threat Emergency was declared they between 12:25 a.m. & 12:47 a.m. working together setting up two-way detours on South I Street between Avenue 184 & East Bardsley Avenue completely bypassing Mefford Field, closing South I & K Streets parallel to 99 until further notice.

Everybody within a mile of the 1940s RAAI Mefford hangar had to be evacuated, including hundreds living in the Country Estates manufactured home community less than 600 feet northwest of it, lotta manpower was needed and fast, time now at absolute premium the Tulare County Sheriff-Coroner on advice of the Mefford Field Incidents Sheriff’s Department Site Commanding Officer personally contacting the Cal OES Inland Region Watch Officer within minutes of the MLB's discovery for whatever state assistance it could provide in evacuating people well as securing Mefford Field for disarming bombs, conducting forensic examination of the MLB, contacting & coordinating U.S. federal support, including sending whatever unexploded aerial bomb and atomic radiation detection experts could be helicoptered in on short notice, caravan of Inland Region personnel, mobile site command & communications vehicles arriving on scene by 1:30 a.m.

Confronted with an unprecedented potential disaster situation of a possible WWII era Luftwaffe aircraft loaded with potentially live bombs within yards of a populated residential community there also was the potentially unprecedented situation of having to “keep at bay” the curious never mind news media armed with iPhones & Androids well as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) from getting images of it up on the Internet before official explanations could be proffered, there also was the weather, hard rain forecasted later in the morning made for field conditions where the MLB was parked, if not enough already more shocking discoveries forthwith came necessitating urgent need for yet more on-site security!

Even before First Responders arrived at Mefford Field CHP officers had to contend with slowed-up Highway 99 traffic, the aforementioned big rig drivers laying road flares yards south from where they’d spotted the still burning MLB. Traffic little at is was shortly after midnight November 13th slowed to gawk, woman in one car poking out an Android to get action video, would she post it on social media before the night was out? The big rig drivers, Pakistani & Ecuadorian immigrants, also took videos but within minutes of doing so were confronted roadside by CHP officers for witness statements.

Speaking broken English the big riggers relayed seeing bright blue & violet glowing lights blocking views of The Mefford Twins, faint light surrounding the MLB, starboard engine on fire, “…light was very bright, hurt my eyes!” the Pakistani exclaimed, CHP officer asking if they’d thought the airplanes were on fire, “No!” they’d exclaimed, “No fire, something ‘heavenly’ AND ‘scary’, not real, not real!” the Ecuadorian said with frightened eyes, “…didn’t ‘see Jesus’ but something was there, something!” Clearly concerned after hearing radio traffic of the MLB bomb discoveries the CHP officer forthwith radioed units to check out "The Twins".

Within the minute Tulare County Sheriff & Tulare City PD units were next to The Mefford Twins Cal OES personnel not yet having arrived, strong metallic odors gave way to heat radiating from both aircraft, “…'birds' were cooked by something, lightening maybe?” a Sheriff’s deputy quipped. Guarded by strong wrought iron fencing nobody couldn’t get closer, a City PD officer flashlighing inside the Phantom's engine wells made a startling discovery: “Damn thing has jet engines in it!” he’d loudly exclaimed, “Gonna need Lemoore (Naval Air Station - NAS) people to check ‘em out!” Checking out Preston’s Pride simultaneously another Tulare PD officer flashlighted into the clear nosecone; “There’s equipment inside, bombsight, guns with ammo, God knows what else!” another excitedly exclaiming, “Twilight Zone & ‘Close Encounters’ (Of The Third Kind) all in one night, every “Alphabet” (US Intelligence Agency) gonna be here by day break, NO ‘time off’ for us anytime soon!”

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

With potentially live ordinance lurking inside The Mefford Twins area adjacent to Highway 99 was closed off, frantic calls made to Mefford Field Airport Operations Staff by the Sheriff’s Department Site Commanding Officer, hustle somebody over to unlock the fence gates pronto!  With only the airport night guard on duty it be sometime till someone showed up with keys to unlock the gates decision being made then-there by the Commanding Officer to bolt-cut double-door padlock by Sheriff deputies.

Moving quickly those of the Phantom were cut first by senior Sheriff’s deputy present behind him his beat partner cautiously walking past the double-doors walking in first; “Damn thing’s hotter than ‘mom’s ass’…” he’d exclaimed, “…just foot away from the (starboard main) wing, thing’s too damn hot getting close (to)…get a (wood) nightstick so can touch it!” Forthwith retrieving one from the squad car, handing it to his beat partner the senior Sheriff admonished; “Thing’s brand new, don’t let it burn!” whilst tapping the starboard drooping aileron; “Don’t smell wood burning ‘Sarge’…” forthwith feeling the baton end; “…ain’t even warm…wing’s still too hot to touch…what gives here?!” Grabbing a water bottle the senior Sheriff’s deputy tossed a palm full on the aileron; “Ain’t even steaming…WTF?!”

Reporting inspection results of The Meffford Twins to the Mefford Field Incidents Sheriff’s Department Site Commanding Officer the senior Sheriff’s deputy couldn’t say whether explosives were on board either airplane; “Damn things too hot to touch…don’t burn wood or boil water, something straight out a 1960s Star Trek TV episode!” he'd growled. The airplanes continued radiating heat for hours after spotted by the big rig truckers minutes past midnight November 13, 2022 preventing close inspection meantime three Lemoore NAS Air Operations Department MH-60S Seahawks landing adjacent to the MLB at 2:00 a.m. crammed with atomic energy, ordinance, airframe, avionics, medical & other specialists well as equipment to service a entire flight of combat aircraft, whether all were needed wasn't questioned what mattered was defusing the MLB's bombs-pronto!

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Whilst Tulare County 911 Dispatcher took calls from the big rig truckers shortly after midnight November 13, 2022 Tulare City PD & Sheriff Watch Officers hearing them forthwith alerted their Crime Scene Investigative (CSI) specialists on assumption of arson activity at or adjacent to Mefford Field Airport. Mixed in with emergency first responders all donned with hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuits & gloves arriving on Tex Drive yards from the burning engine MLB dozen minutes past the 911 calls the CSI folks correctly realized the “crime scene” was far beyond their investigative scope then-there asking the TCS-SCO to request Cal OES CSI support personnel & resources, including an atomic radiation detection team, their efforts meantime centered on examining Deutches Luftwaffe Unterfeldwebel Joachim Klaus-Martin, body of his deceased comrade yards aft of him well as another behind the aircraft’s nose “greenhouse” before were moved off-site.

With scant time to spare a hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved donned CSI officer quickly photographed Unterfeldwebel Klaus-Martin still being tended to by EMTs others bodies of his deceased comrades, physical evidence markers placed meantime by Tulare Sheriff’s deputies & City PD officers also donned with hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuits & gloves at CSI officer's direction. Klaus-Martin & nearby deceased comrade wore partially opened parachute packs, canopies trailing yards aft of them, stunned by body placements & parachute canopy deployments the senior CSI officer present couldn’t resist surmising they were in process of jumping out of the airplane; “Kabuki…” he’d muttered; “…so impossibly weird, look for evidence of them (bodies) & parachutes having been deliberately placed guys!” Speaking to the Site Commanding Officer the senior CSI officer forthwith requested an armed escort ride with Klaus-Martin to Adventist Health Tulare Hospital, place him under 24 hour quarantined armed watch till could be questioned, readily agreeing on-site EMT & Adventist Hospital personnel forthwith were contacted & briefed regarding the decision; “Just wanna be sure the “airman” isn’t part of some criminal or terrorist operation gone awry...” the senior CSI officer emphasized, "...absolutely be sure to scan him, EMT team & (armed police) escort for atomic radiation before entering the hospital, 'rad folks' on way there now!"

Moving attention to the MLB CSI officers beforehand were told potentially live aerial bombs were onboard; “Can we get a microdrone to look inside (the fuselage) for (other) bodies?” the senior CSI officer asked the Site Commanding Officer; “Gotta wait for the Lemoore (NAS) (atomic) radiation & weapons guys to check it (MLB) out first, nobody’s heard noise coming from inside…yet.” Whilst speaking one of Tulare City PD officers came alongside him iPhone in hand; “Sir, think I’d identified the airplane, Heinkel 177 ("Heinkel" hereon) flown by the World War II German Luftwaffe, none exist today, take a look!” raised-eyed the Site Commanding Officer & senior CSI officer passed eyebrows at each other; “Whole new ‘kettle’ here Arnie (CSI officer)…” he’d quipped; “…'Feds' (US Government) gonna lock down this area for months!”

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Quickly contacted by Cal OES for "ordinance management assistance" Lemoore NAS readied Sikorski MH-60S Seahawks to land on areas marked out yards north of the 1940 Mefford Field RAAI hangar, flat land some of it paved but in poor condition made doing so possible, sogginess because of recent rains necessitating having to judiciously isolate as many dry ground areas possible under poor light conditions. Following well established California public agency emergency operations protocols Cal OES, Tulare County Sheriff & City PD, CHP officers, arriving emergency field operations support staff accomplished the work quick time, portable lighting & flares marking landing zone area large enough to accommodate up to five helicopters.

At 2:00 a.m. November 13, 2020 three personnel & cargo-crammed helicopters flying in formation arrived over the landing zone, lead chopper carrying a Commanding Officer (Lieutenant CO), Petty Officers & Seamen of several ratings & specialties, including Atomic Energy, Ordinance, Electronics, Metalworking, Carpentry, Plastic Materials & Chemistry specialists, HM corpsmen, including a Lieutenant Junior Grade doctor skilled in treating shrapnel wounds and atomic radiation contamination, other choppers materials for conducting bomb defuzing & removals in rough field & weather conditions, good moves as turned out given it began raining soon as the lead helicopter landed!

