Search to be launched for Air Force jet that carried Muncie pilot to his death in 1968
MUNCIE, Ind. — It has been 57 years since a B-52 bomber carrying eight Air Force personnel crashed into the Gulf of Mexico during a training mission.
One of those on the jet when it disappeared — on Feb. 29, 1968 — was Thomas D. Childs, an Air Force captain from Muncie who had flown combat missions in Vietnam.
Project Recover, a citizen-led nonprofit organization, is planning an extensive search of the Gulf — particularly near Matagorda Island, Texas, where the plane is believed to have gone down. (The Gulf of Mexico is now referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government.)
Organizers, using "the world's most sophisticated sonar technologies," hope to find the aircraft and "bring all eight of these Cold War aviators home to their loved ones," according to a news release.
For more information on the recovery effort, and to donate to the cause, go to the project's website at B-52 Bomber Down.
Thomas Childs was born in Muncie in September 1941, the son of James and Dorothy May Childs. He was a 1959 graduate of Center High School, where he was on the school's basketball team, and a 1963 graduate of Ball State University, where he earned a degree in accounting.
He entered the Air Force through an ROTC commission earned at Ball State. As a pilot in Vietnam, he had flown 19 combat missions, earning the Air Medal.
Childs was listed as "navigator-instructor" on the February 1968 training flight that was to involve a "simulated bombing drop." The flight had departed Carswell Air Force Base in Texas.
There were apparently no witnesses to the crash. Efforts by the Coast Guard and the Air Force to find the jet were unsuccessful.
Childs was survived by his wife, Karin, and their infant daughter, Tiffany, who would be raised in her mother's home state of Texas.
Childs' parents lived in the southeastern Delaware County community of Mount Pleasant, and a memorial service was held at Pleasant Hills Baptist Church a month after the crash.
His father, James, died in 1980, and his mother, Dorothy, died six years later.
Their tombstone, at Elm Ridge Memorial Park, also bears their son's name and the dates of his birth and when he was "lost in flight."
Thomas Childs' brothers, Larry and Norman, are also deceased.
Douglas Walker is a news reporter for The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Group to search for crashed military jet that carried Muncie pilot
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Moscow poses no threat to Britain, says Russia's UK embassy
LONDON (Reuters) -Russia's embassy in London said on Tuesday that Moscow had no intention of attacking Britain, rejecting accusations by the British government of growing aggression and daily cyberattacks. Britain said on Monday it would radically change its approach to defence to address new threats, including from Russia, after endorsing the findings of an independently-produced Strategic Defence Review. After unveiling the defence overhaul on Monday, Healey said Europe was facing war, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks and daily cyberattacks. Russia's embassy issued a statement on Tuesday criticising what it described as "a fresh salvo of anti-Russian rhetoric". "Russia poses no threat to the United Kingdom and its people," the statement said. "We harbour no aggressive intentions and have no plans to attack Britain. We are not interested in doing so, nor do we need to." Relations between Russia and Britain are at their lowest level since the Cold War. They deteriorated further after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Britain and other NATO members have provided large amounts of military aid and other support to Kyiv. China's embassy in London also criticised Britain's defence review, saying in a statement on Tuesday that the document deliberately misrepresented Beijing's defence policy to justify British military expansion. The review had described China as "a sophisticated and persistent challenge", citing its rapid military modernisation, including an expanded nuclear arsenal, and saying Beijing was likely using espionage and cyberattacks, and stealing intellectual property.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine to deploy new units to counter Russian drone attacks, Air Force says
New air defense units will be established to counter Russia's drone attacks on Ukraine, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda on June 2. Despite ongoing peace talks, Russia continues to reject calls for an unconditional ceasefire, intensifying drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, killing and injuring civilians. Overnight on June 1, Russia launched an aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying a record 472 drones. Ukrainian forces downed 210 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, while 172 more drones were intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars, according to the Air Force. "We would have liked to have had better results, but there were still dozens of hits," Ihant said. According to Ihant, Russia employed tactics involving the launch of a large number of weapons at a single target that approached from high altitude. During their meeting on June 2, air force commanders emphasized the urgent need to strengthen drone air defense capabilities, he said. "We are talking about anti-aircraft drones that help intercept air targets. Crews are being trained in different locations on the territory of our country. New units will be introduced," the spokesperson said. Russia seeks to produce up to 500 drones per day, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in late May. Meanwhile, Ukraine has more than doubled its long-range drone production in 2024 compared to the previous year—a staggering 22-fold increase since 2022. By the end of 2024, Ukraine had developed a total of 324 new types of weapons, according to the Ministry of Strategic Industries. Read also: How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it sounds We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Associated Press
