Seeing from past posts that a lot of forum members also enjoy horology and collect watches, thought I'd share my most recent acquisition and the story behind it. This one is my first foray into vintage watches, a plunge I took because of the special meaning that it holds, beyond the good fortune of sharing my birth year (1960). The watch is an original military issue Bulova A17A Navigator Reference #6433A (see the first photo below).
A dear friend served as a navigator aboard USAF Strategic Air Command B-52s during the Cold War days of the mid 1950s and early 1960s, and wore an identical time piece on duty, including his last mission on January 24, 1963. He and eight other crewmen departed Westover AFB in Massachusetts on what was to be a routine training mission of several hours duration over northern Maine to familiarize themselves with a new radar navigation system. The plane encountered unanticipated severe turbulence which ripped the vertical stabilizer (upright tail fin) from the aircraft, causing loss of flight control and sending the plane into a lethal nose dive. Jerry was one of only three crew who were able to eject before impact and one of only two to survive. Despite ejecting successfully, his parachute never opened! Miraculously and still in his seat, he landed upright in the 10'deep snow pack, alive but with severe injuries. Jerry was rescued 20 hours later, having withstood temperatures reaching -30 degrees overnight. His Bulova A17A was still on his wrist, the hands forever frozen at 1452 (see the second photo below)-the time of his impact, later calculated to have had the force of 16x gravity!
This officer, gentleman, husband, and father of 2 young daughters persevered through more than a year of hospitalizations and surgeries until he was medically discharged from active duty. He bore the long-term health consequences of this life-changing event for the rest of his days. Nonetheless, he would later graduate law school after serving as editor of the law review, complete 2 additional Ivy League master's degrees in legal specialties, and teach and practice law until well into his 70s. All the while, he served as a model husband and father, while keeping his personal pledge to look after the wives and children of his lost crewmates. Jerry passed away this past September 29, just shy of his 90th birthday. He is sorely missed but lives on through his countless good deeds in a life well lived. So, to keep his memory, friendship, and wealth of wisdom for living a meaningful life close at hand, I could think of no better symbol than wearing a working Bulova A17A #6433A on my wrist.
For those interested, the full story surrounding his crewmates and remarkable last flight is recounted in the book "FINAL MISSION-The North Woods" which is available through "a large on line seller of all things, even books, whose name brings to mind a famous South American river." As a further tribute to the crew, all author profits from sales of the book are donated to Maine charities in the names of each of the flight's crewmen. If you visit Maine, the crash site on Elephant Mountain just outside of Greenville has been preserved as a memorial to the men and guarantees an impactful and meaningful experience. Thanks for reading and honoring their service and their memories…
A dear friend served as a navigator aboard USAF Strategic Air Command B-52s during the Cold War days of the mid 1950s and early 1960s, and wore an identical time piece on duty, including his last mission on January 24, 1963. He and eight other crewmen departed Westover AFB in Massachusetts on what was to be a routine training mission of several hours duration over northern Maine to familiarize themselves with a new radar navigation system. The plane encountered unanticipated severe turbulence which ripped the vertical stabilizer (upright tail fin) from the aircraft, causing loss of flight control and sending the plane into a lethal nose dive. Jerry was one of only three crew who were able to eject before impact and one of only two to survive. Despite ejecting successfully, his parachute never opened! Miraculously and still in his seat, he landed upright in the 10'deep snow pack, alive but with severe injuries. Jerry was rescued 20 hours later, having withstood temperatures reaching -30 degrees overnight. His Bulova A17A was still on his wrist, the hands forever frozen at 1452 (see the second photo below)-the time of his impact, later calculated to have had the force of 16x gravity!
This officer, gentleman, husband, and father of 2 young daughters persevered through more than a year of hospitalizations and surgeries until he was medically discharged from active duty. He bore the long-term health consequences of this life-changing event for the rest of his days. Nonetheless, he would later graduate law school after serving as editor of the law review, complete 2 additional Ivy League master's degrees in legal specialties, and teach and practice law until well into his 70s. All the while, he served as a model husband and father, while keeping his personal pledge to look after the wives and children of his lost crewmates. Jerry passed away this past September 29, just shy of his 90th birthday. He is sorely missed but lives on through his countless good deeds in a life well lived. So, to keep his memory, friendship, and wealth of wisdom for living a meaningful life close at hand, I could think of no better symbol than wearing a working Bulova A17A #6433A on my wrist.
For those interested, the full story surrounding his crewmates and remarkable last flight is recounted in the book "FINAL MISSION-The North Woods" which is available through "a large on line seller of all things, even books, whose name brings to mind a famous South American river." As a further tribute to the crew, all author profits from sales of the book are donated to Maine charities in the names of each of the flight's crewmen. If you visit Maine, the crash site on Elephant Mountain just outside of Greenville has been preserved as a memorial to the men and guarantees an impactful and meaningful experience. Thanks for reading and honoring their service and their memories…
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