Piling out of the chopper in choreographed fashion the CO donning a lanyared Military ID with photo, face-up UPC bar & QR box codes (everybody associated with The Mefford Trio hereon required to wear them at all times whilst around and associated with them elsewhere for identification crosschecking well as challenges) forthwith was greeted by Cal OES command personnel, Mefford Field Incidents TCS-SCO, senior CHP, Sheriff Deputy, City PD, CSI officers, lead EMTs, Mefford Field Airport operations & security staff, including the Airport Manager roused out of bed half hour after the big rig 911 calls were made to Tulare County 911 dispatchers, a temporary respite from wet rotor wash “making life easier” for all concerned meantime. Hurrying into a large field operations tent set up adjacent to the landing zone all persons present, including Navy staff received a quick “what’s hell going on” report from the Site Commanding Officer (in part):

“We don’t where the beast (airplane) came from, how it got here, whether it even landed given its parked exactly 200 feet back from Tex Drive, fuselage wings & main landing gear absolutely, perfectly to the quarter-inch perpendicular & parallel to road curvature, whoever, whomever, whatever deliberately planned it that way!”

“If it’s a sick prank they’d punked us good given there’s two dead (aircrew) bodies well as wounded third at Adventist Health (Tulare Hospital) under armed protective custody, airplane possibly with live bombs on board as well, you Navy people need to check them bodies out, disarm & remove the bombs ASAP so can call off the evacuation order & resume Highway 99 traffic!”

“We also got the issue of the 'museum birds' (The Mefford Twins) tampered with same time as 'the German bird', our deputies & City PD people found machine guns & potentially live ammo inside Preston’s pride, jet engines in the Phantom that shouldn't be there!”

“This isn’t ‘Twilight Zone’ or any other science fiction trope guys, real people will get killed if we don’t get the bombs defuzed & removed ASAP!”

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

With key Mefford Field Incidents emergency operations personnel now briefed by the TCS-SCO detailed technical information regarding the Heinkel's construction, mechanical, hydraulic, electronic et. al. systems & ordinance aboard was urgently needed that available via the Internet difficult scooping-up well as inadequate, secure telecommunication calls immediately made to The Pentagon via Lemoore NAS by the Navy CO on scene for it. Incredulous Pentagon domestic emergency operations staff “took their time” processing the Lieutenant CO’s info requests, why ask the National Air & Space Museum for help they’d wondered for example, all info readily gleaned off the Internet judiciously reviewed by Navy folks for useful value meantime particularly the Heinkel's ordinance capabilities.

Following extensive atomic radiation contamination sweeps of the Heinkel & ground underneath, including the dead airman who'd yet been moved, by Navy "radsters" (radiation specialists) donned with hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuits & gloves, coming up negative subsequent inspection by similarly hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & glove donned Navy ordinance folks of the fuselage interior via partially opened bomb bay doors revealed two very large hung bombs; “…nasty big buggers in here, gawd pray they’re not ‘triggered’ (armed and/or booby trapped)!” one quipped sarcastically. Internet photo graphics analysis revealed them as Sprengbombe Cylindrisch (SC) 2500 “MAX” general-purpose bombs; 2500kgs (5,512lbs) Trialen 105, 15% RDX, 70% TNT, 15% aluminum powder mixture capable of obliterating everything within a level mile, two of them blowing up simultaneously near doubling the danger all non-bomb disposal personnel forthwith ordered pulled back 1,000 feet from the bird till ordinance people finished defuzing them despite 100% likelihood they’d all be killed if went off - Geez Louise!

The SC2500 “MAX” one piece machined aluminum body aerial bomb with welded heads & tailpieces was the largest operationally deployed by the WWII Deutsches Luftwaffe. Two welded-in mid-dorsal fuse pockets, one aft of the bomb bay suspension lug, other offset 30 degrees forward of it, accommodated E1AZ (28) A Electrische Aufschlag Zünder (electrical impact fuze) aft, AZ (24) Aufschlag Zünder (Impact fuze) forward, latter detonated by center-mounted rod attached to bomb head it crumpling on contact pushing the rod detonating the fuze in succession rear fuse detonating immediately thereafter. Two of these monsters were end-to-end longitudinally mounted inside the Heinkel’s capricious bomb bay, bombs couldn’t be tilted downwards fearing they’d drop, lowering them on horizontal wheeled cradles before remove electrical arming cables & fuzes was safest option though cradles large enough weren’t available, fabricating them on-site was now necessary.

Before bomb disarming could commence decision had to be made for evacuating civilians on & adjacent to Mefford Field Airport, jammed Tulare County 911 call lines, media people on scene making it that more urgent, with bomb types now identified at 3:00 a.m. the Site Commanding Officer declared commencement of civilian evacuations starting with the Country Estates manufactured home community less than 600 feet from the Heinkel, wasn’t gonna go smoothly that’s for sure!

...To Be Continued...

[Old Wombat]

Getting a touch of "Philadelphia Experiment" here.

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Since midnight November 13, 2022 when big rig truckers saw flickering violet lights whilst approaching Avenue 200 on California State Highway 99 public attention drawn on purported paranormal activity at Mefford Field Airport continued growing, by 2:00 a.m. when US Navy personnel arrived to disarm bombs on the Heinkel it had exploded (pun intended) into an international media phenomena in spite of California state & local governmental attempts to “keep things under wraps” till US government agencies were on scene to figure out WTF had happened on lands adjacent to Tex Drive!

As expected, the woman mentioned earlier poking an Android out of a passing car getting action video of the Heinkel's burning engine shortly after midnight did post it on social media within the hour, occupants of other vehicles passing both directions on “99” taking photos & videos up till when traffic was rerouted some posted on social media within the hour as well. Sharp-eyed media mavens paid to troll for potential Internet news stories didn’t readily catch them, one photo did garner attention of an on-line Internet English aircraft scale modeler; “Bloody damn thing’s a Heinkel 177, WTF there instead of Oundle (North Northamptonshire) so I can check it out?!” forthwith posting the photo on several model hobby websites Beyond The Sprues included, number of post commenters claimed it a fake, little did they know!

By 1:00 a.m. California time dozens of photos & videos taken by the public of the Heinkel were up on the Internet, Tulare County media, TV news crews from Fresno well as Fresno Bee print reporters, Sacramento TV news helicopters despite Federal Aviation Administration (FAA hereon) closing general aviation airspace over & five miles out from Mefford Field in transit by 1:30 to "scoop" on potentially the greatest paranormal event in human history, Christ's resurrection excluded. Someone living far southeast corner of the Country Estates manufactured home community with near perfect frontal view of the Heinkel whipped out his ancient digital videocam, hurried out in the rain with it and a ladder, set up camp over a masonry wall fronting 99, proceeded to continuously video record thing goings on, portable lights shining on the Heinkel making it obvious that it didn’t belong there. By 2:30 a.m. canvas shielding surrounded the Heinkel well as The Mefford Twins, sole ground level extended time video taken of the Heinkel by the Country Estates cinematographer before closed off to public view wouldn’t be seen by others for hours.

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

When on November 13, 2022 the Tulare County Sheriff-Coroner on advice of the Mefford Field Incidents Sheriff’s Department Site Commanding Officer personally contacted the California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Service (Cal OES) Inland Region Watch Officer within 25 minutes of the Heinkel's discovery for whatever state assistance it could provide the Watch Officer immediately contacted OES Sacramento HQ, asked that Governor Gavin Christopher Newsom be apprised that California National Guard (CNG) personnel would be needed for evacuation duty well as assist Mefford Field Incidents emergency operations personnel. Governor Newsom on the 13th was in Washington D.C. purportedly on a “government business trip”, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis in his absence forthwith authorizing CNG units be dispatched. Hearing of Kounalakis’ action within the hour Newsom was livid, this after The White House had contacted him to hold off sending CNG units till “alphabet” personnel were present to “properly assess the security situation” at Mefford Field. CNG personnel indeed were needed for orchestrating the evacuations, Kounalakis couldn’t recall them as be “bad optics” politically, Newsom now having to defend her whilst placating White House & Pentagon staff regarding her unilateral action – Keystone Kops moment indeed!

Minutes before 3:00 a.m. when the Site Commanding Officer declared commencement of civilian evacuations on & adjacent to Mefford Field Airport a Command Operations & Communications Center was established in trailers parked adjacent to the Tulare Mosquito Abatement District building off Dale Fry Drive inline southwest of the Runway 31 Compass Marker barely far enough away from the Heinkel though partially shielded by other airport buildings to resist worst blast effects of accidental bomb detonation, convenient enough for fixed & rotary wing aircraft to land & park adjacent to without disrupting emergency vehicular traffic flows it becoming the proverbial "World Hub Of Emergency Paranormal Management'” till "The Feds" (US Government) assumed full operational responsibility, disarming bombs onboard the Heinkel came first however.

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Mefford Field Airport Tulare, California has been operational since before 1940, paved & expanded during WWII for training US Army Air Corps & Forces flight cadets with hundreds of daily takeoffs & landings by 2022 it only had dozens many from crop dusters, with commencement of Mefford Field Airport Command Operations & Communications Center it again became a very busy one! Large & small rotary aircraft now flew in frequently, including a new production Erickson S-64F+ Skycrane ("Skycrane" hereon) heavy lifter, her flight crews holding military security clearances, flying in big rig cargo containers full of equipment & materials needed for enclosing & field forensically inspecting the Heinkel & The Mefford Twins latters after they’d been towed off the teardrop-shaped museum land spit adjacent to Tex Drive & California State Route 99 onramp. Not to be outdone the nearby landing strip for fixed-wing birds was just as busy personnel & cargo planes flying in regularly, US government & military VIPs had yet to arrive though they'd come in droves later.

By 3:30 a.m. November 13, 2022 two platoons of 185th Battalion Military Police (MP) Command California ARMY National Guard Detachment 1, 270th Military Police Company MPs out Madera, California escorted by California Highway Patrol units had arrived at the Mefford Field Airport Command Operations & Communications Center adjacent to the Tulare Mosquito Abatement District building, commanding Captain, platoon Lieutenants & Sergeants beforehand briefed by Cal OES & on-scene Medford Field Incidents Commander via secure telecommunications link, roles MPs had in cooperation with state & local law enforcement, disaster management professionals & volunteers in evacuating all civilians within mile radius of the Heinkel.

