On This Day in Fairchild History - March 26

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- On March 26, 1957, Col. Clarence A. Neely, the 92nd Bomb Wing commander, and his crew landed at 3:23 p.m. to deliver the first Boeing B-52D Stratofortress to Fairchild. The rest of the crew included Col. William Smith, 92nd Wing Director of Operations, Lt. Col. Harold Cowan, 326th Bomb Squadron Commander and copilot, Maj. J.L. Street, radar operator, Capt. F. J. Riddle, navigator, Capt. E. J. Kosmerl, instructor observer, Lt. R. R. Cross, radio operator, Lt. R. G. Fellers, gunner, and Master Sgt. Donald Jacobson, crew chief. This B-52, bearing the tail number 5673, was assigned to the 325th Bomb Squadron. This was the first of 45 B-52s that were to be delivered to the base. The last B-52 arrived on Sept. 22, 1957.