5 hours ago
- Associated Press
Resource-rich Mongolia faces political uncertainty after the prime minister resigns
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Resource-rich Mongolia is facing political uncertainty following the resignation early on Tuesday of its prime minister in the wake of protests over endemic corruption in the landlocked Asian country, squeezed between China and Russia. Before he lost the confidence vote in the parliament, Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai warned that his removal could undermine Mongolia's fledgling democracy. The vote followed weeks of protests sparked by reports of lavish spending by his son and calls for him to step down. The reports, which cited expensive jewelry and helicopter rides for the son's female companion, underscored the vast gap between Mongolians who have grown extremely wealthy off the country's exports and much of the rest of the population, mired in poverty. Here is a look at why what is happening in Mongolia matters: A fledgling democracy between two big powers Mongolia, a country of about 3.5 million people, borders Russia to the north and China to the south. Its stunning alpine mountains interspersed with vast deserts hold an abundance of coal, copper and other natural resources used in high-tech manufacturing. The question of who benefits from the wealth has been a key issue since Mongolia began negotiating with foreign mining giants — rumors of secret deals and under-the-table payments have circulated for years. After Mongolia threw off Communism at the end of the Cold War, it lost generous Soviet Union aid packages. Since then, it has been slowly becoming a democracy but is struggling to avoid falling into debt while holding Chinese and Russian interests at bay. China is a particularly important neighbor as its ruling Communist Party buys up 92% of Mongolia's exports. A 'spiders' web' of the greedy Over the years, the capital of Ulaanbaataar transformed itself from a city of clunky Soviet-era buildings surrounded by traditional herders' felt tents known as gers, into a metropolis of shopping malls and fancy hotels. The protesters have said the country's mineral riches have benefited business interests and the wealthy, while many Mongolians still live in poverty. Early on Tuesday morning, Oyun-Erdene only got 44 votes of support in the 126-seat legislature — the State Great Khural — well short of the 64 needed, according to the head of the counting commission, M. Narantuya-nara. Oyun-Erdene accepted defeat, saying it had been an honor to serve the nation through the coronavirus pandemic, Russia's war on Ukraine and the ongoing strife over U.S. tariffs. But he also warned of the threat of a 'spider's web' of special interests that he said are working to hold the Mongolian people back. What happens next? Oyun-Erdene, who ran a coalition government, will remain prime minister until his replacement is elected in parliament, most likely from the ranks of opposition lawmakers. Those who pick his successor will likely also have to find a platform that will satisfy the demands of the largely young and well-educated class that has led the protests. That could include moving ahead with a national sovereignty fund introduced recently to better help spread the wealth. In stepping down, Oyun-Erdene defended his integrity but said he had made the mistake of 'paying insufficient attention to social and internal political matters.' He also warned of political instability ahead, saying it 'could lead the public to lose faith in parliamentary rule and potentially put our democratic parliamentary system at risk of collapse.' What do experts and the ordinary people say? Erin Murphy, deputy director and senior fellow of India and emerging Asian economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it's not easy to 'build that foundation for democracy' at a time when Mongolia also must tackle economic problems. Julian Dierkes, a Mongolia expert at the University of Mannheim in Germany, said he doesn't expect any major policy changes, whoever becomes the next prime minister. 'They will be selected on the basis of personal networks and patronage,' Dierkes said. Many people on the street seemed worried for the future and some defended the outgoing prime minister on Tuesday. Oyun-Erdene should not be responsible for his son's failings, said Gansukh Batbayar, a military retiree in Ulaanbaatar who lauded what he described as Oyun-Erdene's efforts to 'confiscate illegally earned assets and money of corrupt officials' and distribute it more fairly. 'We barely survive in these chaotic times and our pensions are very small,' said an older woman on a public bus in Ulaanbaataar, who declined to give her name to speak about the political developments. She counts on her children 'to have food to eat and a roof over my head,' she said. ___ Associated Press writers Didi Tang in Washington and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.