Time now was of essence, evacuating all civilians before US Navy ordinance specialists could commence defusing and removing the Heinkel's 5,552 pound SC2500 “MAX” bombs had to be done by daybreak before forecasted heavy rains sweep the airfield. Targeted emergency notifications to smartphones, cells & land lines already had been transmitted to everyone within the mile radius evacuation zone to immediately head for the Tulare County Fairgrounds Emergency Refuge Area off South K Street 4.2 miles north of the Heinkel, Tulare County Sheriff deputies, Tulare CD PD officers, CNG MPs, medical specialists & social workers following up on ensuring everyone had.

As expected, evacuating the Country Estates manufactured home community less than 600 feet northwest of the Heinkel where bulk of civilian population adjacent to Mefford Field resided was difficult, dozens of residents with health problems requiring medical assistance whilst transporting others flat refusing to leave their homes even under threat of arrest, including an “AR” armed man wounded then arrested by MPs after being shot at one quite elderly woman refusing to leave unless her pet cockatiel came along yet another woman with two super-nasty looking pit bulls likewise refusing to go unless she'd have "legal guarantees" she'd not be sued if her dogs "got upset" being around other canines at the Tulare County Fairgrounds. By 5:30 a.m. near every civilian within the one mile evacuation zone had been; severely congested road traffic diverted off California State Route 99 traffic onto South Laspinta Street between Avenue 184 & Paige Avenue now moved mile west on South Pratt Street between Poplar Avenue in Tipton & State Route 137 West Inyo Avenue Downtown Tulare, CHP issuing urgent appeals for commercial vehicles to use State Route 33 through Cocoran, 65 through Lindsay, Interstate 5 if traveling beyond Tulare County. Traffic Armageddon now in full force miles around Mefford Field Airport combined with now credible Internet reporting of heretofore unprecedented paranormal activity on Mefford Field Airport made ample clear the impossibility of “hushing it up” by any governmental agency or official.

The Medford Trio barely within four hours since first spotted by big rig truckers shortly after midnight the 13th literally had become international sensations overnight garnering unprecedented cult status amongst paranormal mavens, UFO afficionados, tin foil hat types, all previous sci fi & fantasy paranormal & super-intelligence messaging tropes, 2001 A Space Odyssey monoliths included, paling to insignificance, no way could they be hidden from view now or forever, deliberately destroying them out of question as well unless the Heinkel bombs couldn't be defuzed then still very much a real possibility!

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Less than 15 minutes after Lemoore Naval Air Station (NAS) personnel arrived by helicopter at Mefford Field Airport hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved donned ordinance specialists had cursorily inspected bombs inside the Heinkel, Internet photo graphics analysis revealing them as Sprengbombe Cylindrisch (SC) 2500 “MAX” general-purpose bombs. A Petty Officer 2nd Class bomb ordinance specialist acting on hunches based on past personal research requested the Commanding Officer (Lieutenant CO) to get the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense (MoD) 11 Explosive Ordinance Disposal And Search Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps Day Watch Officer “on the horn”, ask if could directly talk to her via secure telecommunications link, “Why ‘her’?” the CO quizzingly asked, “’Anne’ was my ‘laboratory instructor’ while TDY in London last year for (classified) terrorist bomb disposal training, big-time WWII ordinance buff, knows fuzings for every shell, mine, bomb Germans ever made, get her and sinch I’ll have these ‘turds’ disarmed within the hour!”

Within 15 minutes the CO had “Anne” on secure video telecommunications link inside the “Navy Tent” set up next to the “Navy” helicopter landing area yards north of the Heinkel; “Sir, this is ‘Dickie’ Thurmond speaking, pleased to see you again!” most pleased “Anne” replied smilingly, “Yes Dickie, good seeing you again, what DO you need?” Not wasting a second “Dickie” gave lowdown on bomb types in the Heinkel, not wasting a second asking why he’d needed defusing info on 80-plus year old ordinance “Anne” forthwith gave lowdown of the bomb fuzings adding she’d just signaled a Watch Assistant to retrieve MoD electronic historical info regarding the bombs & fuzings; “They’re pretty simple electromechanical fuzings, from the type numbers you’d given me mostly a matter (of) not letting the forward fuse go off whilst hoisting it down, strongly advise (the) bomb nose be protected from being crushed, read it’ll go off if hit ‘the wrong way’ even by a light hammer, rear fuse you’ll need to ‘keep hot’ (the electric circuit} till the bombs can be moved away from the airplane, that info you’d should be on your (computer monitor) screen any minute now.”

Immediately following the conversation the CO called conference of all Navy personnel in the Navy Tent; rain was sweeping through Mefford Field, planning & organizing the bomb defuzings & removals had to recognize possibility of strong windy rains hampering work. The Heinkel sat entirely on poor condition tarmac, bomb bay fortuitously directly over a decent condition linear patch, spot inspections indicating it should bear gross weight of bombs & dollies whilst lowing them from the Heinkel’s fuselage, hauling them away. Designing & fabricating the bomb dollies took longest time, working off existing Navy & US Air Force designs for very large bombs a composite CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting) design drafted, checked, double, triple-checked for weight bearing & movement capabilities was approved by the Lieutenant CO within an hour all thanks to modern computer technology. Much of the dolly fabrication material was on site, offloaded from the MH-60S Seahawks, stored on tarmac in another “Navy Tent” set up closer to the Heinkel, one Seahawk returning to Lemoore NAS to retrieve needed parts from base stores.

Shortly after 3:00 a.m. when the TCS-SCO declared commencement of civilian evacuations within one mile of Mefford Field Airport bomb dolly fabrication work commenced, three being constructed third as backup for spot reenforcing in case of frame failures on other two. Wheeled under the Heinkel bomb bay by 4:30 a.m. windy rain made handling them difficult, tarpaulin positioned around fuselage sides cutting down on side drafts helped some, repositioning the bomb bay doors half-opened after some effort even more. As the bombs had to be vertically lowered onto the dollies hydraulic jacks were positioned on weight bearing fuselage bulkhead sections either side of fuselage tailwheel (one as backup per 11 Explosive Ordinance’s recommendation), chocks for all mainwheels shoved in place, fuselage tail then slowly lifted up parallel to tarmac, aircraft then tied down at strategic points preventing rock‘n & roll ‘n in wind.

High winds & heavy rain make for difficult working conditions, concerned bomb noses would “hit something” whilst being lowered, fabricated plastic Styrofoam grommets were slipped on & anchored over them, good move as turned out a steel support bar striking the port side rear bomb ring whilst being positioned in place – ouch! The fabricated bomb dollies sat on pneumatic jacks (hydraulics weighed more, pneumatics not needing power for lowering bombs) above fabricated welded reenforced steel pneumatic wheeled transport boxes pulled by heavy-duty “mules” (airfield towing tractors) helicoptered in from Lemoore NAS, dolly “studio couches” (beds) lined with heavy oak timbers cushioning the bombs well as insulation from static electricity. one each positioned under fore & aft bomb bay 5,552 pound SC2500 “MAX” bombs, dollies in place actual bomb defuzing work could now commence.

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Working in tandem “lead bomber” US Navy Ordinance Petty Officer 2nd Class Dickie Thurmond tended the aft SC2500 “MAX” another PO2 forward one each with two Seaman Ordinance Rating assistants all benefiting from very latest high-tech bomb disposal technology & hardware. Everyone donned with hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuits & gloves wore military grade headband-mounted “Go Pro” cameras & microphones, one-eye computer monitor screen reflecting eye sets over secured wireless telecommunications channels in direct contact with United Kingdom Ministry of Defense (MoD) 11 Explosive Ordinance Disposal And Search Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps Day Watch Officer Major Anne Bell-Griffiths & three Watch Officer Assistants all keenly observing goings-on in a room-full of computer monitors from a secured classified location near London via secure satellite telecommunications links throughout the heretofore first ever – and pray only – live bomb defuzings below a WWII vintage Deutsches Luftwaffe bomber!

The pneumatically-driven bomb dolly cradles simultaneously lifted underneath each “MAX” were stopped two inches from bomb bodies for checking cradle alignments, satisfied both were good Dickie ordered his slowly raised in contact with the bomb whilst his assistants checked on bomb body seating full lengths of cradle’s oak timber “studio couches”, forward PO2 ordering his raised minute later. With both bomb cradles securely in place work now centered on disengaging the bomb release “claws” on the bomb bay’s ceiling, delicate work given they couldn’t be from inside the Heinkel nobody yet being allowed inside the fuselage. After several minutes of delicate mechanical work and effort both bombs were released seconds before daybreak November 13, 2022, actual bomb defusing could now commence.

There was much discussion amongst Navy & Major Anne Bell-Griffiths’ “London” staffers whether to partially or completely lower the bombs before defusing them, worsening wind & rain conditions made removing them whilst standing up difficult, assured by the Navy Commanding Officer (Lieutenant CO) additional weather shielding could be up in minutes protecting everyone whilst working low down decision was made to lower the bombs completely, work on them whilst kneeling. Additional weather shielding up as promised several minutes later bomb fuze removals commenced with removing the forward AZ (24) Aufschlag Zünders (Impact fuzes) given ever-present danger of the bomb noses being hit, working in tandem under “London’s” live observation the Navy PO2s with modified Navy fuze extraction tools after some minutes they were successfully removed, gingerly deposited in “blast buckets" they quickly were trolly-towed to improvised sandbag-shield fuze dumps many yards from the Heinkel.

The aft E1AZ (28) A Electrische Aufschlag Zünders (electrical impact fuzes) electric cable-connected to the Heinkel could not be disengaged without arming them, equivalent volt & amperage batteries had to be attached to the arming cables before they could be cut. Specialized electronic equipment was in place to accomplish the job, Major Anne Bell-Griffiths relaying the electrical parameters necessary for pulling off the power-tap transfers without arming the fuzes. At literally the last second before doing so Major Bell-Griffiths spotted unusual markings on the forward bomb’s fuze mounting ring; “Robert (PO2 disarming the forward bomb), DON’T touch the damn thing till I can figure out what they are!” concerned his fuse wasn’t “spec” either Dickie stopped working on it also; “Do you think its booby-trapped Major?” followed by a pregnant pause, “Let’s assume that (Dickie), hold off till can check the history (historical documation)!"

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Near half hour had passed till Major Anne Bell-Griffith came back online having retrieved, read & analyzed number of UK MoD electronic archived documents on WWII German bomb fuzes then-there requesting all Navy “bomb people” tending the SC2500 “MAXs” pay close attention to a diagram coming up on their computer screen reflecting eye sets & mobile monitors:

“This diagram shows the “Spezial 2” E1AZ fuze employed solely as a terror device on Robert’s bomb, note the three triangular hammered-in punch hole identifiers on mounting ring, bloody thing has electric clock inside timed to go off 3 hours after external (electric arming cable) power’s cut when dropped. Note the 3 mm band 15 mm down from bottom of a ‘regular’ E1AZ, thing’s soft silver wired to open the internal (electric power) condenser circuit if torn whilst being handled (by unexploded bomb removers), cleverly camouflaged to match a ‘regular’ E1AZ (fuze container) body.”

“The fuze is extra-long (for the clockwork mechanism), must be extracted dead straight out, tearing the ‘silver’ will instantly set it off; Robert you absolutely must do the work slowly and methodically, YOU alone must move it by hand to a “bomb bunker” (sandbag-shield fuze dump), nobody else touching it!”

Glancing at the Navy Commanding Officer (Lieutenant CO) next to the Heinkel’s bomb bay for go-orders CO got on line asking all “tending the MAXs” whether were “kosher” (OK) with executing the procedure, all nodding heads yes Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) Robert Donahue commenced work. Slowly, methodically working with his Seaman Ordinance Ratings the aircraft’s still energized fuze arming power cable was tapped onto a small external power unit cable then cut off, modified Navy fuze extraction tools then secured on the fuze mounting ring.

Removing the fuze required making several counter-clockwise turns with the tools Robert’s Seamen Ratings assisting him with the work, hunching low over the bomb body oh so slowly extracting the fuze straight out then standing up oh so slowly he & Rating assistants gingerly walked over soggy ground in driving rain & wind to the nearest “unpopulated bomb bunker” under a large tarp held aloft by other Navy men, including the CO, oh so slowly depositing it upright on a retaining caddy; “Friggn’ buggar’s longer than my ‘pecker’, thank’s for everything guys!” he'd joked all then quickly hoofing it back to the Heinkel. Arriving just as PO2 Dickie Thurmond had extracted his bomb fuze Dickie then gave it similar “kid glove treatment” transporting it alone in driving rain & wind to another “unpopulated bomb bunker”. With all bombs defuzed the CO got back on line with Major Anne Bell-Griffith & Watch Officer Assistants; “Thanks for everything Major, never could had done it (defuzing work) with out y’all’s help!”, smiling in reply she’d thanked all Navy men present for their patience; “Grandpa Ben born in America would had been proud of all of you, was UXB boffin during the war!”

With the SC2500 “MAXs” defuzed the US Navy’s immediate bomb disposal work wrapped-up by 7:00 a.m. November 13, 2022, efforts turned on ASAP transporting fuzes & bombs to Lemoore NAS the one mile out Mefford Field Airport evacuation order remaining in force till all were.

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Wind swept rains continued pelting Mefford Field Airport early morning November 13, 2022 making it impossible to transport the SC2500 “MAX” bombs right away their fuzes however could be helicoptered to Lemoore NAS in bad weather. Safe collection & storage of them for transport was well underway by 7:30 a.m. a disconcerting development meantime after US Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) Robert Donahue had again examined the MAX bomb fuzes generated more questions for United Kingdom Ministry of Defense (MoD) 11 Explosive Ordinance Disposal And Search Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps Day Watch Officer Major Anne Bell-Griffiths to answer right away!

The forward AZ (24) Aufschlag Zünder (Impact fuze)'s charge was discovered to be inert power, Major Bell-Griffiths in quick time explaining over secure telecommunication link to PO2 Donahue et.al. bomb disposal participants it deliberately was a dud the MAX’s forward aluminum bomb casing reenforced with inner steel liner & welded-on hardened curved steel nose cap on presumption it be buried deep in ground debris where the aft E1AZ “Spezial 2” fuze sardonically nicknamed “Satan’s Cuckoo Clock” by the Germans could be got at; “Bloody damn ‘MAX cukoos’ were amongst the most fiendishly diabolical weapons of mass destruction ever made, truly sick wicked things!” she’d sarcastically explained; "AZ dummy fuse 'armed' as distraction, bloody damn thing going off if the (Spezial 2 fuze) silver strip broke whilst manhandling the bomb!"

By 9:00 a.m. the fuzes were in helicopter transit to Lemoore, disarmed MAX’s tightly covered over with waterproof tarpaulin had been "muled" (airfield tractor towed) to the large tarmac area in front of the Mefford Field Airport Operations Building 1,000 feet northeast of the Heinkel for aerial transport by the same Skycrane that overnight had flown in big rig cargo containers of equipment & materials. By 9:30 a.m. weather had cleared allowing the “MAXs” to be transported together on their specially designed & constructed wheeled dollies, hoisted up & secured underneath the helicopter’s load bearing fuselage spine, final visual securing checks made at precisely 10:00 a.m. the Skycrane departed Mefford Field landing safely at Lemoore several minutes later, bombs & fuzes forthwith moved to a remote secured location on base then placed under 24 hour armed guard "for the time being".

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Hours before the SC2500 “MAX” bombs were flown out of Mefford Field Airport protocols for terminating evacuation orders & road detours allowing refugees to return home or work, resume traffic on California State Route 99 & nearby parallel roads were in place once the “All Clear” could be announced by the Mefford Field Incidents TCS-SCO. With US Navy bomb disposal work done most equipment & personnel were flown back to Lemoore Naval Air Station by midday November 13, 2022, small number of Petty Officers & Seaman Rating Specialists remained to assist with forensic examinations of The Mefford Trio. Paramount concern of all on-site Mefford Field emergency operations personnel was recovery of bodies aboard the Heinkel's fuselage, deceased supposed Luftwaffe airman behind the aircraft’s nose “greenhouse” cap, rigor mortis had set in, removing him intact difficult given was hunched over the aircraft’s bombsight, plans & methods doing so worked out throughout the night decision made to cut out nose cap, lift airman’s body out during daylight, transport remains to join those of other deceased airman found adjacent to supposed Luftwaffe Unterfeldwebel Joachim Klaus-Martin shortly after midnight November 13 2022 at the Tulare Sheriff-Coroner’s Morgue off South O Street south of downtown Tulare.

Removing the nose “greenhouse” cap required entering the Heinkel's forward crew compartment via ventral aerial gunner’s “bathtub”, hydraulically-actuated crew access hatch opened at time of airplane’s discovery, mark out portable metal saw cutting points after Navy atomic radiation contamination sweeps (subsequently negative) of all compartment areas. Five crewmembers were stationed inside the compartment, tail gunner under the fuselage rudder, apparent AAA shell shrapnel damage & dried body blood found everywhere within it, shattered left arm parts lying on & adjacent to pilot’s seat he apparently having “bailed out”. Three of six Heinkel crew members were accounted for, presumed maimed pilot & tail gunner apparently having “bailed out”, sixth crew member stationed in the forward compartment also apparently having “bailed out”.

Cutting work to remove the nose “greenhouse” cap commenced at 10:30 a.m. team of hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved donned Tulare City & County Firemen & US Navy metalworkers accomplishing it quickly, Tulare County Medical Examiner & Coroner subsequently supervising Navy atomic radiation contamination sweeps (negative) & criminal forensic investigation of the deceased airman, County Sheriff deputies, firemen & medical examiner staff extracting him for transport to the South O Street Morgue by noon. With all bombs, fuzes & dead bodies removed from adjacent to and inside the Heinkel at 12:30 p.m. the TCS-SCO lifted the evacuation order but not the traffic detours, horrendous vehicular traffic backups approaching & passing through the City of Tulare since shortly after midnight the 13th had to continue till The Mefford Trio could be moved onto Mefford Field Airport tarmac & secured.
 
…To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

As mentioned earlier, whilst reporting first inspection results of The Meffford Twins to the Mefford Field Incidents Sheriff’s Department Site Commanding Officer shortly after 12:45 a.m. November 13, 2022 the senior Sheriff’s deputy present couldn’t say whether explosives were on board either airplane, “…damn things too hot to touch…”, fearing explosives were on board the Site Commanding Officer ordered a 300 foot perimeter completely around both aircraft; “Leave Preston’s Pride alone, close & lock the Phantom’s gate (with Sheriff’s key locks), backup (CHP, Sherriff & City Police) on way now, keep everybody away from them!” Within minutes three CHP units arrived forthwith assisting officers present setting up temporary blockades completely around them. including on the deserted California State Route 99 freeway, other CHP, Sheriff deputies & Tulare City Police officers posting station with full-auto ARs & shotguns on Mefford Field grounds Tex Drive, South K Street freeway ramps. For hours in windy rain shifts of law enforcement personnel manned the 300 foot perimeter portable guard shacks in place by sunrise shacks already around the Heinel all on station till the aircraft could be moved on the Mefford Field Airport tarmac.

By dawn the 13th “The Twins” had cooled to where close inspections of them could be made, teams of US Navy Petty Officers & Seaman Radiological & Ordinance Ratings detached from BLM bomb disarming operations had arrived with radiological, weapons disarming & inspection equipment for Preston’s Pride & Phantom gaining access to former after cutting off padlock on double-door fencing directly facing those of the Phantom's enclosure.

In intermittent windy rain hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved donned radsters (atomic radiation contamination detection specialists) armed with Geiger counters, wooden ladders (static electricity hazards with metal ones) & other equipment some classified entered first systematically sweeping Preston’s Pride, ground was over & enclosure fencing whilst looking for weaponry as well, no bombs could be seen through the factory-mint clear perspex dorsal machine gun turret though fully armed with vintage WWII production Browning Machine Guns apparently with live 50 caliber ammunition attached to them in combat-ready stance number fitted with rare British designed Ferranti Gyro Sight Mk IIc Sperry-produced K-14 Gyro stabilized electric-powered reflecting gunsights, satisfied armament aboard Preston’s Pride posed no bomb threat “All Clear” was given for general access to it for forensic inspection by Navy ordinance staff.

Inspecting the adjacent Phantom was highly problematic; 1964 Saint Louis, Missouri-built F-4C-25-MC Serial 64-0912 at immediate glance by hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved donned Navy personnel was in absolutely perfect factory-mint condition despite repeated re-paintings over decades, right down to brand new 1960s-era pneumatic tires & production serials later found 100% authentic, totally impossible given no Phantom had ever been loaned to a museum straight from any factory production line! Visibly upset and angry even before radsters could conduct their detection sweeps the PO2 in charge ordered all inspection work cease on it and Preston's Pride forthwith radioing the Navy Lieutenant Commanding Officer at the Heinkel site requesting him to dispatch whatever Navy, Marine, Air Force Phantom and Boeing B-17 maintenance & ordinance people could he helicoptered in on short notice for them to conduct the inspections forthwith moving his men back outside the Phantom’s fencing, locking double-doors with a Navy padlock, forthwith as well locking those for Preston’s Pride with another.

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

From onset of The Mefford Trio’s paranormal forthcoming all parties involved with “managing” them understood they had to be relocated on Mefford Field Airport tarmac, flown to Lemoore NAS where could be secured under armed guard pending their dispositions ASAP. When the TCS-SCO though the Tulare County Sheriff requested Cal OES Inland Region to declare a Bomb Threat Emergency number of US government agencies immediately were contacted for logistical & financial assistance for managing it, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) taking lead, Pentagon domestic emergency management personnel assisting. Timely Pentagon permission was granted to send Lemoore NAS personnel & resources to disarm the BLM bombs, weapons aboard The Mefford Twins, permission subsequently extended to provide whatever personnel & logistics support relocating The Mefford Trio on Mefford Field Airport tarmac for transportation to Lemoore.

What immediately became apparent were magnitudes greater difficulties "managing" The Trio whilst at Mefford Field Airport than could reasonably be expected, Pentagon staff though the Joint Chiefs Of Staff urgently requesting the Pressident Of The United states to approve & sign a Executive Order declaring the aircraft as a Incident-Specific National Emergency necessitating an All Armed Forces Combined Effort in transporting them to Lemoore & beyond “under federal protective custody” their “final legal ownership status” determined after “highly detailed forensic examinations” of them were complete, temporary Federal occupation & management of Mefford Field Airport & adjoining properties authorized under applicable laws thought out the emergency, agreed to without objection at 10:00 a.m. Washington DC Time (7:00 a.m. California) November 13, 2022 the President signed it taking effect immediately.

The Executive Order establishing Federal authority over Mefford Field Airport specified that California State & local operational authority & control over emergency operations be relinquished to the US Navy, logical considering they’d been on site since 2:00 a.m. disarming the Heinkel bombs & inspecting The Mefford Twins, take responsibility transporting them to Lemoore NAS. There was no question the AMVETS Phantom could be moved given it been on loan from National Museum of the United States Air Force since 1993, microfiche legal transfer documents in Pentagon archives of US Air Force’s gifting Preston’s Pride to AMVETS in 1958 containing a repossession clause allowing the US Government to “temporarily" appropriate it, the Heinkel a genuine WWII Deutsches Luftwaffe bomber declared abandoned war material under international & US law, Bundesrepublik Deutschland Washington DC ambassador formally notified of the declaration by day's end. The excruciatingly delicate matter of returning Luftwaffe Unterfeldwebel Joachim Klaus-Martin & deceased comrades bodies to Germany necessitated an extraordinarily discreet humanitarian joint cooperation effort between US & Bundesrepublik diplomats for their timely repatriations to Germany, scrupulously following established joint NATO-US Armed Forces-Bundeswehr deceased military corpse identification & repatriation protocols the airman bodies were repatriated by week’s end, more about Unterfeldwebel Klaus-Martin later.

...To Be Continued...

[apophenia]

Betting that NASM curators are already working out details of how to put that severed nose cap back in place on the He 177A-5!

Great stuff ... keep going 

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

From onset Preston’s Pride & Phantom were going to be “muled” to “The Ranch” (nickname for the Mefford Field Airport tarmac) diagonally traversing prepared ground & airport tarmac east side of 1940 Mefford Field RAAI hangar onto widen & reenforced taxiway turning 40 degrees right onto another proceeding northeasterly to the Mefford Field Airport’s main aircraft parking tarmac. Since mid-morning California Army National Guard engineers were paving a transiting path over wet sloppy ground & crumbling tarmac up to Ranch tarmac under US Navy supervision, including on tarmac adjacent to where the Heinkel was parked, sections of airport galvanized pipe & wire rope fencing adjacent to Tex Drive also being removed; all work had to be done by 10:00 a.m. when the Phantom was to be "muled" to The Ranch.

By 8:00 a.m. additional Navy specialists had been helicoptered in from Lemoore NAS to assist the original inspection team detached from the Heinkel bomb disarming, with Navy Commanding Officer (Lieutenant CO, “CO” hereon) “in charge” of The Mefford Trio few minutes later all beelined it to the “The Twins”. Arriving within the minute Navy Seamen donning hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuits & gloves forthwith reopened "The Twins's" enclosure gates, "radsters” (atomic radiation contamination detection specialists) similarly wearing hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloves leading way systematically scanning aircraft & grounds of both aircraft, results negative CO also donning hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloves entered the Phantom's enclosure first. Tapping the fuselage & wings in places, thumping the nose tire, he’d marveled at its pristine condition; “Damn thing came of the ‘assembly’ line at midnight!” quipping sardonically, satisfied the Phantom posed no danger then-there he'd ordered general inspection work to commence.

Entering the Preston’s Pride enclosure at 8:30 the CO beelined to the unlocked starboard aft crew entrance door, opening it up & sticking head in, looking both ways, wide-eyed exclaiming: “Whoo-wee fellers, got us a ‘virgin’, follow me in (radster) Seaman Pete Finchem!" Military grade smartphone in hand, Seaman Pete in tow, CO entered Preston's Pride "belly" first then-there ordering Seaman Pete to scan the Tail Gunner’s compartment for radiation first;“Looks like 'live' BMGs (50 caliber Browning Machine Guns with live ammunition) sir, “Gyro” (K-14 Gyro gunsight) also...” both then swinging right gingerly crossing between full set of brand new Boeing-Vega factory-supplied yellow-painted wheel chocks "44-85738" stenciled over topsides. Pausing forward of them CO & Seaman Pete latter overwhelmed by "factory-fresh” materials & paint smells amplified by its "miraculous restoration" minutes after midnight the 13th former mentally considering ending fuselage interior inspection forthwith backing out, they'd quizzingly glanced at each other; “Thing’s spanking new Lieutenant, who’d ‘dropped’ it here had nose for foul odors!” Seaman Pete exclaimed, convinced neither were in mortal danger CO forthwith made the decision; “OK pressing on Pete?” CO confidently asked; “OK if you are sir!” Seaman Pete confidently replied, “OK...Let’s get moving... CO flatly entoned; "...lot more ‘exhibits’ in this ‘clown house’ to see till the (smartphone) battery gives out!”

Gingerly passing enclosed Waist Gunner Stations sporting pristine Browning "Ma Deuces" with live 50 caliber ammo & K-14 electric gunsights pausing aft of ventral ball turret Seaman Pete commenced scanning it; “Look at the gear sir, all brand new right down to warning stencils, unreal!” CO forthwith replying; “Yep, ‘officially’ so Pete!”, passing through aftmost center fuselage bulkhead door to Radio Operator’s station avoiding the "Ma Deuce" dangling underneath the clear dorsal fuselage gunner station they’d shook heads in amazement gazing upon stacks of mint condition WWII electronics equipment, fully equipped portside Radio Operator’s “office” chair, worktable, telegraph keysets with fabric loom wiring, starboard Top Turret Gunner/Flight Engineer's table & chair, Pete detecting radiation from radium-coated pointers & scale marks whilst scanning equipment dials with Geiger counter; “Think they work sir?” quizzingly asking the CO; “Wouldn’t doubt it, intelligence geeks can ‘play’ with them later, pray don’t have ‘Frequency' movie moments doing so, let’s get going!”

Cautiously stepping onto the bomb bay catwalk keel behind Seaman Pete the CO flashlighed around looking for manual bomb door release levers, spotting one forward of Radio Operator’s station bulkhead he loudly yelled: "CLEAR AWAY BOMB DOORS!" warning personnel conducting inspections outside near them to clear off then pulling it OPEN. The hydraulic-powered doors opened briskly, CO deplaining first followed by Seaman Pete even before fully down, forthwith clearing doors & fuselage walking side-by-side, late attending an urgent operations meeting at The Ranch the CO forthwith assigned Petty Officer (PO1) 1st Class Aircraft Systems Intelligence Specialist Richard Lamond Drayton-Taylor to inspect Preston’s Pride cockpit & forward crew compartment with orders not to handle anything; "You're eyes gonna drop (out) seeing what's in there Dick, you've been warned!" saluting whilst piling in a Navy Light Service Support Vehicle (LSSV hereon) off to The Ranch; "Don't take (smartphone) selfies (sitting) on the Pilot's seat!" whilst wagging his finger.

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Prior to midnight November 13, 2022 the AMVETS Phantom sat tied down on concrete pads atop sloping hill of shredded tree bark bounded by a foot high-plus concrete retainer, observed seconds later by northbound big rig truckers on California State Route 99 whilst in process of being “miraculously restored” she’d been untied & levitated down onto an aged concrete pad matching that surrounding the concrete retainer. Not noticed till a Mefford City Police Officer (PD) arrived on scene half hour after first group of Mefford County Sheriff’s deputies & (PD) had inspected The Mefford Twins she immediately radioed in the discovery, Mefford Field Incidents Sheriff’s Department Site Commanding Officer then-there ordering guard details of full-auto AR-armed Sheriff deputies & police be indefinitely posted to guard it & Preston’s Pride, no unauthorized persons allowed to get anywhere near them!

Even whilst the Navy Lieutenant Commanding Officer (CO) assigned temporary charge of The Mefford Trio was poking around inside Preston’s Pride’s aft fuselage Phantom inspection work was well underway. Cockpit canopy opened first all internal power, mechanical & avionics systems were found to be operational, in absolute pristine condition no Navy personnel present ever had seen inside cockpit of an early-mid 1960s Phantom avionics specialists in particular gushing over its technological simplicity; “Makes y’all wonder how those jocks (pilots) pulled off so many ‘combat wonders’ with these relics!” a very young Seaman Avionics Maintenance Rating quipped, other Navy personnel inspecting the Phantom’s jettisonable wing fuel tanks discovered they were empty well as very old confirmed later as only aircraft components not having been “miraculously restored” midnight November 13, 2022. The Phantom now fully “checked out” was ready for being “muled” to The Ranch, before The Mefford Twins could be towed wrought iron fencing surrounding both had to be removed, Army Corps Of Engineers personnel helicoptered in from Sanger, California with containerized ground paving & support equipment by CH-47 Chinooks ("Chinook" hereon) & UH-60 Blackhawks ("Blackhawk" hereon) hours earlier quickly accomplishing the work, Navy personnel transporting it to The Ranch by 9:00 a.m. "for temporary storage".

Hours earlier Navy Shore Patrolmen (SPs hereon) were helicoptered in from Lemoore NAS to assume all Mefford Field Airport grounds security, California Army National Guard field commanders, Cal OES staffers, TCS-SCO of Mefford Field emergency management operations discussing transition plans via secured telecommunications link with The Ranch’s new CO in charge of "everything military" associated with The Mefford Trio the new Naval Commander Mefford Field Recovery Operations Commander John Frederick (its official name & commander)  dispatched overnight from Lemoore. At 9:15 a.m. all Cal OES, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office deputies, CHP & Tulare City Police Department officers & support personal were withdrawn from Mefford Field Airport lands the Command Operations & Communications Center in trailers adjacent to Tulare Mosquito Abatement District building off Dale Fry Drive inline southwest of the Runway 31 Compass Marker hauled offsite, emergency civilian evacuations & road detour operations commands relocated to trailers adjacent to the Tulare County Fairgrounds Emergency Refuge Area off South K Street 4.2 miles north of the Heinkel 177 aircraft site. With all non-military personnel vacated from Mefford Field Airport grounds The Mefford Trio now could be moved to The Ranch.

At precisely 10:00 a.m. the factory-fresh Phantom with decades-old wing fuel tanks attached was hooked for tow by a Navy “mule”, minutes later flanked by hooded disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved donned Navy aircraft mechanics & intelligence personnel they flanked by Navy & Air Force Intelligence Cinematographers documenting the move all ringed by AR-armed SPs she slowly was pulled off its aged concrete pad matching that of adjacent aged concrete pausing at edge of Tex Drive for visual alignments & clearances checks, slowly hauled across Tex Drive, diagonally traversing prepared ground & airport tarmac east side of 1940 Mefford Field RAAI hangar, Phantom & Party then traced same tarmac taxiway path Heinkel 177 would take hours later without incident. Intently observing with binoculars Commander Frederick flanked by army of specialist & support personnel from near all US Armed Forces branches, number of recently flown in Pentagon VIPs as well, listened to radio chatter speaker broadcasts from tow crews & watchers checking tarmac conditions & landing gear wheel clearances, halting 25 feet out from the Medford Field Airport main tarmac west side of Leonard Noel Drive the “army” moved off site Phantom then towed parallel to Mefford Field Airport Operations Building turned 90 degrees left parallel to Operations & Valley Air Crafts buildings turned 90 degrees left again onto 100 x 100 foot marked-off square parking zone halting precisely at its center, chocks thrown in place by Navy, Marine & Coast Guard airfield personnel. The “Phantom Move” was over – 1 minute later than 10:15 a.m. scheduled – another moving crew stood ready to tow in Preston’s Pride once Commander Frederick gave the GO signal.

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Within two hours past midnight, September 13, 2022 California Time Pentagon intelligence analysts were intently evaluating secured channel electronically transmitted video, photos, field reports trickling then flooding in from the Mefford Field Airport “Navy Tent” yards from the Heinkel adjacent to the 1940 Rankin Aeronautical Academy hangar concerning The Mefford Trio couple hours later still focusing in on reports that Preston’s Pride & Phantom had been “miraculously restored” to potential airworthy condition. Junior Pentagon intelligence officers from all service branches meticulously evaluating the intelligence soon entered into spirited debate over best secured method getting Preston’s Pride to Lemoore NAS ASAP unanimously agreeing to pass up Chain Of Command suggestion of one Air Force analyst happenstance personal friend of two civilian B-17 aircrews they’d be discreetly contacted to “be on the ready” for immediate dispatching to Mefford Field Airport, fly Preston’s Pride to Lemoore later that day if indeed she was airworthy thus saving considerable time & expense of disassembling her for transport to there under potentially unsecured circumstances.

In 2022 out of 12,731 B-17s built 1935-1945 just ten B-17 were airworthy, small fraternity of aircrews certified to fly them annually circulating USA & international airshow circuits with other vintage warbirds, the Air Force analyst’s straightforward time & expense saving suggestion flying out Preston’s Pride by civilian B-17 certified aircrews made eminent sense. The suggestion immediately embraced by Pentagon mid-level Air Force Operations Commanders of flying her to Lemoore with civilian aircrew was strongly resisted by their Navy Operations counterparts rejecting doing so on grounds The Mefford Trio already in "Navy custody" should be transported to Lemoore "though conventional means" whatever that meant! Following much interservice bickering & valuable time wasted Navy Operations staff grudgingly acknowledged the practicality of just flying Preston's Pride to Lemoore, unanimous agreement reached amongst all Pentagon Service Operations Commanders of the proposal forthwith forwarded to the Joint Chiefs Of Staff who’d unanimously "blessed" it, President Of The United States at their tacit recommendation authorizing it as part of the Incident-Specific National Emergency Executive Order effective 9:00 p.m. California Time the 13th authorizing "impressing" the two civilian air and ground crews ("crews" hereon) as “national emergency assets” placing them under US military authority. By fortuitous happenstance the B-17 crews were in San Diego, California preparing for air show there later that day, aware of early media reports regarding The Medfford Trio the crews joked they’d might be asked to fly Preston’s Pride their jokes turned serious when minutes after 9:00 a.m. California Time team of Navy SPs led by a Naval intelligence Officer dispatched from Naval Base San Diego to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport San Diego approach the crews whilst on airport tarmac adjacent to their historic B-17s; “Sorry guys, y’all been ‘impressed’, need y’all at Mefford Field ASAP, two C-20Gs (military Gulfstream IVs) on way now to take y’alls to Lemoore!” officer said in Louisianian Creole accent.

Meantime At The Ranch, preparations were well underway to airlift out the Phantom by the same Skycrane heavy lifter busy all night & into morning the 13th flying in big rigged-sized containers full of materials & equipment, “mules” (airfield towing tractors), firefighting vehicles, portable field offices, wash/dressing, kitchen & mess hall trailers, everything needed for conducting military field operations associated with The Mefford Trio. Before she could be airlifted to Lemoore airframe engineers working with Navy, Marine & Coast Guard “Jacks” (helicopter lifting gear riggers), Skycrane pilots & ground crews jointly analyzed whether she indeed could be airlifted with jettisonable fuel tanks attached in intermittent windy rainy weather all agreeing she could provided true airspeed was kept under 60 knots flying no more than 800 feet above ground the 42 mile, 20 minute distance to Lemoore, impressed with the analysis The Ranch’s Naval Commanding Officer forthwith signed off giving the GO signal for conducting the airlift. Seconds after she’d been parked dead-centered over a 100 x 100 foot marked-off square parking zone yards north of the Valley Air Crafts building dozen Navy, Marine & Coast Guard Jacks donning hooded disposable hooded hazmat jumpsuits & gloves, wired sound speaker safety ear muffs “armed” with ground crawlers & ladders watched by army of specialist & support personnel from near all US Armed Forces branches, number of Pentagon VIPs adjacent to the Valley Air Crafts building all whilst being "filmed" by Naval Intelligence Cinematographers were under, over, all-around the Phantom placing & securing ad hoc fabricated heavy aluminum clad steel cable "hammock" lifting gear underneath strategic load bearing bulkheads & wing ribs all in 10 minutes flat Skycrane meantime fired-up for lifting her off. By 10:35 a.m. the Skycrane was hovering directly over the Phantom, eight steel cable "stringer" lines draping from her load bearing fuselage spine, Jacks swept by cold blade downwash forthwith attaching hammock cable hooks on lifting collars attached to stringer cable ends, signaled for lifting the Skycrane’s highly experienced crew lifted the Phantom up three feet Jacks systematically checking for cable slippages & attitude alignments, satisfied all were A-OK the "Head Jack" (Crew Chief) signaled GO for full lift, Phantom forthwith elevated 100 feet for final attitude checks, no yawing or pitching seen Head Jack forthwith signaling GO for transport.

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Naval Air Station Lemoore (“Lemoore NAS”, “Lemoore”, “NAS” hereon) commissioned in 1961 is the US Navy’s premiere & largest west Pacific coast operational fighter & training airbase chosen for its remoteness facilitating large-scale air operations with smallest “noise footprint” possible, close proximity to Navy seaport facilities facilitating logistical support, great flexibility how the airbase could be expanded & utilized latter crucial ensconcing “The Mefford Trio” under maximum security conditions.

Even before The President Of The United States declared an Incident-Specific National Emergency at 10:00 a.m. Washington DC time formally placing them under US Government custody for “highly detailed forensic examinations” (i.e. camouflaging US Military & “alphabets” half-educated guesses how two been “miraculously restored” to airworthy condition, third “time-traveled” from WWII to what ends), mid-level Pentagon intelligence staff very soon determined Lemoore NAS as the ideal location for ensconcing under US Government custody (i.e. hiding from public view) under maximum security conditions akin to Homey Airport, Nevada (Area 51) though lacking latter’s cultural provenance till all could be transported elsewhere. Tacitly recognizing was impossible to deny The Mefford Trio’s paranormal transformations & appearance given they’d been in public view albeit very shortly since after midnight November 13, 2022 California Time Pentagon “mid-levelers” meantime “Gipsy Rose Lee’d” (teased) senior level brass into believing they still could be hidden from public view provided nothing else was revealed about them.

At 1:00 a.m. California Time Pentagon Navy Intelligence & Airfield Operations senior level brass, Lemoore NAS Commander, Airfield Operations & Security Chiefs, via secure telecommunication link proclaimed the currently unused 640 x 700 foot bare concrete patch far northeast corner of the NAS airfield operations area as Site 29-B it randomly pulled off list of military reservation code names by a deskbound OF-3 deep within The Pentagon’s bowels where the Trio were to be ensconced once moved off Mefford Field Airport grounds. Within the hour also the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed all information concerning their removals & relocations to Lemoore, forensic examinations, intelligence evaluations, theories & speculations regarding their sudden appearances & restorations classified Top Secret, placed under custodianship of a OF-5 Senior Pentagon Intelligence Officer with two OF-4 alternates directly subordinate to the Joint Chiefs or by The Whitehouse whenever the information needed to be reviewed by The President and/or his national security staff.

With “marching orders” direct from top-level Pentagon brass the Lemoore NAS Commander was authorized to requisition whatever materials, manpower, logistics planning & management necessary directly from any military service branch for quickly constructing & getting Site 29-B operational, moving The Mefford Trio there, all “issues” encountered whilst doing so directly addressed to respective Pentagon Chief Of Operations they directed to immediately resolve them. Whilst personnel & equipment was being readied elsewhere on the NAS for transport to Mefford Field Airport for disarming bombs aboard the Heinkel at 1:30 a.m. on-station Navy Seabees commenced work constructing a security fence enclosure completely around Site 29-B moving everything off it beforehand. Laboring at war emergency speed in heavy rain, Seabees, US Army Corps Of Engineers & US Air Force Engineers flown in later had the fencing up by 5:30 a.m., large “Restricted Area” signs affixed every 25 feet, portable guard shacks later replaced by more durable ones set at enclosure’s sole entrance near its most southwesterly corner, AR-armed SPs forthwith manning them well as patrolling the enclosure’s outer perimeter.

Whilst enclosure construction was underway Navy Seabees, Air Force Engineers, Army Corps Of Engineers et. al. staffs in conjunction with number of “alphabets” communicating though Pentagon-centered secure satellite telecommunications channels working off existing airfield facilities layouts & arrangements jointly planned & designed Site 29-B’s facilities in two hours flat, manpower, materials, equipment some highly classified collected & flown in from several military installations throughout the USA with unprecedented efficiency & speed. First erected were three 150 x 250 x 24 foot prefabricated site-assembled double-entry aircraft hangars flown in by Air Force C-5M Super Galaxies from Travis AFB set 150 feet back from northwest perimeter fence each spaced 100 feet apart, officially designated “A”, “B”, “C” (patrolling male SPs called them “Autumn”, “Bailey”, “Carter” after female porn stars, female SPs “Alex”, “Bambino”, “Charles” after male ones) all in place by 9:45 a.m. Meantime, Air Force C-17A Globemaster III’s were flying in prefabricated site-assembled windowless auxiliary structures flanking the hangars in between & ends of Hangars A & C exclusively for military & “alphabet” operatives some already on station whilst construction was underway, all in place by 10:00 a.m. Hangar A stood ready to receive the AMVETS Phantom in transit from The Ranch now scheduled for arrival at 11:00 a.m.

Hovering yards ahead of the Skycrane a US Navy SH-60 Seahawk ("Seahawk" hereon) Pilot Helicopter had two Navy meteorologists monitoring Doppler Radar computer screens, Intelligence Lieutenant & four Petty Officers onboard monitoring wireless closed circuit camera feeds sweeping ground below, underneath the Skycrane looking down on Phantom, second Seahawk yards aft filled with airfield maintenance personnel & equipment ready to secure her if “hit sod” (landed) in an emergency yards aft of Skycrane, third Seahawk yards off port perpendicular to Skycrane filled with armed SP, Firefighting & Personnel Extraction Trained EMT & equipment in event any helicopter crashed whilst in transit. On way to Mefford Field Airport pilot & trailing Seahawks encountered heavy rain & wind cells, senior meteorologist radioing in “the bad news” to The Ranch’s Naval Commanding Officer (CO) he forthwith pointedly asking him whether conditions were bad enough to scrub the Phantom move meteorologist forthwith replying nyet as were briskly moving north off planned flight path to Lemoore. At 10:39 a.m. the Skycrane lead by the Pilot Seahawk began pulling away northwesterly towards Lemoore FAA having closed general aviation airspace over & five miles out from Mefford Field Airport by 1:30 a.m. the aerial caravan could proceed to Lemoore far out as A & L Dairy on Prosperity Avenue west of Road 48, Airspace Restriction Alert issued at 9:30 a.m. banning all air traffic except military 10 mile swath below 2,000 feet between both airports in effect till further notice.

"Heloing" 60 knots at 750 feet northeast towards Lemoore all went well till sudden strong wind gusts struck over Guernsey (Kansas & 10th Avenues) several miles south of Hanford, Phantom violently pitching up & down longitudinally for some seconds stressing the suspension cables, Skycrane pilot forthwith dropping altitude, softly landing her on fallow farmland west of dairy farm off South 11th & Kent Avenues, trailing Seahawk quickly moving port & landing 100 feet parallel to it. The Skycrane holding station above the Phantom fought off the gusts some minutes till passed, highly experienced heloing cargo in bad weather conditions the pilot knew the gusts weren't strong enough to break the lifting gear collars forthwith radioing the landed Seahawk cables & collars looked OK. Slowly lifting the Phantom up ten feet pausing for those onboard the Seahawk to inspect for abnormalities none were found Seahawk's pilot forthwith signaling the Skyhook's to proceed she slowly pulling up then forward quickly regaining altitude inline behind the Pilot Seahawk aft grounded one forthwith lifting off & returning in formation behind the Skycrane. Encountering no further flight incidents the Skycrane now heloing alone slowly approached Site 29-B, hovering in unstable air dozen disposable hazmat jumpsuited & gloved-clad Navy airfield personnel with “mule” (airfield towing tractor) & tow gear stood ready to help lower & tow away the Phantom, setting her down at precisely 11:10 a.m. forthwith she was hooked for tow whilst Skycrane suspension cables surrounding here were unhooked, all off she'd pulled vertical rotating southeasterly hightailing it off to The Ranch. The Phantom now firmly in "Government Custody" forthwith was "hauled naked" (nobody else around her) into Hangar A, "mule" & tow team very quickly leaving the hangar arguably out of fear, doors closed & locked shut by SPs in ten minutes flat.

...To Be Continued...

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Preston’s Pride Boeing B-17G serial 44-85738 Vega Aircraft Burbank Construction No. 8647-VE was delivered to United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) late during WWII not seeing any combat service. Manufactured at Vega Aircraft in Burbank, California c. April-May, 1945 she was flown to the USAAF Louisville Kentucky Aircraft Modification Center taken on charge May 18, 1945. Put in active storage in 1946 she was modified as a DB-17G drone controller assigned to the 509th Composite Bomb Group for use during Operations Crossroads Pacific atomic bomb tests operating in this role till retired from active service, donated to AMVETS Post 56, flown to Mefford Field Airport Tulare by USAF Operations Chief Major General Maurice Preston August 5, 1958. Rolled of the Burbank, California Vega Aircraft factory assembly line too late for WWII service midnight November 13, 2022  she was “miraculously restored” fully equipped for combat duty, strong suggestion of whoever, whomever, whatever deliberately wanted her to see combat, why not before the May 9, 1945 German surrender?!

The leading questions amongst endless others why restore Preston’s Pride & F-4C Phantom II to airworthy condition, why also deposit a bomb-laden shot-up WWII Deutsches Luftwaffe Heinkel 177 A-5 with dead crewman plus a wounded third yards away? Why these Mefford Field Anachronisms and no others anywhere else on Earth?! None could be answered - for now -what only mattered to the US Government was getting The Mefford Trio to Lemoore Naval Station before day’s end the 13th, out of sight, under armed guard and out of the public’s mind ASAP! By 11:15 a.m. The Phantom was under armed guard at Lemoore, Heinkel 177 on Mefford Field Airport tarmac at 5:04 p.m., in between Preston’s Pride would be flown out to Lemoore perhaps on its last ever flight its fate well as of the others yet to be determined.

As mentioned earlier, minutes after 9:00 a.m. California Time November 13, 2022 team of Navy SPs led by a Naval intelligence Officer dispatched from Naval Base San Diego to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport San Diego approached crews adjacent to their historic B-17s whilst on airport tarmac, then-there impressed all into Navy service two C-20Gs (military Gulfstream IVs, "Gulfstream" heron) on way for transporting them to Lemoore . As the Navy team approached them everyone adjacent to the B-17s whipped out their iPhones & Androids video recording the spectacle, Airshow Chief & Airfield Operations Staff watching also doing nothing till the B-17 pilots could contact them. Gaining permission from the Naval Intelligence Officer to contact them “Rick” the most senior pilot got them on line with his Android; “Guys, the Navy needs us now, we’re OK, not in ANY trouble, Navy Officer will speak to you both soon. Airshow must go on, have fun, punching out now, bye!” Nine-thirty A.M. the 13th the Gulfstreams arrived at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport San Diego for transporting the crews to Lemoore, acknowledging they’d been Shanghaied resisting in presence of a Naval Officer flanked by SPs pointless they'd no choice but accept assurances from the Naval Intelligence Officer the US Government will reimburse all expenses associated with ground tending & security of their B-17s. flying them to their respective operating bases by other B-17 qualified crews if could be flown in by day’s end something he couldn’t guarantee.

Taxing up directly in front of the B-17s the Gulfstreams halted in line then powered down, port forward fuselage cabin door lowered a Navy Intelligence Officer from each deplaned making way to their Lieutenant Junior Grade (JG) counterpart “guarding” the crews; “Good job Delphin, you’re dismissed, see you next Tuesday (at San Diego Naval Air Station)!” senior officer said whilst assuming custody of the crews; “I’m Lieutenant Don Hansen Navy Intelligence, this is my team partner Lieutenant Feroze Sadeghi. By order of President Of The United States though the Joint Chiefs Of Staff all of you have been impressed into Navy service, please step on board!” forthwith signaling which jets they'd be flying in. Piling aboard in line pilots & copilots first all were assigned specific seating by an Intelligence Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1), asked to surrender their electronic communications devices (smartphones & cells), pickup & don sound-wired headsets, observe video screens on seatbacks before them, cabin door closed, engines revving up, Lieutenant Hansen seated port forward directly across from his PO1 controlling audiovisual equipment signaled him to commence the prerecorded informational briefing:

“This is a Top Secret briefing gentlemen, my counterpart is giving exact same one to aircrew in (the) other jet. All ‘obtainable’ information regarding your personal histories has been evaluated by the FBI well as Pentagon intelligence, all of you have passed security checks and have been granted security clearances as seen on your monitors, you’ll need to sign them (documents) at Lemoore Naval Air Station that’s where we’re going.”

“By now most if not all of you have heard & read news & social media reports & posts about ‘paranormal activity’ on Mefford Field Airport grounds this morning, we can confirm such activity had occurred and that the AMVETS Boeing B-17G has been ‘restored’ to airworthy condition, YOUR job is to fly her from Mefford Field Airport to Lemoore Naval Air Station later this morning or afternoon.”

“The B-17G has been inspected inside & out for atomic radiation, chemical, bacteriological & virological agents, none have been detected so far, you will be required to wear hazmat gear around and inside her at all times regardless. We cannot say no other biohazards are present, if any of you do not want to risk exposure to potential unknown biohazards you have time to decide before transport to Mefford Field.”

All intelligence as of 9:30 a.m. regarding Preston’s Pride; videos & still postings prior to her “miraculous restoration”, first videos & stills of her by California National Guard, Cal OES personnel, California Highway Patrolmen, Tulare County Sheriff’s Deputies, Tulare City Police Officers, obtainable Internet news & social media postings, for contextual setting was presented followed by trove of intelligence videos, stills, diagrams & written reports by US military intelligence personnel from all service branches & “alphabets”, including up-to-minute new intelligence via secured communications link whilst in transit to Lemoore, including Vega Factory documents pertaining to Preston’s Pride manufacture in 1945 some purportedly authorizing fitting of “government supplied equipment” for combat operations in mint condition period military haversacks hung inside the bomb bay.

At points thoughout the presentation flight crews were invited to comment on the intelligence particularly Preston’s Pride 1945-vintage cockpit & flight engineer station avionics whether they could fly her to Lemoore on them instead of being fitted with modern avionics; “Our intelligence folks want her ‘pristine’ for forensic analysis, you’ll have to fly her just with them; bad weather currently between Mefford (Field) & Lemoore, Navy Meteorologist will be on board (with portable wireless weather & navigation equipment) helping out." Senior Pilot "Rick" confidently replying; “Can do Lieutenant, who’d pass ‘barebacking’ a ‘factory virgin?!” jokingly replying a similar though more explicit conversation amongst aircrew occurring in other jet as well.

Whilst B-17 flight crews were in transit to Lemoore NAS preparations were well underway for towing Preston’s Pride onto Mefford Field Airport tarmac on same route as the F4-C Phantom II. Hooked for tow by Navy “mules” (airfield towing tractors) same time as the Phantom, flanked by disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved donned Navy aircraft mechanics & intelligence personnel they flanked by Navy & Air Force Intelligence Cinematographers documenting the move all ringed by AR-armed SPs, at precisely 10:30 a.m. Preston’s Pride, rudder, tailplanes, ailerons gust locked for strong sudden winds, slowly was pulled off its much patched-up decades-old asphalt it been (mostly) sitting on since 1958 pausing at edge of Tex Drive for visual alignments & clearances checks. Slowly hauled across Tex Drive tail first, diagonally traversing prepared ground & airport tarmac east side of 1940 Mefford Field RAAI hangar in same light northeasterly winds as where the Heinkel 177 was "parked" north of it, 20 feet short of were 80 degree left turn onto a taxiway at 10:42 a.m. a very strong ground gust mysteriously not showing up on Navy meteorological Doppler Radar scans at The Ranch suddenly swept underneath her tailplanes lifting her rear fuselage foot up then down space of three seconds gust locks fortuitously keeping them in place, towbar attached to the tailwheel mounting most fortuitously still in place the Hostler (Tow Party Chief) signaled HALT! to the “muler” till the gust subsided. Holding station for some minutes the entire standing towing entourage struggled to keep their footing fortunately in dry air, the gust subsided, tailwheel & mounting checked for damage (none found), at 10:51 a.m. the Hostler signaled “GO” for resuming the tow.

Intently observing with binoculars The Ranch’s Naval Commander flanked by army of specialist & support personnel from near all US Armed Forces branches, number of recently flown in Pentagon VIPs as well, listened to radio chatter speaker broadcasts from tow crews & watchers checking tarmac conditions & landing gear wheel clearances, halting 25 feet out from the Medford Field Airport tarmac west side of Leonard Noel Drive at 11:01 a.m. another very strong ground gust mysteriously not showing up on Navy meteorological Doppler Radar scans also swept underneath Preston’s Pride causing her to bounce up & down on landing gear for several seconds, entire standing entourage dropping on knees observing “army” also, the gust subsided seconds later the Hostler signaled “GO” for continuing the tow without checking the landing gear fearing as later documented in an Aircraft Towing Incident Report another strong wind gust again lifting her up mere feet short where other airfield crewmen could help out with keeping her landing gear down. Forthwith towed over same 200 x 200 foot marked-off square parking zone the Heinkel 177 would be over hours later Preston’s Pride's Tow Hostler signaled HALT! precisely over its center wings parallel to the airport runway at 11:07 a.m., chocks thrown in place by Navy, Marine & Coast Guard airfield personnel she immediately was swarmed by other airfield crews tossing fabric insulated steel tie-down bands over her fuselage & wings, attaching them to tarmac tie-downs holding her down till wind conditions improved.

…To Be Continued…

[Retired In Kalifornia II]

Mid-morning November 13, 2022 weather conditions were still bad at Mefford Field Airport, tight low pressure “Polar Express” front with strong cold windy rains perpendicularly skirting Northern & Central California since 2:00 a.m. California Time bands of intense windy rains “parked” between Coalinga, Huron, Lemoore, Armona, Hanford, Dinuba in Fresno, Kings & Tulare Counties not expecting to dissipate till noon. Despite bad weather airfield ground crews there had removed all fabric insulated steel tie-down bands over Preston’s Pride fuselage & wings well as all gust locks, army of disposable hazmat jumpsuit & gloved-donned aircraft systems specialists, number skilled in maintaining obsolete radial engine-powered pre-WWII technology US military aircraft also, from near every service branch descending under, over, inside her meticulously inspecting, video & still image recording every last square inch of her that could be under close supervision of aviation technology intelligence specialists. Completing the inspections shortly before 1:00 p.m. aircraft ground crews beforehand briefed on prepping Preston’s Pride for flight stood ready to work if need be under supervision of civilian B-17 air & ground crews (“crews” heron) once they’d been helicoptered in from Lemoore.

Cruising “high & dry” in loose formation over Southern then Central California the Gulfstreams filled with US Government “impressed” civilian B-17 air & ground crews raced towards Lemoore NAS hoping to land by 10:30 a.m. after a particularly intense band of windy rains “parked” over the airbase had dissipated, inflight Top Secret briefing of Preston’s Pride continuing meantime. At number points during it serious questions arose whether Preston’s Pride supposed factory mint Wright R-1820-97 turbocharged radials even worked Navy Intelligence Office giving the briefing cloyingly replying; “They’ve not been ‘run up’ yet, top ‘round engine folks’ (radial engine technology & maintenance specialists) there right now (at Mefford Field Airport) checking them out; you’ve got ‘last word’ flying her to Lemoore remember”, questions as well whether landing gear hydraulic systems work; “You’re flying her gear down to Lemoore with ‘Emphelo’ (emergency personnel-crewed helicopter hereon) escort, locations have been identified to land her in case of an emergency.”

Lowering to “weather altitude” (18,000-foot Mean Seal Level Class E FAA airspace) over Lost Hills west of Interstate 5 on California State Route 46 around 10:15 a.m. the Gulfstreams approached Lemoore NAS perpendicular to strong bands of windy rains sweeping between Strafford & Guernsey to the southeast where within the hour the Skycrane airlifting the Mefford Field MacDonnell F4-C Phantom II to Lemoore encountered similar weather, sweeping west avoiding it a stable air gap opened up between it and a parallel band over Five Points, Lanare, Riverdale, Laton (latter at Fresno-Kings County Line northeast of where author’s father was born) allowing the jets to dogleg in from west then southeast to land on Runway 14-Left, the maneuver performed by both without incident the lead jet touching down at 10:27 a.m. its trailer two minutes later.

...To Be Continued...